Westminster (UT) WC-UT 6-8,1-5 RMAC

Fort Lewis FLC 8-5,5-0 RMAC

Westminster (UT) WC-UT

6-8,1-5 RMAC

Final

Jan. 10, 2026

Fort Lewis FLC

8-5,5-0 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	OT 1	F
Westminster (UT) WC-UT	26	46	5	77
Fort Lewis FLC	36	36	15	87

Summary
Box Score

Kaitlyn Silva

Jaxon Smith (0) knocks down a three-pointer against the Griffins in Whalen Gymnasium (Jan. 10, 2026)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/10/2026 7:05:00 PM | Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

Skyhawks outlast Griffins in overtime classic

Fort Lewis takes sole possession of first place in RMAC standings

DURANGO, Colo. – Whalen Gymnasium played host to an instant classic on Saturday afternoon so thrilling that it needed an overtime period, setting the stage for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks men's basketball team (8-5, 6-0 RMAC) to overcome a surging Westminster University (6-8, 1-5 RMAC) squad, pulling out an 87-77 victory to take the reins of the race for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title.

Fort Lewis controlled the pace early on, taking a ten-point lead at halftime and stretching said lead to as many as 12 points, 41-29, with 17:44 left to play in the second half on a second-chance three-pointer from Chuol Deng, who finished with a dominant 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, his fourth of the season and 13^th of his career, on 6-of-17 shooting. Westminster would not go quietly into the night, however, slowly storming back despite shooting 34.3 percent (23-67) for the contest.

Westminster forced three lead changes through the final five minutes of action, including taking a two-point lead on a trey from Jack Jamele with 45 seconds remaining. Jamele went on to cap his night with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting with a 4-for-7 clip from beyond the arc and seven boards. Stewart Erhart gave Fort Lewis a fighting chance, knocking down two free throws with 29 seconds remaining to tie the game at 72 all. Mitch Jeppesen cut through a pair of defenders for an eight-foot layup as time expired, but the shot took an FLC roll off the rim.

The Skyhawks completely controlled the overtime period, going on a 7-0 run to set the tone thanks to an opening trey and a fast break layup from Erhart. Westminster managed five points on a trey from Jamele and a tip-in-layup from Boston Painter, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. The Griffins did not score in the final 56 seconds of play.

Erhart and Jaxon Smith combined for 52 of Fort Lewis' 87 total points, with Erhart leading the way on a 27-point, seven-steal, six-rebound, four-assist performance. Most importantly, it was Erhart's 11-for-13 night at the free throw line as the Skyhawks went just 22-for-37 (59.5 percent) at the charity stripe. Smith stunned the Griffins from beyond the arc, going 6-of-11 from deep to secure his second 25-point performance in his last three games. The Skyhawks shot just 38 percent (27-71) from the field while knocking down a season-high 11 three-pointers.

Cole Kadoguchi paced the Griffins with a team-high 20 points in 35 minutes on the floor, also grabbing four boards, two steals, and blocking one shot. Jona El-Farra hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds, and Jake Nadauld made a game-high six assists.

Notes
-Fort Lewis avenged last season's (Jan. 11, 2025) 113-108 overtime loss at Westminster to trail the Griffins 28-26 all-time.
-The Skyhawks are the last unbeaten team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 6-0. 14 games remain in the race for the RMAC regular season title.
-FLC is now 2-1 in overtime contests under head coach Jordan Mast.
-Stewart Erhart recorded his third 20+ point performance of the season while also matching his career-high and the program's mark for the fifth-most steals (7) for the third time this season. Erhart is now averaging an NCAA Division II-leading 3.72 steals per game and a phenomenal 6.0 steals per game against conference opponents.
-Jaxon Smith finished three points shy of his career-high to mark his fourth 20+ point game of the season and his second 25-point performance in his last three games.
-Chuol Deng earned his fourth double-double of the season and the 13^th of his career.
-Stewart Erhart and Jaxon Smith combined for 59.8 percent (52-of-87) of the Skyhawks' total points.
-Fort Lewis forced 22 turnovers, tying its second-best mark of the season for a third time, and made a season-high 17 steals.
-The Skyhawks 59.5 percent (22-37) free throw percentage is its lowest of the season.

Up Next
Fort Lewis has a crucial road trip ahead next week as the Skyhawks head for South Dakota to challenge South Dakota Mines (7-7, 4-2 RMAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15. Fort Lewis will then head up to No. 11-ranked Black Hills State (12-2, 5-1 RMAC) on Saturday, Jan. 17, for a 3 p.m. showdown.

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