Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Chloe Warrington 1.30
Peyton Rutkowski
FLC senior Chloe Warrington set career highs in points (14) and blocks (3) in Saturday's loss to Westminster.
76
Winner Westminster (UT) WC-UT 6-2,6-2 RMAC
70
Fort Lewis FLC 4-5,4-5 RMAC
Winner
Westminster (UT) WC-UT
6-2,6-2 RMAC
76
Final
70
Fort Lewis FLC
4-5,4-5 RMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Westminster (UT) WC-UT 21 21 19 15 76
Fort Lewis FLC 22 17 14 17 70

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

Late miscues cost Skyhawks in tight 76-70 loss to Westminster

DURANGO, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team, playing in the second leg of its first back-to-back in 2021, played the visiting, high-powered Westminster College Griffins to a draw through Saturday's first 39 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Skyhawks, some fatigue and a few miscues down the stretch created the final separation needed for the Griffins to escape Whalen Gymnasium with a 76-70 final.

Fort Lewis (4-6 overall, 4-6 RMAC) had four players in double-figures, led by sophomore forward Jordan Vasquez's 16 points and eight rebounds. But the Skyhawks did miss the presence of senior guard Sydney Candelaria, who nailed the game-winner against Westminster (6-2 overall, 6-2 RMAC) almost a year ago to the day in 74-72 upset inside Whalen Gymnasium last Feb. 1, 2020.

"We needed to execute a little bit better down the stretch. I thought we looked tired at times, but that's where that mental toughness needs to kick in," said FLC head women's basketball coach, Orlando Griego. "And we missed Sydney Candelaria. She's a big piece when the game is coming to an end and we know we can get her going left or going right to make a play. Our other players need to step up and make those plays, as well, but we're going to put them in those situations. We're confident they can make them, we just didn't tonight."

The Skyhawks pulled even with the Griffins at 70-70 with 1:06 remaining when senior Durango native Katrina Chandler calmly sank a pair of free throws for two of her 13 points.

Ten seconds later, Westminster's point guard Mariah Martin responded with a go-ahead floater in the lane that put the Griffins back on top for good with 56 seconds remaining.

"They ran a double on-ball screen for Mariah to get downhill and she's a great player," Griego said. "They drew up a really good play and unfortunately we didn't defend it the way we needed to get that defensive stop."

Fort Lewis would commit turnovers on its next two ensuing possessions, forcing FLC to foul and allowing the Griffins to seal the game at the foul line in the waning seconds.

The Skyhawks committed just 14 turnovers for the game, but 10 of which came during the second half.

"We were playing really good going into the second half, only had three or four turnovers, and then ended up having 10 in the second half," Griego said. "Those are critical turnovers and when you're playing against a really good team, you have to take care of the ball. You can't lose possessions and you have to get shots."

It was an anticlimactic ending for an otherwise valiant performance for the Skyhawks, who shot 46.6% (27-of-58) from the floor, 8-of-22 (36.4%) from beyond the 3-point line and 8-of-11 (72.7%) at the charity stripe.

Senior forward Chloe Warrington capped her tremendous weekend with career highs in points (14) and blocked shots (3) while adding five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.

Fellow senior Bailey Osmer was the fourth Skyhawk in double-figures with 10 points, and freshman forward Ally Harvey had the best game of her young career with eight points, two blocks and two steals in 17 minutes.

"It's really important for us to have that balanced attack. We started inside and if (the defense) is doubling (Vasquez), she needs to be able to kick that out and vice versa. If she doesn't have the double team, she needs to attack," Griego said. "Inside out or going outside in, our players did a really nice job with that tonight."

Fort Lewis will now have a chance to rest up, regroup and prepare for a rematch against a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs team that edged the Skyhawks up in Colorado Springs last January.

"With our first back-to-back, the recovery piece right now is the most important. But UCCS is a scrappy team and they play hard," Griego said. "They got us last year, so I know our players are going to want to get them back. UCCS wants to play up-tempo as well so it should be fun."
 
Print Friendly Version