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Deniece Ryan
Kaitlyn Silva

Women's basketball kicks off RMAC slate against MSU Denver and Regis

12/4/2024 10:00:00 AM

By: Angela Roberts, Assistant AD-Communications
DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College women's basketball begins the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference slate this week inside the friendly confines of Whalen Gymnasium, welcoming MSU Denver and Regis University for a Thursday/Saturday split.

New Conference Schedule
The league has implemented a new conference scheduling format for the 2024-25 season, moving to a Thursday and Saturday setup after previously playing a Friday/Saturday schedule. The break between contests provides a cushion for travel and allows for proper recovery among other benefits. Additionally, the league slate has been reduced to 20 games from 22 last season, with each team playing six league members twice and the other eight only once.

Last Time Out
Fort Lewis fell in a hard-fought home game versus No. 10/24 UT Tyler on Friday by a 63-51 final score. The Skyhawks outscored the Patriots in two quarters but suffered a challenging fourth quarter en route to the loss.

Fort Lewis shot 34.5 percent (20-of-48) from the field and 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from three. UT Tyler shot 40 percent (24-of-60) from the field and 25.8 percent (8-of-31) from three. The Skyhawks totaled 40 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards, to go along with 13 assists and seven steals.

Senior Darla Hernandez recorded her third-straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and the Skyhawks were led by sophomore Trista Hoobler's career-high 18 points. Senior Livia Knapp added 10 points and led the team with three assists.

Scouting MSU Denver
The Roadrunners have had a tough start to the season but earned their first win of the year last week to sit at 1-5. The win came in 57-56 fashion over Seattle Pacific University thanks to a three-pointer in the final two seconds. MSU Denver is coming off a 9-18 season that saw an 8-14 mark in conference play.

MSU Denver averages 53.3 points per game (-12.2) while slashing .330/.172/.732. They pull down 33.8 rebounds per game (-6.3) and average 10.5 steals per game. Mikylah Espinosa leads the team by averaging 14.7 points per game to go along with 26 steals. Jackie Pippett follows with 6.5 points per game and three additional players contribute five points per game.

The Roadrunners rank last in the conference in scoring offense (53.3), field goal percentage (.330), and three-point field goal percentage (.172). They are 12th in rebounding and ninth in turnovers per game (16.7). Espinosa ranks 11th in points per game (14.7).

Fort Lewis is 13-10 all-time against MSU Denver but has lost five straight. The most recent win for the Skyhawks came in 2019 by a 78-61 final on the road. The teams faced twice last season with the Roadrunners claiming a road win (61-55) and home win (62-59).

Scouting Regis University
The Rangers are coming off a 2023-24 Regular-Season RMAC Title shared between four teams following a 26-6 season and an 18-4 record in conference play. Regis advanced to the NCAA DII Tournament where they fell in the opening round to UT Tyler (74-54). This season, the Rangers sit at 2-4 and are coming off a pair of tight losses to nationally ranked opponents (#12 Fort Hayes State, OT, 82-77 and #9 Minnesota State, 92-88).

Regis averages 71.7 points per game (-1.3) while slashing .354/.309/.716. The Rangers lead the conference in rebounds per game at 39.3 but are being slightly outrebounded by their opponents (-2.2). They rank third in the league in turnovers per game (13.8) while coming away with eight steals per game.

Individually, Erin Fry leads the team by averaging 20.8 points per game—a mark that is second in the conference. Fry won't blow you away with her shooting numbers but gets to the line frequently and converts well on foul shots. In addition, she is coming off a pair of 10-assist games and is second in the RMAC in assists per game (6.3). Athena Saragoza is another double-digit Regis scorer, averaging 18.0 points per game (4th RMAC). Fiona Snashall leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, followed by a pair of players with six per game.

Fort Lewis has a 13-12 edge in the all-time series but has lost in the last four meetings. The teams faced just once last season, a game played in Denver, where the Skyhawks fell in a 72-55 final.

Solid Starters
The Skyhawks have found consistency in three players who have started in each of the team's six games this season. Seniors Darla Hernandez and Livia Knapp and sophomore Trista Hoobler have been the backbone of Fort Lewis throughout the nonconference and have shined recently.

Hernandez is coming off three-straight double-doubles and leads the team in scoring (11.8 PPG) and rebounding (8 RPG). Knapp leads the team in minutes per game (31.7) and assists per game (2.7). She is shooting a blistering 45 percent from three and has reached double-digit points twice this season. Hoobler enjoyed a breakout game last week, scoring a career-high 18 points against No. 10 UT Tyler. She was 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from deep and appears to have hit her stride heading into league play.

Up Next
Fort Lewis is back for another weekday game next week as it welcomes New Mexico Highlands to Whalen Gym for a Tuesday evening conference match-up. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.

The Cowgirls are 3-3 this season and are coming off a split last week with a win over UT Permian Basin (70-65) and loss to West Texas A&M (74-65).
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