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Ra'Shjon Martinez vs Colorado Mesa - Jan 26, 2023
JoJo Lutz, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications
Ra'Shjon Martinez (2) hits a trey in front of the Mavs bench.

Men's Basketball Hayden Mangan, Athletic Communications Assistant

No. 5/6 Orediggers, Roadrunners await No. 17/RV Skyhawks in weekend road trip

DURANGO, Colo. – After being dealt its second loss of the season and securing a much-needed win at home last weekend, the seventeenth-ranked Fort Lewis College men's basketball team is back on the road for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games featuring MSU Denver, and a top twenty-five matchup against fifth-ranked Colorado School of Mines.
 
LOOKING BACK
The Skyhawks took a tough 1-1 split at home last weekend against no. 23 Colorado Mesa (15-4, 10-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) and Westminster (7-13, 6-8 RMAC). The Mavericks handed FLC its second loss of the season 75-68, and Fort Lewis was able to right the ship the following night with a 79-63 win over the Griffins.
 
Akuel Kot led the Skyhawks in both outings, producing 46 total points across the weekend alongside seven steals – six of which came against the Mavs: a new career-high – six assists, and three rebounds. Forcing 24 turnovers and taking 24 shots from the free throw line, Fort Lewis had its chances against the Mavs, but shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from the three-point line was enough to lift FLC past Mesa. With a chip on its shoulder after its first loss of the season to Westminster back on Dec. 17, the Skyhawks were eager for revenge. Knocking down 12 three-pointers and grabbing 43 combined rebounds, Fort Lewis cruised past the Griffins 79-63 after taking the lead with the opening basket and never looking back.  
 
SCOUTING NO. 5/6 COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Colorado School of Mines enters Friday's top twenty-five matchup with an 18-1 overall record and 12-1 RMAC record. The Orediggers have won nine-straight games following its only loss of the season to no. 4/5 Black Hills State (17-1, 11-1 RMAC) back on Dec. 10. Across its nine-game winning streak Mines has beaten opponents by an average of 25.2 points with no single opponent trailing any closer than 14 points at the end of the game.
 
Friday night's contest is set to be the 94th meeting of all time between Mines and Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks lead the series 56-37 riding back-to-back wins over the Orediggers last season. Golden, Colo., is where Mines plays best as FLC leads the series on the road by just a single game 20-19.
 
The Orediggers are one of the best in the country on both sides of the ball. Owning the 29th-ranked offense in the country averaging 82.6 points per game, Mines ranks just second in the RMAC behind Fort Lewis' 13th-ranked offense with 85.5 ppg. Defensively Mines holds the edge, while tied with Black Hills State for the strongest defense in the RMAC, the Orediggers rank 25th nationally allowing opponents just 64.9 points per game.
 
Commanding the floor for Mines is long-time Colorado State standout and forward Adam Thistlewood. After graduating from CSU and finishing third all-time in three-point field goals, three-point field goal attempts, and three-point field goal percentage, Thistlewood has picked up right where he left off averaging 15.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Orediggers. Mines also has an additional three players who average double-digit points per game: Brendan Sullivan (12.9), Ben Boone (12.0), and Sam Beskind (11.2).
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
Prior to Saturday's weekend tilt against Fort Lewis, MSU Denver will host the Adams State Grizzlies (3-15, 1-11 RMAC) for an RMAC contest on Friday night. The Roadrunners carry a one-game winning streak into this weekend after topping Western Colorado 77-70 on the road last week.
 
While Fort Lewis has won back-to-back games over the Roadrunners, MSU Denver continues to own the all-time series 36-20. The Roadrunners lead the Skyhawks on each program's home court, boasting a 12-9 record at FLC and an 18-5 record at MSUD.
 
MSU Denver is led by Caleb McGill on the floor. McGill, a six-foot-eight forward from Aurora, Colo., leads the Roadrunners in points per game (14.4), rebound per game (5.2), and blocks (16). The Roadrunners have struggled defensively, allowing opponents to average 78.2 points per game and shoot 47.3 from the field; the highest allowed in the RMAC.
 
ALUMNI RECEPTION
On Saturday, alumni and Skyhawks fans are invited to attend a pre-game social gathering at Tivoli Brewing company on the campus of MSU Denver prior to Saturday's tip-off. Doors to the event will open at 2:30 p.m. Planning to attend? RSVP HERE or contact Director of Alumni Engagement, Ryan Lazo, with any questions at rtlazo@fortlewis.edu.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week Fort Lewis has just a single rematch against Colorado State University-Pueblo (10-9, 6-7 RMAC) at home in Whalen Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Akuel Kot

#22 Akuel Kot

G
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Akuel Kot

#22 Akuel Kot

6' 2"
Junior
G