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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Katrina Chandler 1.8.21
Lance Wendt, Courtesy Photo
FLC senior guard Katrina Chandler scored 11 points in Friday's 51-50 victory over Colorado Christian (File Photo).
50
Colo. Christian CC 2-4,2-4 RMAC
51
Winner Fort Lewis FLC 2-3,2-3 RMAC
Colo. Christian CC
2-4,2-4 RMAC
50
Final
51
Fort Lewis FLC
2-3,2-3 RMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Colo. Christian CC 9 14 18 9 50
Fort Lewis FLC 17 13 9 12 51

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

Skyhawks' defense delivers in 51-50 victory over Colorado Christian

DURANGO, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team relied on its defense down the stretch Friday, getting three stops over the final 90 seconds to seal a tight 51-50 home victory over Colorado Christian University.

It was the second win of the young season for Fort Lewis (2-4 overall, 2-4 RMAC) against the visiting Cougars (2-4 overall, 2-4 RMAC) after the Skyhawks earned a 73-67 road win back on Dec. 12. And the Skyhawks did so with just one day of practice this week after exiting a seven-day quarantine period.

"It wasn't the prettiest, but we were able to score one more point than (CCU) did. I'm very proud of our team. We had a lot of odds stacked up against us, with several players not being able to practice all week long, and having just one team practice on Thursday," said FLC head women's basketball coach, Orlando Griego. "We all played together and this was a team victory (Friday)."

Senior guard Sydney Candelaria was a catalyst on both sides of the floor for the Skyhawks as she scored a season-high 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and provided the play of the game when she picked the pocket of CCU forward Brookelyn Hurlbut underneath the Cougars' basket. Candelaria's quick scoop and score gave FLC the lead at 47-45 with 5:47 remaining.

Candelaria, who has been hampered by injury through the season's first two months, then helped the Skyhawks ice the game with her on-ball defense against CCU guard Olivia Christy, who had her potential go-ahead drive clank off the rim and into the hands of FLC senior guard Katrina Chandler with 0.8 seconds remaining.

"Sydney is a great defender and we're going to give her a tough assignment night in and night out when she can go and is healthy," Griego said. "She likes that challenge."

Candelaria was joined in double figures by Chandler with 11 points and four rebounds, while sophomore forward Jordan Vasquez notched her second double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Vasquez poured in 12 of her 15 points in the first half to help FLC build a 30-23 lead at the break.

Colorado Christian, as it did in the December matchup between the two teams, made their run back in the third quarter, outscoring the Skyhawks, 18-9, to take a 41-39 lead into the final quarter.

The new and improve FLC defense tighten over the final 10 minutes, though, limiting the Cougars to just nine points in the fourth quarter. CCU finished the evening a pedestrian 32.1% (17-of-53) from the field with 16 turnovers.

"It buckles down to defense and that's something we talked about all week long," Griego said. "We said that our defense needed to improve and we did a nice job of going out there and grinding it out."

Fort Lewis will now look to build off Friday's performance when it closes out the home stand with a 2 p.m. Sunday matchup against Metropolitan State University of Denver.
"They're tough, well coached and disciplined," said Griego of MSU Denver. "For us, we've got to stick to our game plan. We've got to hustle and we're going to hang our hat on defense. We've got to get after it and protect home court."
 
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