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Fort Lewis College Athletics

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Akuel Kot vs. Texas Permian Basin - Nov. 19, 2022
Angela Roberts, FLC Athletic Communications
Akuel Kot (22) steps back to create space for a jump shot.

Men's Basketball Hayden Mangan, Athletic Communications Assistant

No. 12/25 Skyhawks challenge Cowboys and Thunderwolves on the road

DURANGO, Colo. – Following back-to-back wins to open conference play last week, the Fort Lewis College men's basketball team is on the road once more for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchups at New Mexico Highlands and Colorado State University Pueblo this Friday and Saturday.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Friday, December 9
7:00 p.m.
Vs. New Mexico Highlands
John A. Wilson Complex
Las Vegas, N.M.
 
Saturday, December 10
7:30 p.m.
Vs. CSU Pueblo
Massari Arena
Pueblo, CO
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Both games will be available for free on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference courtesy of New Mexico Highlands and Colorado State University Pueblo.
 
SERIES VS NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
Friday night's game will be the 105th meeting all-time between Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands. The Skyhawks will look to right the ship from last season after allowing the Cowboys to grab a 97-83 in Whalen Gymnasium. While struggling in recent years, Fort Lewis has remained successful over the long haul leading the series 62-42 overall and 24-19 in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
 
SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
New Mexico Highlands finds themselves at 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC following the opening week of conference play. The Cowboys spent both games on the road, winning the conference opener at Colorado Christian 73-62 before falling at Chadron State to the Eagles 71-61.
 
The Skyhawks and Cowboys are no strangers this season as Fort Lewis spent the first pair of games of the year in Las Vegas, New Mexico, for the RMAC/Lone Star Conference Challenge hosted by NMHU. Fort Lewis topped both Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico in John A. Wilson Complex, giving the Cowboys a good look at the Skyhawks rotation on the floor.
 
As a unit, New Mexico Highlands is averaging 72.6 points, 34.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists, and 12.9 turnovers per game. Dante Moses commands the floor for NMHU, averaging 16.3 points per game shooting 57.3 percent from the floor and 80 percent at the charity stripe. The Cowboys sit near the middle of the RMAC in scoring offense (11th) and defense (10th).
 
SERIES VS CSU PUEBLO
The Skyhawks vs. Thunderwolves game on Saturday will represent the 104th matchup all-time between the two teams. Fort Lewis is riding high on a three-game win streak against The Pack, winning both matchups last season 85-76 and 97-84, and taking the second contest of the 2020-21 season 89-77. The Pack leads the series in Pueblo, Colo., 30-20, but the Skyhawks are 5-1 in Massari Arena since 2015.
 
SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
The Pack sits 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC after the first eight games of the year. CSU Pueblo played an identical conference schedule to the Cowboys, matching a win over Colorado Christian 68-55 and a loss to Chadron State 83-71.
 
The Pack's win over Colorado Christian last Saturday snapped a three-game losing streak following losses to Chadron State, Minot State 81-68, and Minnesota State Moorhead 70-63.
 
CSU Pueblo owns the fourth-highest scoring offense in the RMAC at 80.1 points per game, and the second-best defense limiting opponents to 65.8 points per game.
 
Spearheading the starting five for The Pack is sophomore Lian Ramiro. The Aurora, Colo., native is averaging 14.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. What makes CSU Pueblo dangerous, however, is boasting four players with double-digit scoring averages: Ramiro, Makiah Morris (13.0), Meekness Payne (11.9), and Elijah Moleon (10.5). 

LAST TIME OUT
Fort Lewis is still rolling after sweeping the opening week of conference play both on the road and at home. The Skyhawks opened the week at Adams State, utilizing a sharp-shooting 57.7 percent second-half shooting effort to top the Grizzlies 89-81 on the road. In game two of the week at home against Western Colorado, the Skyhawks out-shot the Mountaineers from the field 56.1 percent to 36.9 and utilized five players in double-digit scoring for an 89-67 win at home.
 
HIGH ENERGY, HIGH OUTPUT
The Skyhawks continue to boast one of the highest-scoring offenses in Division II following the first four weeks of the season. Averaging 94.0 points per game, Fort Lewis is fourth in points per game as a team. At the helm of the Fort Lewis offense resides the Division II leader in points per game, Akuel Kot. Averaging 27.6 points per game, Kot leads all scorers in the country by nearly a three-point gap.
 
SKYHAWKS LEADERS
Leading the Skyhawks off the glass is the powerful duo in the post of Sekou Dembele and Brenden Boatwright. Dembele holds the edge in rebounds per game against Boatwright 6.5 to 5.1, however, Boatwright leads all players with six blocks. On the offensive side, JaQuaylon Mays sits with Kot among statistical leaders. Mays, a six-foot-one guard, leads Fort Lewis in both total assists with 22 and total steals with 12.
 
NEXT UP
Fort Lewis has one more road game on the docket next week against Westminster before returning to Durango, Colo., for a four-game home stand. The Skyhawks and Griffins are slated for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off at the Behnken Field House in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, Dec. 17.
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Players Mentioned

Brenden Boatwright

#33 Brenden Boatwright

F/C
6' 9"
Senior
Akuel Kot

#22 Akuel Kot

G
6' 2"
Junior
JaQuaylon Mays

#10 JaQuaylon Mays

G
6' 1"
Senior
Sekou Dembele

#21 Sekou Dembele

C
6' 7"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Brenden Boatwright

#33 Brenden Boatwright

6' 9"
Senior
F/C
Akuel Kot

#22 Akuel Kot

6' 2"
Junior
G
JaQuaylon Mays

#10 JaQuaylon Mays

6' 1"
Senior
G
Sekou Dembele

#21 Sekou Dembele

6' 7"
Junior
C