DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team closed out its home schedule Saturday with a hard-fought 62-56 victory over South Dakota Mines, completing a season sweep of the Hardrockers.

The win moves the Skyhawks to 16-10 overall and 9-9 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, while South Dakota Mines falls to 9-17 overall and 7-11 in the league. The result was pivotal in the postseason race, placing Fort Lewis in a three-way tie for seventh with two regular-season games remaining.

Fort Lewis relied on a balanced defensive effort, finishing with 34 rebounds, eight steals, and two blocks. The Skyhawks shot 36.8 percent from the field, 32 percent from three-point range, and 75 percent from the free-throw line. South Dakota Mines shot 38 percent overall, 25 percent from deep, and 77.8 percent at the line.

For the second consecutive game, junior Natalie Guanella led the Skyhawks in scoring with 17 points. Freshman Alemaualii Fonoti added 12 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting performance. Sophomore Claudia Palacio Gámez and junior Makaya Porter each contributed 11 points, while senior Ashten Martinez pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

Guanella set the tone early, carrying over momentum from Thursday's perfect 6-of-6 shooting performance. She opened the game with three baskets to give Fort Lewis a 7-2 lead. South Dakota Mines responded with four free throws and a jumper to cut the deficit to two with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. The Hardrockers tied the game at 10-10 and briefly took the lead before Guanella drained a go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute, finishing the quarter with 10 points.

She continued her strong play in the second quarter, knocking down another three to push the lead to 16-12. After South Dakota Mines answered with a layup, both teams went scoreless for more than two minutes. The Hardrockers tied the game at 16-16, but Fort Lewis responded with a 5-0 run to regain control. Fonoti took over in the final minute of the half, scoring five straight points to send the Skyhawks into the break with a 26-18 advantage.

Fort Lewis extended its lead to as many as 13 in the third quarter, reaching its largest margin following a Porter jumper at the 5:43 mark. The Hardrockers answered with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to seven before Palacio Gámez connected on a three-pointer to restore a double-digit lead. South Dakota Mines trimmed the margin to nine late in the quarter, but a Fonoti layup sent Fort Lewis into the fourth ahead 52-41.

South Dakota Mines struck first in the final period with free throws two minutes in and later hit a three-pointer to make it a two-possession game. Fonoti responded with a layup, and Porter followed with a jumper to give the Skyhawks a 58-48 cushion. The Hardrockers mounted a late push, forcing two turnovers and cutting the lead to two points. Palacio Gámez delivered at the free-throw line, and Porter added a steal and fast-break basket to secure the 62-56 win.

Fort Lewis (16-10, 9-9 RMAC) concludes the regular season on the road next week with games at CSU Pueblo (13-13, 9-9 RMAC) and Colorado Christian University (7-19, 4-14 RMAC). CSU Pueblo enters the week tied with the Skyhawks for seventh place in the conference standings.