Amondo Miller Jr. vs. Haskell Indian Nations - Nov. 4, 2023

Amondo Miller Jr. (13) is averaging 5.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 16.3 minutes.

No. 3 Skyhawks look to fend off Yellow Jackets, Hardrockers in final regular season home contests

2/22/2024 11:00:00 AM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

DURANGO, Colo. – Inching ever closer to the postseason, fans have their final two regular season home opportunities to catch the No. 3-ranked Skyhawks in action as Fort Lewis (22-2, 17-1 RMAC) is slated to welcome Black Hills State (13-11, 11-7 RMAC) and South Dakota Mines (10-14, 8-10 RMAC) for a pair of conference showdowns this Friday and Saturday up on the rim.

Game Information
Friday, Feb. 23 | 7:00 p.m.
Vs. Black Hills State
Durango, Colo. | Whalen Gymnasium
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
FLC Game Notes

Saturday, Feb. 24 | 6:00 p.m.
Vs. South Dakota Mines
Durango, Colo. | Whalen Gymnasium
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
FLC Game Notes

With large crowds expected this weekend, all fans are highly encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets in advance HERE.

Postseason Outlook
The top-ranked Skyhawks are currently in a tie for first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with No. 6-ranked Colorado Mesa (21-3, 17-1 RMAC). In the event of a co-regular season championship, Fort Lewis holds the head-to-head victory over the Mavs to secure the right to host the conference tournament.

As for a regional outlook, FLC was one of ten teams featured in the initial NCAA regional rankings released yesterday with no particular order. In the latest and final Division II College Sports Communicators Media regional poll of the year, the Skyhawks checked in at No. 2 behind No. 1-ranked West Texas A&M (24-1, 18-0 RMAC).

Additionally, Fort Lewis was featured at No. 5 in Wayne Cavadi's latest DII men's basketball Power 10 rankings which can be found HERE.

Numbers to Know
Fort Lewis has been a juggernaut on both ends of the floor this season as the Skyhawks lead the RMAC in offensive production (86.1), rank second in defense (70.2), and lead the league while ranking fifth in DII with a 16.0 scoring margin. Firing on cylinders and shooting clips of 49.2 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.8 percent at the free throw line, FLC boasts a deep bench that ranks seventh in DII in bench points per game (38.67). The Skyhawks are also 9^th in turnover margin (5.8), 16^th in turnovers forced per game (17.25), and 39^th in rebounding margin (4.8).

Last Time Against the Yellow Jackets
Fort Lewis enters the weekend with a 9-6 all-time advantage over Black Hills State after defeating the Yellow Jackets 75-70 up in Spearfish, S.D., on Jan. 6 of this year. Since then, BHSU has rifled off a 7-4 record including a buzzer-beating road win at then-No. 17-ranked Colorado School of Mines, 86-83.

When the two squads met previously, it was a 36-28 rebounding edge and three additional turnovers (13-10) committed by the Yellow Jackets that proved the difference maker. FLC held the slight edge in shooting 45.8 percent (27-59) to 43.9 percent (25-57), but BHSU made up for it by draining 13 three-pointers to the Skyhawks' six. Obi Agbim scored his season-high 28 points to lead three Skyhawks in double figures against Matthew Ragsdale's 17 points among four Yellow Jackets in double figures.

Last Time Against the Hardrockers
South Dakota Mines will be looking for a huge upset this weekend as the Hardrockers are currently tied for the final two spots in the RMAC Tournament with Chadron State (11-13, 8-10 RMAC). FLC leads SDM 7-3 in the all-time series after outlasting the Hardrockers 82-76 on their home floor in Rapid City, S.D.

Fort Lewis limited the opposing squad to only 29 first-half points, but South Dakota Mines exploded for 47 points in the second half to make it a two-possession game. The Skyhawks, led by Agbim with 13 points, shot a controlling 52.7 percent (29-55) from the field while dominating for 48 points on the paint against the Hardrockers 18 on 40.0 percent shooting (22-55) from the floor. In addition, South Dakota Mines forced a team-high 17 turnovers in conference play out of the Skyhawks while Cameron Cohn went for 29 points; his third-highest output of the season.

Final Weekend on Deck
Only two regular season games remain after this weekend, and Fort Lewis will have to hit the road and head into the front range to challenge MSU Denver (16-8, 10-8 RMAC) and No. 21-ranked Colorado School of Mines (20-6, 14-4 RMAC) on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 1-2, at 7:00 p.m. on both nights.

FLC Skyhawks Basketball Get Together
In addition, on Saturday, Mar. 2, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Fort Lewis College Athletics and the Fort Lewis College Alumni Association are hosting a pre-game basketball get-together at The Golden Mill. Mingle with fellow alumni, friends, donors, and fans, and enjoy food and drinks in beautiful Golden, Colo., before heading over to Lockridge Arena to catch the final men's and women's basketball games of the season. Fans can purchase their tickets HERE.

Print Friendly Version