South Dakota Mines SDSMT 3-11,3-4 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 5-10,2-5 RMAC

South Dakota Mines SDSMT

3-11,3-4 RMAC

Final

Jan. 16, 2025

Fort Lewis FLC

5-10,2-5 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
South Dakota Mines SDSMT	26	20	15	27	88
Fort Lewis FLC	23	17	17	17	74

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Junior Deniece Ryan (1) led the Skyhawks with 18 points in the loss to South Dakota Mines (Jan. 16)

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/16/2025 9:17:00 PM | Angela Roberts, Associate AD-Communications

Women's basketball can't hang on to late lead, falls to Hardrockers

DURANGO, Colo. – After trailing for nearly three quarters, the Skyhawks women's basketball team grabbed a lead midway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, South Dakota Mines caught fire and rode an 11-0 scoring run to capture an 88-74 win inside of Whalen Gymnasium.

With the loss, Fort Lewis fell to 5-10 overall and 2-5 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. South Dakota Mines improved to 3-11 on the year and 3-4 in the league.

The Hardrockers shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) from the field and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from three. The visitors benefited from 19 made free throws, including 15 in the fourth quarter, which fueled the win. The Skyhawks shot 43.9 percent (29-of-66) from the field and 25 percent (4-of-16) from three while dropping in 12 free throws. Fort Lewis grabbed 30 rebounds and had an even assist-to-turnover ratio with 15 of each. South Dakota Mines used its size to tally 43 rebounds.

Junior Deniece Ryan led the team with 18 points (9-of-17 FG), followed by senior Livia Knapp who scored 16. The duo of senior Darla Hernandez and freshman Katie Lamb combined for 26 points. Lamb added four steals and five rebounds to her stat line while junior Eva Kingston led the team with eight rebounds.

The Hardrockers landed a three-pointer to kick off the contest, but the Skyhawks responded with a pair of jumpers by Hernandez to keep it close. Hernandez put in another mid-range shot, but South Dakota Mines continued to succeed beyond the arc to make it 13-6 after three minutes. Offense was cooking for everybody as the quarter reached the midway point with a 17-15 score and a combined field goal percentage of 73.8 taking the teams to the media timeout. The teams cooled off slightly out of the break with a South Dakota Mines layup and two made free throws from Hoobler bringing the score to 19-17 with 2:47 to go. Fort Lewis cut the gap to just one point in the final two minutes, but the score rested at 26-23 after one quarter.

After a blistering first quarter where whistles were few and far between, the second quarter began with free throws in favor of the Hardrockers. Ryan answered with layups on back-to-back possessions for a 28-27 score, and Lamb converted a defensive rebound from Evan Kingston to give Fort Lewis its first lead of the night at 29-28. The visitors quickly reclaimed the lead, but offensive spread from Fort Lewis kept it at a one-score game through the midway point. The Hardrockers looked like they were gearing up to pull away with three minutes on the clock, but a key steal by Knapp resulted in a layup to fuel a 6-2 scoring run for a 42-39 deficit. The All-Conference duo of Piper Bauer and Morning Grace Spotted Bear capped off the opening half by combining for 29 points en route to a 46-40 South Dakota Mines lead.

The teams traded buckets through the first minute of the third quarter, and Ryan reached double-figures for the ninth time this season with a layup to make it 48-44. The Skyhawks were forced to call a timeout two minutes later thanks to a five-point burst by the Hardrockers to make it 53-44. Fort Lewis found some life out of the break thanks to five combined points from Knapp and Lamb for a 55-49 score. The lead for South Dakota Mines grew to 10 at the 4:33 mark, but Fort Lewis stuck around and benefited from steals to see a 59-53 score. Sophomore Natalie Guanella went to work over the next two minutes with four straight points to make it a two-point difference throughout a 2:50 scoreless streak for the Hardrockers. South Dakota Mines ended its scoreless skid in the waning moments for a 61-57 score after three quarters.

Hernandez was the hot hand for Fort Lewis early in the fourth quarter, contributing all four of the early points for a 65-61 score. Knapp pulled her team within one after a three at the 7:19 mark, and that difference held until five minutes were on the clock. Then, Kingston went to work at the stripe and gave the Skyhawks their first lead since the first quarter after going two for two. Free throws became a mainstay for both teams over the next minute, and Bauer from the Hardrockers heated up again from deep to give her team a 73-68 edge. The visitors padded the lead, but Lamb converted a steal from Ryan for her 13^th point of the evening for a one-possession game with 2:11 to go. The final two minutes were highlighted by Spotted Bear who reached 32 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, alongside Bauer who contributed 27 points to end the game in an 88-74 final.

Fort Lewis (5-10, 2-5 RMAC) will face Black Hills State (10-4, 6-1 RMAC) on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off inside of Whalen Gym. The Yellow Jackets are coming off an upset loss to New Mexico Highlands, 77-63.

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