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Nathan Penney vs. Justice University
Kaitlyn Silva
Nate Penney (3) shooting free throws against the Lions in Whalen Gymnasium (Nov. 9, 2026)

Skyhawks men open DII slate with Mustangs, No. 16 Greyhounds at Conference Challenge in Las Vegas

11/12/2026 1:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis men's basketball (1-0) is gearing up to face its first Division II opponents of the year with a Conference Challenge against a pair of top-four Lone Star Conference opponents in Western New Mexico University (1-0) on Friday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m., and preseason No. 16-ranked Eastern New Mexico University (0-0) on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m., both inside the John A. Wilson Center on the campus of New Mexico Highlands University in historic Las Vegas, New Mexico.
 
Game Details
Fort Lewis (1-0) vs. Western New Mexico (1-0)
Friday, Nov. 13, 3 p.m.
Las Vegas, N.M. – John A. Wilson Center
RMAC Network | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Fort Lewis (1-0) vs. No. 16 Eastern New Mexico (0-0)
Saturday, Nov. 13, 3 p.m.
Las Vegas, N.M. – John A. Wilson Center
RMAC Network | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Soaring in its Season Debut
Fort Lewis kicked off the 2026-27 campaign with a high-flying 117-93 win over Justice University (1-1) last Monday (Nov. 9). Seven Skyhawks scored in double figures, led by Rickey Mitchell Jr. and Yorgio Golesis with 19 points each as Fort Lewis shot an efficient 45.5 percent (35-77) for the night. Golesis fueled FLC on both ends of the floor with a game-high six assists and six steals, while Mitchell Jr. hauled in seven rebounds to pair with three assists and three steals. Nathan Penney was a workhorse on both ends, supplying another 15 points, a team-high nine rebounds, and four of Fort Lewis' 20 steals on 26 forced turnovers.
 
Early Skyhawks to Watch
Golesis is the lead man to watch, and his performance on Monday night leaned into his pace from last season when he averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 38.2 percent shooting, including 5.8 assists per game over his last four appearances. Mitchell Jr. also impressed in his Skyhawks debut, matching the team-high for points on a quality 8-of-15 shooting.
 
Penney, a six-foot-three senior coming off three appearances last season before injury, crashed the boards with the best of them at, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double while also nabbing the second-most steals. Freshman forwards Antonije Ristic and Soren Ries put up quality debuts. Ristic scored 12 points and had six rebounds while Ries added 11 points, three blocks, one steal, and one rebound.
 
Familiar Foes
Fort Lewis and Western New Mexico will meet for the fifth time over the last four years and the second time on a neutral floor in the last three meetings. The Skyhawks defeated the Mustangs 85-82 last year in Portales, N.M., but the Mustangs came roaring back in the second meeting, defeating the Skyhawks 95-86 in Whalen Gymnasium. FLC leads WNMU 51-45 all-time.
 
The Skyhawks and nationally-ranked Greyhounds will face off for the seventh time over the last six years, and Saturday's contest will mark the first time FLC faces ENMU as a top-25 ranked team after checking in at No. 16 on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Preseason poll. Fort Lewis leads Eastern New Mexico 17-8 all-time, and the Skyhawks have been riding high as of late, winning the last eight contests.
 
Scouting the Mustangs
Western New Mexico storms into Friday's game hot off a 96-72 home win over fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) member Adams State University. The Mustangs had a balanced team effort, with five finishing in double figures, led by fifth-year senior forward Andre Harris' team-high 16 points and team-high eight rebounds. WNMU won off the glass 43-39, won the turnover battle 12-18, and shot a quality 54.5 percent as a team.
 
The Mustangs checked in at No. 5 among the Lone Star Conference's 17 teams in the LSC Preseason Poll following the fourth-overall seed and a first-round exit in last year's LSC Championship. WNMU finished with a 22-8 overall record and a 15-5 mark in LSC play. Harris was also named WNMU's player to watch in 2026-27. In addition, Western New Mexico also impressed in a narrow 66-73 loss in an exhibition game at Division I New Mexico State University (1-1) back on Nov. 3.
 
Others to impress in the season opener against Adams State were fifth-year senior Tanner Poeschl, who scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and blocked two shots; sophomore guard NoNo Brown, who added another 10 points, four steals, four assists, and one block; senior guard Keylon Dorsey, who scored 10 points with two blocks, one steal, and one assist; and junior guard Jeremy Pierror with 11 points and two rebounds.
 
Scouting the Greyhounds
Preseason No. 16 Eastern New Mexico is coming off a 26-6 record last season, a 17-3 mark against Lone Star opponents, a narrow 76-74 loss in the LSC Championship title game, and a 73-70 loss and first-round exit in the NCAA Championship South-Central regional. The Greyhounds are looking to build on last season's postseason run and were picked to finish second in the LSC Preseason Poll.
 
With the departure of All-LSC First-Teamer and First-Team All-Region selection Jose Murillo, the Greyhounds will look to junior guard Mo Austin, who put up a team second-best 14.5 points per game on 52.3 percent shooting to go along with his 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. Senior guard Austin Abrams returns following a 12.8-point, 3.6-rebound, 1.9-assist, and 1.3-steal-per-game season as the only Greyhound to average double figures last year.
 
Last year, ENMU was 2-3 against top 25 opponents, with a signature win over No. 8-ranked Lubbock Christian University, 101-85 in the LSC Championship semifinal, and a 76-73 edge of future LSC Champion and No. 24-ranked Dallas Baptist University at home in Portales, N.M.
 
Looking Ahead
Fort Lewis will head for warmer weather and the beaches of Hilo, Hawai'i, next weekend as the Skyhawks take on the Big Island Invitational, hosted by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo at the Vulcans' Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. FLC will face San Francisco State University (1-0) on Friday, Nov. 20, at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, and California State University, Monterey Bay (0-0), on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. MST.  
 
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