Westminster (UT) WC-UT 2-9,0-5 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 7-4,4-1 RMAC

Westminster (UT) WC-UT

2-9,0-5 RMAC

Final

Dec. 16, 2023

Fort Lewis FLC

7-4,4-1 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Westminster (UT) WC-UT	12	14	13	13	52
Fort Lewis FLC	13	12	24	9	58

Summary
Box Score

JoJo Lutz, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications

Sophomore Kate Gallery (14) led the team with 19 points to establish a career high

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 12/16/2023 3:58:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Assistant AD-Communications

Gallery's career-high leads Skyhawks 58-52 win over Griffins

DURANGO, Colo. – Skyhawks women's basketball won its seventh game of the year to wrap up 2023, topping Westminster University by a 58-52 final in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.

With the win, Fort Lewis improved to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Westminster dropped to 2-9 on the year and 0-5 in league play. The Skyhawks closed out the calendar year having won seven of their last eight contests.

Fort Lewis shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the field compared to a 32.2 percent (19-of-59) mark for Westminster. The Griffins knocked down five three-pointers versus seven for the Skyhawks. Westminster outrebounded Fort Lewis by a 47-34 margin but committed nine more turnovers than the home team.

Sophomore Kate Gallery led the team with a career-high 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Senior Kelsey Sorenson followed with 12 points and six rebounds. Junior Sadie Misner led the team with six steals and junior Avery Evans was the team leader with five assists.

The Griffins opened the game with a narrow lead because a driving layup from Sorenson saw the Skyhawks ahead by one. The lead swapped sides over the next three minutes, but Sorenson continued to score to pull her team ahead. The Skyhawks extended the lead to six points with under five minutes remaining with a corner three. Westminster flipped the script with six straight points to go up 12-10, but a late three from junior Samantha Wattawa gave the home team a lead as the clock wound down.

As the second quarter began, Misner extended the lead with free throws to make it 15-12. The Griffins responded with a three, followed by a layup to see a 17-15 lead. Misner pulled her team even, but the following four minutes saw a trio of lead changes as the clock dipped under two minutes. Westminster scored on a jumper with 34 seconds remaining, and Gallery followed it up with a driving layup to make it a one-point game heading into the break.

Fort Lewis began its most fruitful offensive quarter with seven straight points to extend the lead to 32-26. The Griffins briefly snapped the streak with one made free throw, but Gallery followed it up with a shot from beyond the arc to make it an eight-point game. Westminster made an effort to come back with scores on its next three possessions to make it 37-all, but Sorenson grabbed the lead back with a layup. Gallery took over down the stretch, contributing seven points, to bring the Skyhawks' lead to 49-39 heading into the final quarter.

The teams traded points to open the fourth with Evans and Wattawa getting in of the action for Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks maintained a double-digit lead through the midway point of the quarter before the Griffins strung together six points for a 56-52 score. Gallery ultimately sealed the win at the free throw line with a pair of made shots to make it 58-52. Westminster got one final shot off in the weaning moments, but the score held up as the buzzer sounded.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (7-4, 4-1 RMAC) will pick up play on Friday, January 5 with a 5:30 p.m. game against South Dakota Mines, followed by a Saturday matchup versus Black Hills State at 4:00 p.m.

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