DURANGO, Colo. – A dominant defensive performance highlighted the Skyhawks' homecoming, as the Fort Lewis College women's basketball team defeated Chadron State College, 67-46, on Pink Night. The 46 points marked the fewest allowed by Fort Lewis this season.
With the win, Fort Lewis improved to 15-10 overall and 8-9 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play, while Chadron State fell to 1-21 overall and 1-16 in the league. The Skyhawks are now tied with Colorado School of Mines for eighth place in the RMAC standings and own the head-to-head tiebreaker following an 86-83 victory on Jan. 29.
Fort Lewis forced 37 turnovers on Thursday, tallying 23 steals and three blocks. The Skyhawks converted those miscues into 32 points, compared to just 12 points off turnovers for the Eagles. Fort Lewis shot 40.3 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the free-throw line, while Chadron State shot 32.7 percent overall and 26.7 percent from three-point range.
Junior Natalie Guanella led the way with a season-high 16 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance. Sophomore Katie Lamb added 13 points and a game-high eight steals—tied for second most in program history. Freshman Savanna Dotray contributed 12 points, and freshman Alemaualii Fonoti chipped in six rebounds and a career-high four steals.
Fort Lewis jumped out to an early 4-1 lead following a steal and layup by sophomore Claudia Palacio Gámez. After Chadron State answered with a three-pointer, Lamb responded with one of her own to give the Skyhawks a 7-4 edge. The Eagles regained momentum late in the quarter, capitalizing on a Fort Lewis scoring drought to take a 14-9 lead into the second period.
The Eagles maintained their advantage until the 6:51 mark of the second quarter, when Guanella tied the game at 16-16 from the free-throw line. Freshman Josie Davis followed with a three-pointer to spark a 9-0 run, giving the Skyhawks a 25-18 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half. Dotray and Guanella combined for six late points as Fort Lewis closed the half on a 22-5 quarter to take a 31-19 lead, holding Chadron State to just 15 percent shooting in the period.
Lamb opened the third quarter with a jumper, and the Skyhawks steadily extended their lead. Dotray converted inside and at the line, while Lamb capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to make it 49-30 heading into the fourth.
Fort Lewis pushed its advantage to a game-high 23 points early in the final quarter following another steal-and-score sequence by Lamb. Guanella later converted a layup off a Fonoti steal to match the margin. Although Chadron State briefly trimmed the deficit at the free-throw line and from beyond the arc, the Skyhawks closed strong with baskets from Dotray and Guanella before junior Sarah Chick sealed the 67-46 victory at the line.
Fort Lewis (15-10, 8-9 RMAC) returns to Whalen Gym on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off against South Dakota Mines (9-16, 7-10 RMAC). The Hardrockers are coming off a 71-61 loss to New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, N.M. Fort Lewis earned a 71-58 road win in the first meeting between the teams in mid-January.
