Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Katrina Chandler 1.3
Peyton Rutkowski
FLC junior Katrina Chandler scored a career-high 21 points in Friday's win.
61
MSU Denver MSUD 4-8,3-3 RMAC
63
Winner Fort Lewis FLC 9-2,4-1 RMAC
MSU Denver MSUD
4-8,3-3 RMAC
61
Final
63
Fort Lewis FLC
9-2,4-1 RMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
MSU Denver MSUD 25 12 12 12 61
Fort Lewis FLC 12 16 25 10 63

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

Candelaria and Chandler lead Skyhawks to 63-61 victory over Metro State

DURANGO, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team tipped off 2020 in thrilling fashion on Friday, receiving big-time efforts from a pair of junior guards Katrina Chandler and Sydney Candelaria to edge out Metropolitan State University of Denver in the final seconds by a 63-61 final.

It was Candelaria who would play hero as, out of a side in-bounds play, the Albuquerque native drove left and finished off the glass for two of her 12 points with 5.2 seconds remaining to break the 61-61 tie.

"I just took it to the basket with confidence," Candelaria said. "I was really surprised it was wide open because everyone was on the right side and I think that's just from how we drew up the play. But I was still shocked I was open. I saw a lane and just took it."

A last ditched 3-pointer by the visiting Roadrunners (4-8 overall, 3-3 RMAC) clanked iron at the horn, clinching the victory for the Skyhawks (9-2 overall, 5-1 RMAC) to vault them into a tie for second place in the conference standings with Westminster College.

Prior to the go-ahead score, MSU Denver had a chance to take the lead at the free-throw line with 10 seconds remaining. Jaela Richardson would go 1-of-2 from the strip, with the second errant shot being gobbled up by freshman forward Jordan Vasquez for one of her team-leading seven rebounds to set the stage for Candelaria.

"Nobody on our team is better going left than Sydney, especially if she's going downhill," Griego said. "I have all the confidence in the world in all these girls. I told them with 10 seconds to go with (Metro) shooting free throws that we were going to win the game…credit to them. They're the ones who executed and put the ball in the hole."

While it was Candelaria who shined late, it was Chandler who helped keep the Skyhawks in the game through the first three quarters after FLC fell behind by as many as 14 in the first half.

Chandler led all scorers with a career-high 21 points as the Durango native carved up the Metro defense off the dribble.

"(Metro) gave us a gap going under the screens and coach says all the time 'Make them pay if they're going to go under the screens,'" said Chandler, who's previous career-high was 19 points set earlier this season in a win over South Dakota School of Mines (Dec.13).  "That was kind of the mindset going in."

Chandler scored nine first-half points and exploded for 10 points in the third quarter to help give the Skyhawks a 53-49 lead heading to the fourth.

"We needed someone scoring the ball and really being aggressive and I did challenge (Chandler) in practice this week a few times to be aggressive and look to score the ball," Griego said. "Her teammates rallied around her in practice and then, obviously, today in the game. She was aggressive and it really helped us. It was nice to see."

Vasquez was the third Skyhawk in double-figures with 10 points, while junior forward Jordan Carter and senior guard Kaitlyn Romero each added six points.

As a team, FLC shrugged off its tough first half to shoot 13-of-26 (50%) over the final 20 minutes and finished 22-of-59 (37%) for the game.

Riding high with momentum, the Skyhawks will now turn their attention toward a Saturday night matchup against Chadron State College (3-12 overall, 1-5 RMAC) to close out their current three-game home stand.

"We work extremely hard, the girls work really hard and we're excited for 2020," Griego said. "We're playing pretty good basketball right now."
 
Print Friendly Version