Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Dunnell Stafford 12.17
Angela Roberts, FLC Athletic Communications
81
Winner Regis (CO) Regis 9-1,4-0 RMAC
71
Fort Lewis FLC 7-4,3-2 RMAC
Winner
Regis (CO) Regis
9-1,4-0 RMAC
81
Final
71
Fort Lewis FLC
7-4,3-2 RMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Regis (CO) Regis 43 38 81
Fort Lewis FLC 32 39 71

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

Short-handed Skyhawks fall by an 81-71 final to (RV) Regis

DURANGO, Colo. — Down two of its top guards, the Fort Lewis College men's basketball team put forth a gritty effort on Friday, but fell by an 81-71 final to a talented Regis University squad to open up the final weekend of the fall semester.

Fort Lewis (7-4 overall, 3-2 RMAC) lost sophomore guard Akuel Kot less than a minute into the game with a lower body injury, and senior guard Will Wittman exited at the 16:11 mark of the second half after a scary fall underneath the basket.

"As we've said all year, we love our team. Those are tough blows to get dealt. You lose a dynamic guard like Akuel 30 seconds into the game after he hits his first shot and then you lose Will Wittman, who is a guy you desperately need," said FLC head men's basketball coach, Bob Pietrack. "Those are in-game injuries, you've got to adjust on the fly, and I'm proud of our guys because I thought they fought really hard."

The Skyhawks got off to a flying start, opening the game on a 7-0 run and led 15-9 at the 14:05 mark of the first half before the Rangers (9-1 overall, 4-0 RMAC), who received votes in the latest NABC Top-25 poll, responded with a 17-2 scoring run to take a 26-16 lead at the 8:38 mark.

Regis would not surrender the lead again, owning a 43-32 lead at halftime and hitting six of their 10 3-pointers through the game's opening 20 minutes. The Rangers entered the weekend second in the RMAC in made 3-pointers per game at 9.2 makes per game.

"I thought the 3-point line was the difference in the game, they hit 10 threes," Pietrack said. "Just a tough night. Didn't have a lot of things go our way and when you play a big game like that, you've got to have things go your way."

Fort Lewis, behind a team-high 22 points from senior forward Riley Farris and 16 points off the bench from junior guard Dunnell Stafford, kept scratching and clawing as FLC trimmed the Regis lead down to one at 59-58 on a jumper by Stafford at the 8:37 mark of the second half.

"Dunnell is a veteran player and a very good basketball player," Pietrack said of Stafford, who was playing in his first game since Dec. 4 against Black Hills State due to injury.
The Skyhawks kept the deficit at four points with 1:26 remaining on two free throws from senior guard Corey Seng for two of his 12 points, but were unable to inch any closer as Regis closed out the 81-71 final.

Fort Lewis finished the evening 24-of-57 (42%) from the field and 6-of-19 (32%) from 3-point range despite being down their top-two shooting guards.

FLC will look to rebound quickly as it closes out the fall semester with a 7 p.m. bout against rival Colorado School of Mines (4-4 overall, 2-2 RMAC).

"All the games count the same, but we know how good Colorado School of Mines is and right now it's about us and trying to figure out how we're going to play and battle some of these injuries," Pietrack said. "We'll try to figure out how to have a good game plan against the class of our league in Colorado School of Mines."
 
Print Friendly Version