Fort Lewis FLC 18-11,12-8 RMAC

South Dakota Mines SDSMT 4-24,4-16 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC

18-11,12-8 RMAC

Final

Mar. 01, 2025

South Dakota Mines SDSMT

4-24,4-16 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	OT 1	F
Fort Lewis FLC	30	36	12	78
South Dakota Mines SDSMT	30	36	4	70

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Tru Allen (1) crosses over a Cougars defender in Whalen Gymnasium (Feb. 22, 2025).

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/1/2025 6:25:00 PM | Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

Allen beats the buzzer, Skyhawks pull off thrilling win over Hardrockers

Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa set for opening round rematch

RAPID CITY, S.D. – With only 1.5 seconds on the clock and a three-point deficit, Biko Johnson was heading to the free-throw line as the Skyhawks looked to the improbable. For the veteran combo of Johnson and Tru Allen, it was more than probable.

Fort Lewis faced the threat of its second loss in as many games, trailing 66-63 as Johnson stepped to the line. After finding nothing but net on his first attempt, cutting the deficit to two, Johnson managed to perfectly rim-out the following shot to Allen near the baseline who threw it up to tie the game as zeros dotted the scoreboards.

The Skyhawks, who closed out the regular season and improved to 18-11 overall and 12-8 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, outscored South Dakota Mines (4-24, 4-16 RMAC) 12-4 in the overtime period going for 4-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. With the win, Fort Lewis locked up the sixth seed in the 2025 RMAC Tournament and booked a rematch with third-seeded Colorado Mesa (19-9, 13-7 RMAC) for Tuesday night, Mar. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Grand Junction, Colo.

It was a full team effort in the King Center, as senior forward Chuol Deng led five Skyhawks in double figures with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Allen finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and added five rebounds, an assist, and a steal, while Johnson poured in another 12 points. Stewart Erhart was a defensive force for the Skyhawks, racking up 12 points while swiping a game-high five steals in addition to matching Deng for a game-high seven rebounds. Keither Florence scored 10 points with five rebounds and four steals to round out the Skyhawks in double figures.

Fort Lewis was outshot by South Dakota Mines 51.0 percent (26-51) to 44.8 percent (26-58) from the field and 38.1 percent (8-21) to 22.2 percent (4-18). FLC made up ground off the glass and on defense, however, edging SDM in rebounds 33-to-28 and winning the turnover battle 14-25 with 20 steals resulting in 24 points off turnovers.

Sophomore forward Guido Wanschelbaum had a day for the Hardrockers, scoring a game-high and career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and adding six rebounds. Gulliem Garcia and Keagen Smith were the only others to score in double digits with 13 points and 12 points, respectively.

Notes
-In his first season as head coach, Jordan Mast posted an 18-11 overall record and 12-8 record in RMAC play in addition to earning Fort Lewis' fifth-straight trip to the postseason conference tournament.
-The Skyhawks climb to 10-3 overall against the Hardrockers, including 6-1 on the road in Rapid City, S.D., and picked up its sixth-consecutive win over SDM.
-Five Skyhawks finished in double figures for just the third time in 2024-25, including Chuol Deng with 17 points, Tru Allen with 15 points, Stewert Erhart and Biko Johnson 12 points each, and Keither Florence with the final 10 points.
-Stewart Erhart has made three or more steals in 14 games this season and grabbed five or more steals on four occasions.
-Keither Florence eclipsed three or more steals in a game for the fifth time this season.

Up Next
Fort Lewis had already punched its ticket to the 2025 RMAC Tournament, and with its win today, set the stage for a thrilling Western Slope rivalry rematch against Colorado Mesa this Tuesday, Mar. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Brownson Arena in Grand Junction, Colo. Fans can watch the game live pay-per-view on the RMAC Network follow live statistics for free courtesy of CMU Athletics.

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