Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Junior Garbrah 1.4
David Wilson, FLC Athletics
Sophomore guard Junior Garbrah scored 13 points and added five rebounds off the bench Tuesday (File Photo).
78
Fort Lewis FLC 8-5,4-3 RMAC
94
Winner South Dakota Mines SDSMT 5-8,3-4 RMAC
Fort Lewis FLC
8-5,4-3 RMAC
78
Final
94
South Dakota Mines SDSMT
5-8,3-4 RMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Fort Lewis FLC 42 36 78
South Dakota Mines SDSMT 52 42 94

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

Skyhawks fall 94-78 on the road to red hot Hardrockers

RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Fort Lewis College men's basketball team returned to action Tuesday for the first time in 2022, falling by a 94-78 final on the road against South Dakota Mines.

Coming off a big 86-78 home win against Colorado School of Mines to conclude the fall semester, Fort Lewis (8-5 overall, 4-3 RMAC) got off to a sluggish start on Tuesday, unable to cool off a red-hot Hardrockers squad (5-8 overall, 3-4 RMAC).

South Dakota Mines, which entered the game averaging 62.2 points per game, shot a blistering 65% from the field (39-of-60) and had six different players score in double-figures en route to posting season highs in points, made field goals and field goal percentage.

"To take no credit away from South Dakota Mines, they played excellence, but that was just the worst game we've played in a long time, defensively," said FLC head men's basketball coach, Bob Pietrack. "(The Hardrockers) made a lot of shots and they're hard to guard to begin with. They had the energy and momentum early and we just couldn't dig ourselves out of that hole."

The Skyhawks were able to stay close through the game's first 20 minutes, shooting 40.6 % (13-of-32) from the field and outscoring the Hardrockers, 11-3, at the free throw line to head into the half down just 10 at 52-42. FLC finished the night shooting an uncharacteristic 40.9% (27-for-66); nearly 10 percent below its season average.

Sophomore guard Akuel Kot, returning after missing two games due to a hip injury, led all FLC players on Tuesday with 19 points — 10 coming in the first half — and six rebounds while making a career-high five 3-pointers (5-of-13).

"It was nice to have a player of Akuel's caliber back with us and we'll continue to get healthier as we go here this semester," Pietrack said.
Unfortunately for FLC, the Hardrockers' offense continued to sizzle to start the second half as they opened on an 11-0 run in 2:55 of game clock, forcing the Skyhawks to press and play in catch-up mode early on.

"They absolutely beat us in every facet of basketball tonight. Normally, there is a game during a season where you play better than what you are and a game where you play worse than you are. You get one of them either way," Pietrack said. "Tonight, we played a lot worse than what we are."

Sophomore guard Junior Garbrah was the second Skyhawk in double-figures with a season-high 13 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-9 from the field, adding five rebounds and two steals in his 18 minutes.

Junior forward Brenden Boatwright (9 points), senior forward Riley Farris (8 points) and senior guard JacQuess Hobbs (8 points) rounded out FLC's top scorers Tuesday.

Fort Lewis will look to bounce back this weekend when it continues a three-game road trip to start the new year with a Friday rivalry game against Metropolitan State University of Denver. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday inside the Auraria Event Center.

"We've got to put our big boy pants on and keep going. We have two more games this road trip against two challenging teams in challenging places to play," Pietrack said. "This trip is far from over. We've just got to flip the script. Whether or not you win or lose, you've got to be ready to play the next night and we'll do everything we can to make sure we're ready to go."
 
Print Friendly Version