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Aiden Gibson vs. CSU Pueblo
Kaitlyn Silva
Aiden Gibson (14) dials up a three-pointer against The Pack in Whalen Gymnasium (Feb. 20, 2025).

Men’s hoops headed to Chadron State, South Dakota Mines to cap regular season play

2/26/2025 11:00:00 AM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
Fort Lewis at Chadron State
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. | Chicoine Center | Chadron, Neb.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets

Fort Lewis at South Dakota Mines
Saturday, Mar. 1, 3 p.m. | King Center | Rapid City, S.D.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
DURANGO, Colo. – With its postseason ticket already punched, Fort Lewis men's basketball (17-10, 11-7 RMAC) will need to handle Chadron State (13-13, 9-9 RMAC) and South Dakota Mines (4-22, 4-14 RMAC) this week and get some additional help from around the league in hopes of hosting a first-round Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament game in Durango.
 
Leading the League
Last Tuesday, junior forward Cassius Carmichael was named the Week 14 RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, giving the recent transfer and Glendale, Ariz., native two weekly honors this season. Carmichael supplied the Skyhawks with 19 points, eight rebounds, six steals, and two blocks en route to the honor. With the award, Fort Lewis tied its 2014-15 season for the second-most weekly honors in a season with eight.
 
Staying Aggressive
The Skyhawks defense has stayed true to its high-pressure style all season, and the numbers back it up. FLC currently leads all of Division II, averaging 12.7 steals per game on the back of 19.67 turnovers forced per game and a +7.2-turnover margin, marks that also rank sixth in DII. Leading the charge is redshirt freshman Stewart Erhart, who leads the south-central region with 2.4 steals per game, and ranks 11th overall in DII. With Erhart at the top, the Skyhawks boast the league's top four players in steals per game with Biko Johnson in second (2.1 stls/game), Tru Allen in third (2.0 stls/game), and Carmichael in fourth (1.7 stls/game).
 
First meeting with the Eagles
Fort Lewis will meet Chadron State on the road for the first time this season in the Chicoine Center, where the home Eagles own an 8-3 record. Despite losing three of its last four games, Chadron State has otherwise won five straight at home, and most recently 81-65 over CSU Pueblo (11-15, 6-12 RMAC).
 
Under the direction of first-year head coach Chris Francis, the Eagles head into the week with the league's tenth-best offense (74.2 pts/game) and seventh-best defense (72.4 pts/game). In addition, CSC holds opponents to a second-best 42 percent shooting from the field and a league-leading 29.4 percent from the three-point line while also leading the RMAC averaging 37 rebounds per game.
 
Three Eagles are averaging double figures, including graduate student Jalen Thomas, senior Zy Wright, and senior Trey Ballard. Thomas headlines the offense with 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 50.9 percent shooting. Wright is keeping pace with 13.2 points per game as well, but most notably, he leads the roster with 6.3 rebounds per game. Ballard rounds out the trio with 10.9 points per game off the bench.
 
Rematch in Hardrocker Territory
Fort Lewis and South Dakota Mines met previously on Jan.16, when the Skyhawkns handed the Hardrockers an 88-54 loss in Whalen Gymnasium. Johnson scored a game-high 25 points as one of three players to finish in double figures for FLC. Keagen Smith was the only Hardrocker in double figures with a 20-point night of his own.
 
Since then, South Dakota Mines is 3-8, losing seven straight games. SDM has earned all four victories at home this season, and all four have come in conference play.  As a team, the Hardrockers rank last in offensive production (55.8 pts/game), but lead the league in defense holding opponents to 67.3 points per game.
 
Leading the Hardrockers offense is true freshman Tre Dowdell. The Evergreen Park, Ill., native averages 12 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting with a 33.8 percent mark from deep. Smith, a six-foot-six senior forward from Delano, Minn., adds another 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
 
Up Next
The 2025 RMAC Tournament awaits the two-time defending champions next week. The Skyhawks are currently in line for a rematch at Colorado Mesa (17-9, 11-7 RMAC). However, a Mavericks loss paired with two Fort Lewis wins would result in a home rematch with Black Hills State (15-11, 11-7 RMAC). Any other losses would most likely put the Skyhawks up in Denver next Tuesday.
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