Kaitlyn Silva

Malachi Coleman (0) drives to the basket against the Yellow Jackets in Whalen Gymnasium (Jan. 18, 2025).

Skyhawks kick off four-game road trip against Cougars, Mountain Lions on the Front Range

1/22/2025 1:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

DURANGO, Colo. – Following back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victories at home last weekend, Fort Lewis men's basketball (11-6, 5-3 RMAC) looks to continue its winning ways on the road this week as the Skyhawks take on Colorado Christian (7-9, 3-5 RMAC) on Thursday and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (10-6, 4-4 RMAC) on Saturday.

Clean Sweep
On Monday, senior guard Biko Johnson and redshirt freshman guard Stewart Erhart were named the RMAC's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, making Fort Lewis the first program to sweep the weekly awards on the men's side this season. In addition, the Skyhawks now lead the league with five Players of the Week this year. Johnson was spectacular in both wins, putting up 25 points against South Dakota Mines (1-15, 1-7 RMAC) before following up with 19 points and an 11-of-13 performance at the free throw line, which keyed in a come-from-behind victory over Black Hills State (9-7, 5-3 RMAC).

Erhart was just as essential in the two wins, forcing four steals against the Hardrockers and three steals against the Yellow Jackets while totaling five rebounds and two blocks, in part of the Skyhawks' 39 total turnovers forced.

Leading the RMAC
Johnson, a six-foot-two King Drew High School graduate from Carson, California, continues to shine no matter the foe. More impressively, the two-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week leads the conference in overall scoring averaging 17.4 points per game, while also ranking third in conference play at 18.3 points per game, on 39.6 percent shooting. Most notably, Johnson has not finished below double figures since the season opener and has scored 20+ points on five occasions.

On the flip side, Erhart, a six-foot-two West Valley High School graduate from Fairbanks, Alaska, has been a force to be reckoned with amidst the Skyhawks full-court and high-pressure defense. The two-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week has supplied a quiet 6.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game but leads the conference with 2.0 steals per game, 2.1 against conference opponents, and 34 steals overall. Erhart leads a Skyhawks squad that ranks 5^th in steals per game (12.1), 10^th in turnovers forced per game (19.88), and 10^th in turnover margin (+6.5) across all of NCAA Division II.

Scouting the Cougars
Colorado Christian will have a chip on its shoulder at home this week after suffering back-to-back losses to No. 7/6 Colorado School of Mines (14-2, 8-0 RMAC) 87-66 and No. 13/11 MSU Denver (14-3, 8-1 RMAC) 85-64. CCU's last victory came by way of an 83-72 win over CSU Pueblo (8-8, 3-5 RMAC).

As a unit, Colorado Christian is averaging 70.1 points per game against 71.9 points per game allowed: marks that rank 14^th and 7^th in the conference, respectively. Headlining the Cougars offense I redshirt sophomore Bradley Land. Land, a native of Dallas, Texas, is the lone player on the roster to average double-figures with 14.8 points per game on a lethal 52.5 percent shooting from the field. In addition, Land has added 5.0 rebounds and 1.75 assists per game alongside six blocks.

Scouting the Mountain Lions
UCCS has also suffered back-to-back losses to Regis (9-8, 7-2 RMAC) 83-78 and No. 13/11 MSU Denver 88-81 after winning five consecutive games prior. The Mountain Lions boast the league's sixth-best offense (77.9 pts/game) and tenth-best defense (73.8 pts/game) and have not lost at home since falling 95-89 in overtime to Black Hills State back on Dec. 12.

The Mountain Lions own a more balanced attack with three players averaging double-figures, including William Becker (15.3 pts/game), Xavier Martinez (12.6 pts/game), and Hannes Saar (10.3 pts/game). Becker has also been a dominant force on defense, owning a 9.1 rebounds-per-game average with 28 blocks, 39 assists, and 14 steals.

Up Next
Fort Lewis will face its toughest test of the season next week as the Skyhawks go on the road to challenge Colorado School of Mines on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Lockridge Arena before taking on MSU Denver in the Auraria Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. Fort Lewis College Athletics, in partnership with the FLC Alumni Engagement Office, will host a Skyhawks Basketball Get Together at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Infinitus Pie in the Tivoli Student Union up in Denver. Alumni and others are encouraged to register for the event HERE.

Print Friendly Version