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Sadie Misner
JoJo Lutz, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications

Skyhawks women's basketball tips off 2023-24 campaign at Conference Challenge

11/9/2023 1:00:00 PM

By: Angela Roberts, Assistant AD-Communications
DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team tips off against a pair of Lone Star Conference opponents this week to open the season at the Conference Challenge in Portales, New Mexico.

Looking Back
Fort Lewis showed great strides last season, ending the year with a 9-19 overall record and a 6-16 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The team finished 12th in the conference.

The Skyhawks averaged 61.5 points per game compared to 55.9 points per game the prior year. The team improved its field goal percentage by 40 points, ending the year at .389. Fort Lewis significantly improved in most of their statistical categories, including free throw percentage (.698), free throws per game (15.3), three-point field goal percentage (.312), assists (8.0), steals (9.2), and blocks (1.9).

Freshman Lanae Billy led the team by averaging 16.0 points per game, followed by junior Kelsey Sorenson at 12.7 points per game. Sophomore Avery Evans averaged 8.8 points per game to go along with a team-high 1.5 assists per game. Sorenson was the team-leader with 7.0 rebounds per game, followed by graduate student Kaitlyn Bell who contributed 5.2 per game.

The duo of Billy and Sorenson were named to the All-RMAC teams, Billy on the Second Team and Sorenson finding a spot on the Honorable Mention list.

Scouting Eastern New Mexico
Eastern New Mexico is coming off a 12-15 overall record and a 9-13 record throughout Lone Star Conference play. The team is predicted to finish 11th in the conference this season. The Greyhounds return four players from the 2022-23 squad and add 12 newcomers to the mix. Deja Adrian will be the player to look for on Friday after averaging 17 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game last year.

Fort Lewis opened the season against Eastern New Mexico last year, ultimately falling by a 73-58 final score. Sorenson led the team with 17 points and nine rebounds, followed by Billy who chipped in 12 points. The Skyhawks lead the all-time series 9-4 and will look for their first win over the Greyhounds since the 2017-18 season.

Scouting Western New Mexico
Western New Mexico was 10-16 overall last season and ended the year with an 8-14 mark in Lone Star Conference play. The team is predicted to finish 12th in the conference this season. The Mustangs boast a roster with six newcomers and eight returners. Sydney Wright is the top returner after averaging 11.1 points per game last season. The top rebounder, Diamond Moore, also returns to the team after averaging 7.1 per game last year.

Fort Lewis earned its first win of the season over Western New Mexico last season, claiming a 66-57 route to close out the Conference Challenge in Las Vegas, N.M. Billy led the team with 17 points, followed by Evans who put up 13 points to go along with four steals. The Skyhawks are 21-3 all-time against the Mustangs, including seven straight wins from 2013 to 2017.

Around the RMAC
After finishing 12th in the league in the 2022-23 season, the Skyhawks have been selected to finish eighth overall in the 2023-24 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Fort Lewis garnered 81 votes, coming in behind MSU Denver (125) and Colorado Mesa (136). Regis, the reigning regular-season and tournament champion earned 12 first-place votes, followed by Colorado School of Mines and CSU Pueblo who each picked up one and two first-place votes, respectively.
Find the full conference ranking HERE.

Up Next
Fort Lewis will make its home debut on Friday, November 17 against Northern New Mexico. The teams tip off at 3:00 p.m. from Whalen Gymnasium. The pair will face off again on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. start. The Skyhawks are 12-0 all-time against the Eagles, and the streak includes an 80-70 win in last year's home meeting.
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