South Dakota Mines SDSMT 4-9,3-4 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 11-1,5-1 RMAC

South Dakota Mines SDSMT

4-9,3-4 RMAC

Final

Dec. 30, 2022

Fort Lewis FLC

11-1,5-1 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
South Dakota Mines SDSMT	24	58	82
Fort Lewis FLC	45	48	93

Summary
Box Score

JoJo Lutz, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications

Obi Agbim (5) pulls up from beyond the arc over a Mountaineers defender.

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 12/30/2022 9:19:00 PM | Hayden Mangan, Athletic Communications Assistant

No. 15/18 Fort Lewis downs Hardrockers at home

DURANGO, Colo. – Obi Agbim scored a season-high 21 points and Akuel Kot supplied 18 more as the No. 15/18 Fort Lewis College Skyhawks cruised past the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers 93-82 in its return from the holiday break Friday evening.

Fort Lewis avenges its loss from its previous game, moving to 11-1 overall and 4-1 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests. South Dakota School of Mines falls to 4-9 and 3-4 in RMAC games.

"Convincing win for us right from the start. We were able to get a faster start, we hadn't had fast starts the last two times out, so we really put a real premium on getting off to a fast start which we did," Fort Lewis College Head Coach Bob Pietrack stated. "We had to sit for thirteen days with the loss, and we hadn't tasted a loss; it doesn't taste very good. We controlled the game, I don't think we trailed in it, and we shot the ball well at home. Any conference wins in the RMAC are absolute gold."

Agbim led the charge with five of the team's 17 total three-point field goals tonight, tying the program's fifth-best single-game three-point field goal record.

The Skyhawks jumped out to an 8-0 run and never relinquished the lead. South Dakota Mines shot 9-36 (25%) from the floor and 1-14 (7.14%) from the three-point line in the opening half allowing Fort Lewis to lead by as many as 25 points.

Keegan Smith was able to score back-to-back-to-back points in the paint, cutting the Hardrockers deficit to 21 while trailing 45-24 at halftime.

In the second half, South Dakota Mines began to find holes in the Skyhawks defense and after a pair of free-throws from Brevin Walters, the Hardrockers had cut the deficit to 11.

The Skyhawks would not allow SDM to gain any more ground, running the lead back out to 18 points after a pair of free throws from Agbim. Fort Lewis' offense was simply too much, answering the Hardrockers nearly shot-for-shot to hold off the South Dakota foes.

The Hardrockers dominated the Skyhawks in the post, outscoring the home favorites 34-12 in points in the paint. Fort Lewis' no-starter offense was on full display, outscoring the South Dakota Mines bench 34-17 and finishing with four players in double-digit scoring.

Agbim and the Skyhawks out-shot the Hardrockers from the field 25-56 (44.6%) to 27-66 (40.9%) and 17-35 (48.6%) to 8-22 (33.3%) at the three-point line. While South Dakota Mines out-shot Fort Lewis at the free-throw line at 90.9% (20-22), the Skyhawks made more free throws (26-33, 78.8%) tonight than the Hardrockers had total attempts.

NOTABLES
-Obi Agbim set a new season-high in single-game scoring with 21 points tonight.
-The Skyhawks as a unit tied its fifth-best all-time single-game three-point field goal record with 17. The last time Fort Lewis achieved such a feat was against Portland State back on Nov. 8, 2013.
-JaQuaylon May's six assists tonight equals his season-high previously set at Westminster back on Dec. 17, 2022.
-Tonight's performance is JaQuaylon May's fourth game this season with five or more rebounds and assists.
-Tonight's game is the fifth this season featuring four Skyhawks players to score in double figures.

NEXT UP
Fort Lewis will have its plate full tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 31, as the No. 3/3 Black Hills State Yellow Jackets come to town. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. following the completion of the Skyhawks women's basketball game. Tomorrow will be Youth Night and all kids under the age of 18 will receive free admission to both games.

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