Fort Lewis FLC 15-8,9-5 RMAC

N.M. Highlands NMH 9-13,2-12 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC

15-8,9-5 RMAC

Final

Feb. 08, 2025

N.M. Highlands NMH

9-13,2-12 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Fort Lewis FLC	33	44	77
N.M. Highlands NMH	35	49	84

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Stewart Erhart (22) lets a three-pointer fly against the Grizzlies in Whalen Gymnasium (Feb. 4, 2025).

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/8/2025 5:05:00 PM | Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

Cowboys defeat Skyhawks down in Las Vegas

New Mexico Highlands earns first win over Fort Lewis in three years

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Plagued by costly turnovers and unable to halt the Cowboys in the post, the Fort Lewis men's basketball team (15-8, 9-5 RMAC) hung tough but ultimately came up short, falling 84-77 to New Mexico Highlands (9-13, 2-12 RMAC) over at the John A. Wilson Complex.

"We didn't play with a tough-enough mentality today," head coach Jordan Mast shared after the game. "We allowed them to out-rebound us and get to the free throw line early and more often. Instead, we put ourselves in a dogfight against a team that wanted it more this afternoon."

New Mexico Highlands picked up its first win over the Skyhawks since 2022 and its first at home in Las Vegas, N.M., since Dec. 7, 2018, on the back of a career night from Blessin Kimble. The six-foot-seven junior racked up 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor alongside a near-perfect 10-of-12 mark at the free throw line. Kimble also had team-highs with seven rebounds and four steals and handed out two assists with a blocked shot as well. Nathan Hasberry and KJ LaMonte backed up Kimble with another 19 points and 11 points, respectively, as the only other Cowboys in double-figures.

With Kimble at the helm, the Cowboys out-muscled the Skyhawks to win off the glass 36 rebounds to 32, picking up 13 second-chance points along the way, while also edging Fort Lewis on points-in-the-paint 38-34. New Mexico Highlands also withstood the Skyhawks' high-pressure defense, committing just 13 turnovers to FLC's 12.

Stewart Erhart led all Skyhawks with a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Tru Allen and Chuol Deng supplied another 12 points each. Deng made six rebounds, two steals, blocked two shots, and had an assist before he fouled out. Malachi Coleman put up the final 11 points as the only other Fort Lewis player to finish in double-figures. Biko Johnson led the roster with seven rebounds and three steals while matching Allen with a team-high three assists.

The Cowboys out-shot the Skyhawks across the board including 50 percent (27-54) to 46.7 percent (28-60) from the field, 30.4 percent (7-23) to 20.8 percent (5-24) from deep, and 82.1 percent (23-28) to 69.6 percent (16-23) at the free-throw line. Both teams registered 17 points off of turnovers.

Notes
-Fort Lewis still leads New Mexico Highlands 65-53 all-time and 25-20 over in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
-The Cowboys snapped a three-game losing streak to the Skyhawks.
-New Mexico Highlands' 13 turnovers are the fewest committed by an opponent this season.
-Stewart Erhart set career highs in points scored (15), field goals made (seven), and field goal attempts (11). Erhart also registered his fifth career game in double-figures.

Up Next
Fort Lewis will begin its four-game home stand to close out RMAC play at home in Whalen Gymnasium next week as the Skyhawks welcome Colorado Mesa (13-9, 7-7 RMAC) on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. for its School Spirit Game followed by Western Colorado (6-15, 4-10 RMAC) on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. for Faculty Recognition Day.

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