DURANGO, Colo. – Sophomore Claudia Palacio Gámez poured in a career-high 27 points Thursday to lift the Fort Lewis College women's basketball team to its 12th win of the season, defeating Colorado Christian University 81–71.
The victory improved the Skyhawks to 12-5 overall and 5-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play, while the Cougars fell to 4-13 on the year and 1-8 in the league.
Fort Lewis shot 49.1 percent from the field—its second-best mark of the season—and knocked down 48 percent from beyond the arc. The Skyhawks connected on 12 three-pointers, marking the third time this season they have reached double figures from long range. Colorado Christian held an edge at the free-throw line, making 20 shots compared to 15 for Fort Lewis.
Palacio Gámez led all scorers with 27 points, going an efficient 6-of-7 from three-point range. She added seven rebounds and five assists to pace the Skyhawks. Sophomore Katie Lamb followed with 18 points, five assists, and four steals, while freshman Josie Davis chipped in 12 points.
Fort Lewis opened the game on a blistering start, building a 17-2 lead in the first quarter behind five early three-pointers. Colorado Christian trimmed the margin to nine before junior Makaya Porter converted a pair of free throws to restore a double-digit advantage. Free throws closed the quarter, with Fort Lewis holding a 22-11 lead at the buzzer.
The Cougars cut into the deficit early in the second quarter, scoring six straight points to make it 26-19. A balanced response from freshman Savanna Dotray, junior Sarah Chick, and Porter—who combined for four field goals—extended the lead to 34-19 with 4:36 remaining. Freshman Alemaualii Fonoti pushed the advantage to its largest of the night with 1:12 left, and Fort Lewis took a 44-30 lead into halftime.
Colorado Christian came out firing in the third quarter, hitting a pair of early three-pointers to pull within 47-40. Lamb halted the run with a three of her own, and Palacio Gámez followed with a pair of baskets to make it 52-44. The Cougars continued to chip away, cutting the margin to three with 2:33 remaining, but timely scoring from Palacio Gámez helped Fort Lewis carry a 61-55 lead into the fourth quarter.
Colorado Christian opened the final period with a jumper to make it a four-point game, but Fort Lewis responded with a decisive 9-0 run to build a 13-point cushion with just under seven minutes to play. The Cougars made one final push, pulling within four with 2:32 remaining, but the Skyhawks closed strong, outscoring Colorado Christian 8-2 over the final two minutes to secure the 81-71 win.
Fort Lewis (12-5, 5-4 RMAC) returns to Whalen Gymnasium on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. to host UCCS (10-7, 6-3 RMAC). The Mountain Lions were upset Thursday night by New Mexico Highlands, falling 79-70 in Las Vegas, N.M.
