CSU Pueblo CSU-P 5-6,1-3 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 6-4,3-1 RMAC

CSU Pueblo CSU-P

5-6,1-3 RMAC

Final

Dec. 09, 2023

Fort Lewis FLC

6-4,3-1 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
CSU Pueblo CSU-P	23	13	13	10	59
Fort Lewis FLC	15	9	22	19	65

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Senior Kelsey Sorenson (5) led the team with 14 points in the key win over CSUP

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 12/9/2023 7:27:00 PM

Second-half surge lifts Skyhawks to signature win over ThunderWolves

DURANGO, Colo. – Heading into the second half of Saturday's conference contest against CSU Pueblo in a deficit, the Fort Lewis College women's basketball team went on to outscore the visitors by 18 points to earn a significant 65-59 home win.

Fort Lewis has won six of its last seven games to improve to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. CSU Pueblo dropped to 5-6 on the year and 1-3 in league play.

The Skyhawks held the Pack to shooting 32.7 percent (17-of-52) from the field and 16 percent (4-of-25) from three. Fort Lewis shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the field and 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from three. The Skyhawks stepped up defensively and forced 26 turnovers while committing just eight to mark a season low.

Senior Kelsey Sorenson led the team with 14 points, followed by junior Samantha Wattawa and sophomore Lanae Billy who each put up 11. Billy led all players with eight steals, one shy of tying the single-game program record. Junior Avery Evans played 39 minutes and earned nine rebounds to lead the team. The Skyhawks limited CSU Pueblo's Alisha Little, one of the conference's top offensive weapons, to just four points—a career low since joining the Pack as a Division I transfer in 2021.

In the opening quarter, CSU Pueblo got off to a hot start by draining a three just nine seconds into play. Billy and Sorenson combined for a pair of jumpers to give Fort Lewis a narrow lead two minutes later. The Skyhawks would extend the lead momentarily before another three from the Pack switched the lead. The Pack would go on a scoring run to take their largest lead of the night at 21-10 before a jumper from sophomore Kate Gallery slowed the momentum. Sorenson converted on a three-point play to close out the quarter with a 23-15 score.

Fort Lewis would be the first to score in the second quarter with a quick jumper off the hand of Evans, and the teams went on to play scoreless basketball for the next three minutes. The Pack snapped the scoreless stretch with nine straight points before junior Luisa Chavez was able to score from the free throw line. The Skyhawks went to work late in the quarter to cut into the lead but trailed 36-24 heading into halftime.

The comeback kicked off right away in the third quarter with a steal and jumper from Billy getting things started. Junior Sadie Misner made it a four-point game at the 7:15 mark with a three, but the Pack came back to build the lead back with five straight points. Threes started to fall for the home team, including shots from Evans and Wattawa, to bring the deficit to 45-42 with two minutes remaining in the third. Fort Lewis was unable to claim the lead as the buzzer sounded, but a late driving layup from Sorenson saw the score at 49-46 heading into the final quarter.

Sorenson and Wattawa combined to earn the lead two minutes into the fourth quarter with free throws and a jumper, and the teams went on to play in a 50-50 deadlock for nearly four minutes. Billy broke the tied score with another layup off a steal, followed by a Wattawa layup to make it 54-50. The Skyhawks extended the lead to seven points off another Billy jumper with 2:35 to play, forcing a CSU Pueblo timeout. Out of the break, the Pack scored on back-to-back possessions to pull within three. Wattawa responded with a clutch midrange jumper and a pair of late three-throws to secure the 65-59 win.

Up Next
Fort Lewis (6-4, 3-1 RMAC) wrap up the 2023 portion of its schedule on Saturday, December 16 with another home game, this one against Westminster University. The game is clocked for 1:00 p.m.

Westminster is 2-6 overall and 0-4 in conference play. Fort Lewis leads the all-time series 9-6, winning both matchups last year.

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