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Stewart Erhart vs. Nelson University, Exhibition
Kaitlyn Silva
Stewart Erhart (1) defending a Warriors guard in Whalen Gymnasium (Nov. 8, 2025)

Fort Lewis welcomes Mustangs, No. 25 Chaparrals for Skyhawks Hardwood Classic

11/20/2025 1:30:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
Fort Lewis College vs. Western New Mexico University
Friday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. | Bob Hofman Court in Whalen Gymnasium | Durango, Colo.
Watch (RMAC Network) | Live Stats | Tickets | FLC Notes
Fort Lewis College vs. No. 25 Lubbock Christian University
Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. | Bob Hofman Court in Whalen Gymnasium | Durango, Colo.
Watch (RMAC Network) | Live Stats | Tickets | FLC Notes
DURANGO, Colo. – Basketball fans are in for a treat this Friday and Saturday night as Fort Lewis men's basketball (2-0) plays host to Western New Mexico University (1-1) and No. 25-ranked Lubbock Christian University (4-0), as well as neutral-site opponent Colorado Mesa University (1-1), for a quartet of games and the annual Skyhawks Hardwood Classic on Bob Hofman Court inside of Whalen Gymnasium.
 
Skyhawks Hardwood Classic
Another pair of Lone Star Conference opponents will head up to altitude this weekend as Fort Lewis hosts its fourth consecutive Skyhawks Hardwood Classic. The Skyhawks will take on Western New Mexico for the second time in as many games on Friday night, before gearing up for their first top-25 test of the campaign against unbeaten and No. 25-ranked Lubbock Christian on Saturday evening. Western Slope rival Colorado Mesa will also be in town, taking on both opponents in a pair of neutral-site games in a flipped schedule at 5 p.m. each night. Fans can purchase one ticket each day for admission to both games. 
 
Strong First Impressions
Jaxon Smith, a six-foot-two redshirt sophomore guard from Utah State University, made quite the statement in his Skyhawks debut, going for a career-high 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including a 7-of-11 clip from deep to knock down the ninth-most three-pointers in a game for the program, while adding a pair of assists and rebounds to power the Skyhawks to a 76-73 edge over Eastern New Mexico. In Fort Lewis' 85-82 win the following night against Western New Mexico, junior guard Yorgio Golesis, who came over from Oklahoma City University, matched his collegiate career-high with 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a near-perfect 9-of-10 mark from the free throw line. Golesis, standing at six-foot-one, also supplied six assists and six rebounds.
 
Skyhawks Early Leaders
Smith has led Fort Lewis in scoring through the early going, averaging 18.0 points per game–a mark that ranks sixth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference thus far–on a lethal 50.0 percent shooting, with an even more dangerous 53.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. Golesis is closely behind at 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while also adding a team-high seven assists. Returning Second-Team All-RMAC selection Chuol Deng has picked up right where he left off, averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game on 44.0 percent shooting, after earning an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Mustangs. Donald Bangham, Jr., another recent transfer, rounds out the Skyhawks' average double figures with 11.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, as well as three assists and a pair of steals.
 
Western New Mexico in the Early Going
The Mustangs have played just one other opponent other than the Skyhawks, defeating fellow RMAC member New Mexico Highlands University (0-5) 70-55 last weekend. Western New Mexico has already improved on last season's 5-23 overall record, earning the program's first non-conference win since beating the same Cowboys team 80-79 back on Nov. 22, 2023. This year, the Mustangs were picked to finish 15th overall on the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll.
 
Fort Lewis narrowly bested Western New Mexico last weekend, using 14 second-chance points, 16 points off turnovers, 21 points in transition, and 42 points in the paint to best the Mustangs. Not to mention a game-high 23 points from Golesis, while four Skyhawks finished in double figures.  
 
Mustangs Leaders
Similar to Fort Lewis, it's been a tale of two guards for WNMU through its first two games. In its dominant 70-55 win over NMHU, it was junior Isaiah Broady who led all players with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double while also making three steals, one assist, and blocking one shot. With Broady held to 11 points and seven rebounds against Fort Lewis, it was senior Carson Kelly who paced the Mustangs with 21 points and five assists. Redshirt senior Cortaviaus Seales also had quite the outing against FLC, racking up 17 points and eight assists.
 
A Red-Hot No. 25 Lubbock Christian Squad
There are few teams as lethal as the Chaparrals through the first two weeks of the season, with Lubbock Christian outscoring its opponents by a +26.3-scoring margin, good for the sixth-highest in all of Division II. In addition, the Chaps have racked up 90+ points in three of their games, and are firing off with the fourth-best three-point shooting percentage in DII at 48.9 percent. Voted to finish third in the Lone Star preseason poll, the Chaparrals are keeping pace with the six LSC teams that have yet to be defeated thus far.
 
Chaparrals Leaders
The Chaparrals' tightest contest this season was a 63-58 victory over preseason No. 10 Colorado School of Mines (0-5), who managed to pull within one possession in the closing minute. Five Chaparrals finished in double figures, and all five have averaged double figures for the season thus far. Former Skyhawk Amondo Miller, Jr. leads the squad with 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, followed by Kendall Dow at 15.0 points per game, Alex Anamekwe at 13.5 points per game, Antonio Pusateri at 12.0 points per game, and Lucas Mercandino with 11.0 points per game. In addition, Anamekwe and Pusateri add another 8.0 and 9.3 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
Early Look at Colorado Mesa
Colorado Mesa is off to a strong start despite its 1-1 record, defeating preseason No. 3 Dallas Baptist University (1-3) 78-77 on the Patriots' home court thanks to a Ty Allred buzzer-beating trey. The Mavericks were then felled 72-62 at the hands of St. Edward's University (6-0). At a glance, Colorado Mesa has averaged 70 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting, but has averaged 22 turnovers per game with a -10.0-turnover margin in total.
 
Mavericks Leaders
Four different Mavs have scored in double figures thus far, led by Cohenj Gonzales as the only player to score in double digits in each contest. Gonzales opened the season with a game-high 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists against DBU before putting up another 15 points against SEU. Allred, one of the Mavericks All-RMAC talents, had 15 second-half points in the season opener but just eight against the Hilltoppers. Harvey White added an 18-point outing against the Patriots, and Mason Honeyman a 15-point effort against the Hilltoppers.
 
Looking Ahead
Fort Lewis will close out the early portion of its non-conference schedule down in Canyon, Texas, at the First United Bank Center on the campus of West Texas A&M University. The Skyhawks will first take on Angelo State University (5-0) in a neutral-site bout at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Friday, Nov. 28, before facing off with the Buffaloes (4-0), who received votes on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll, at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29. Fans can catch both games live pay-per-view with a subscription to FloCollege.
 
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