COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team saw its season end in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament Quarterfinal, falling 75-65 to No. 2-seeded UCCS in a hard-fought contest.
Fort Lewis closed the year at 18-11 overall, marking the program's best season since 2018. UCCS improved to 20-9 and advanced to the RMAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday.
Junior Natalie Guanella led the Skyhawks with 19 points and six rebounds, finishing the season with double figures in each of the final five games. Sophomores Katie Lamb and Claudia Palacio Gámez added 10 points and four rebounds apiece, while junior Makaya Porter contributed eight points, three steals, and two blocks.
Fort Lewis opened the scoring with a layup from Palacio Gámez, but UCCS responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead. The Skyhawks trimmed the deficit to one point at 6-5 midway through the first quarter, aided by strong free throw shooting. The Mountain Lions then used a 10-0 run to build separation before a hook shot from Dotray stopped the surge at 16-7. Porter and Lamb combined for two quick jumpers, but UCCS answered to extend the lead to 20-11 with 1:26 remaining. A late free throw gave the Mountain Lions a 10-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
UCCS opened the second quarter with another basket before Guanella knocked down a key three-pointer to slow the momentum at 26-15. Fort Lewis chipped away, holding the Mountain Lions scoreless for two minutes to cut the deficit to single digits. After UCCS pushed the lead back to 12, the Skyhawks responded with a run of their own, narrowing the gap to seven with 3:30 remaining. Back-to-back three-pointers from Martinez and Lamb brought Fort Lewis within five at 36-31 with 1:21 left in the half. Both teams exchanged turnovers in the final minute, and UCCS carried a 37-33 lead into halftime. The Skyhawks outscored the Mountain Lions 22-16 in the second quarter.
Palacio Gámez opened the third quarter with a three-pointer before UCCS answered with consecutive layups. Guanella followed with four straight points to pull Fort Lewis within three at the 6:46 mark. Three-point shooting continued to fuel the Skyhawks, as Palacio Gámez's second triple of the quarter made it 48-45. Lamb later converted an offensive rebound from Guanella to cut the lead to one, but UCCS responded with six straight points to regain control at 54-47. Guanella hit another three to bring the margin back to four, and the teams traded baskets late in the quarter. UCCS led 56-52 entering the fourth.
Porter made an immediate impact in the final quarter, recording a block and scoring twice to bring the Skyhawks within two at 58-56 just one minute in. The deficit hovered at four points before a UCCS three-pointer extended the lead to 65-58. Turnovers proved costly for Fort Lewis, allowing the Mountain Lions to stretch the advantage to nine with 3:33 remaining. Porter converted two free throws, and Guanella followed with a strong drive to cut the deficit to 67-62 with three minutes to play. Guanella added three more points at the line to make it 69-65 with 2:10 left, but UCCS sealed the game by drawing fouls and converting six free throws in the final minutes to secure the 75-65 victory.
