Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM 24-8,17-5 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 27-3,20-2 RMAC

Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM

24-8,17-5 RMAC

Final

Mar. 08, 2024

Fort Lewis FLC

27-3,20-2 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM	39	34	73
Fort Lewis FLC	47	40	87

Summary
Box Score

Hayden Mangan, Fort Lewis Athletic Communications

Brayden Carter (32) makes a two-handed slam against No. 21 Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC Tournament Semifinals inside Brownson Arena in Grand Junction, Colo., on Mar. 8, 2024.

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/8/2024 10:56:00 PM | Hayden Mangan, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

No. 6 Skyhawks down No. 21 Orediggers 87-73; will meet No. 5 Mavericks in RMAC Tournament Championship tomorrow night

Fort Lewis to contend for program’s first-ever back-to-back RMAC Tournament Championships

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Just shy of a week's time ago, No. 21-ranked Colorado School of Mines (24-8) forced No. 6-ranked Fort Lewis (27-3) into the Skyhawks' worst shooting performance over the last two years. But tonight, Fort Lewis answered the call and rose to the occasion in one of its biggest games of the year to avenge its regular-season finale loss and defeat Mines 87-73 to punch its ticket into the RMAC Tournament Championship against top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Colorado Mesa (27-3) on the Mavericks home floor.

The Skyhawks and Mavericks will tip off at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 9, inside Brownson Arena. Tickets must be purchased through the RMAC Ticketing site HERE. Fans at home can catch the action pay-per-view on the RMAC Network HERE for $9.95 or follow along with either live statistics HERE or radio HERE.

Despite being out-shot by Mines in every facet including 45.1 percent (23-51) to 40.8 percent (29-71) from the field, 44.0 percent (11-25) to 33.3 percent (7-21) from beyond the arc, and 84.2 percent (16-19) to 78.6 percent (22-28) from the free-throw line, it was Fort Lewis' ability to dominate the paint 42 points to the Orediggers 18 while also winning the turnover battle 18-7 and picking up 23 points off of turnovers that proved the difference.

Obi Agbim matched Colorado School of Mines' Majok Deng for a game-high 20 points on 8-18 (44.4 percent) shooting including a 4-7 (57.1 percent) clip from beyond the arc without stepping to the line. Agbim also tallied four rebounds, three assists, and two steals to lead FLC.

Mines started the game hot, scoring the first six points of the contest on a three-pointer and an and-one layup from Deng. The Orediggers then controlled the pace, not allowing the Skyhawks to ramp up while also building a comfortable 10-point lead on a trey from Sam Beskind: CSM's largest lead of the night.

A sequence of free throws for both teams provided three straight lead changes, including the final of the night, before Malik Whitaker picked up a steal at mid-court and took it to the bucket for a tomahawk slam. Whitaker's dunk caused an eruption on the Skyhawks bench and gave FLC the momentum needed to build a comfortable eight-point lead at halftime.

Without missing a beat, Agbim drained a pair of three-pointers early in the second half before Sekou Dembele, who finished his night with a game-high 11 rebounds paired with eight points and an assist, dropped in a layup for a 13-point lead. Mines answered, however, and cut the deficit to four on a triple from Riley Schroeder in just under two minutes.

Fort Lewis proceeded to hold Colorado School of Mines to one missed shot and four consecutive turnovers through another two minutes to reestablish a 14-point lead on a layup from Brayden Carter. FLC then remained in the driver's seat for the remainder of the game, extending its lead to 16 points on two occasions while holding its lead to double digits down the stretch.

Amondo Miller Jr. added 13 points alongside six rebounds and a team-high three steals while Isaiah Thompson provided 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal, and Brayden Carter another 12 points and five rebounds to round out the Skyhawks to finish in double-figure scoring.

Fort Lewis dominated Mines on boards hauling down 44 rebounds against the Orediggers 29. Additionally, the Skyhawks bench out-scored the Orediggers 45-22.

Notables
-Fort Lewis now leads Colorado School of Mines 60-39 all-time and moves to 6-0 over the Orediggers at neutral sites. Additionally, FLC has won six of the last eight contests since Dec. 18, 2021.
-The Skyhawks will make its 10^th appearance in the RMAC Tournament Championship since 1993. Fort Lewis has won the RMAC Tournament Championship five times (2023, 2016, 2011, 2008, and 2002). FLC is second in all-time tournament championships among active members behind MSU Denver (11).
-FLC's 45 bench points are the fifth-most in a single game this season (59, 56, 52, 49).
-Obi Agbim has now gone for 20 or more points on six occasions and joins Junior Garbrah (Adams State, 12/5/23; New Mexico Highlands, 12/8/23) as the only two Skyhawks to post back-to-back 20-point performance this season.
-Sekou Dembele's 11 rebounds is a new season high and is just four shy of his career-high 15 against Navajo Tech back on Nov. 26, 2022.
-Fort Lewis moves to 19-0 this season when four or more Skyhawks finish in double-figure scoring.
-Amondo Miller Jr. tied his career-high with three steals.
-FLC's 44 rebounds are the fourth-most in a game this season (50, 48, 45).

Program History on the Line
Tomorrow night, at 6:00 p.m. inside Brownson Arena against the home Mavericks, Fort Lewis will compete to become the program's first-ever team to go back-to-back in RMAC Tournament Championships.

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