Kaile Magazzeni’s career night provided some offense in a matchup between the two best defensive teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Magazzeni set a new career-high in points with 20 while grabbing 10 rebounds for her second career double-double in a 64-52 win for the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team Saturday night against Western New Mexico at Whalen Gymnasium on the FLC campus.
“We had individual performances that were impressive this game,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “This is kind of what I thought it would be, not the prettiest of things. Both teams defend pretty well, and 64 probably was going to win this game.”
Magazzeni credited point guard Erin Curry for helping push the ball down the floor and provide the post players easy chances to score.
“I feel like when Erin Curry comes in, she really brings this energy and is fast with the ball,” Magazzeni said. “I’m used to playing with that and think we work really well together. Probably half of our points are contributed to that: fastbreaks and getting to the free-throw line.”
Magazzeni shot a high percentage, going 6-of-9 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. She said playing the center position helps get her in spots to generate more offense.
“I’m just happy they started falling. I was still shooting them, they just weren’t going in,” Magazzeni said of making a few jumpers from outside the paint. “When I play the five, it is a lot easier to get going. Closer to the basket, easier to get fouled, just getting into a rhythm.”
The Skyhawks (8-5, 5-4 RMAC) jumped out to a 16-3 lead early in the game, with the Western N.M. Mustangs (6-7, 4-6 RMAC) failing to score a basket through the first 4 minutes, 50 seconds before going on another 6-minute drought.
But the Mustangs stormed back to trail only 26-25 at halftime, with both teams shooting only 25 percent from the field in the half.
Western N.M. briefly took a 29-28 lead early in the first half, but a technical foul called against the Mustangs’ Nalani Hernandez with 11:04 remaining helped swing the game in the Skyhawks’ favor.
Magazzeni made both technical free throws and the two free throws she earned for Hernandez’s original foul, giving FLC a 43-35 lead. The Skyhawks forced a turnover on the other end of the floor, leading to a Magazzeni layup that re-established a double-digit Skyhawks lead. FLC went on to shoot 45.8 percent from the field in the second half, good for a 33.3 percent average for the two halves. FLC entered the game tops in the conference in opponent’s shooting percentage, and backed that up by holding the Mustangs to 25.8 percent for the game.
FLC junior guard Kate Bayes, a transfer from Nebraska-Omaha, also helped spark FLC in the second half. She finished with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting off the bench. Bayes had only four points in the first half and was called out by Flores 1 minute into the second half for not hustling up the floor.
“Are you tired?” Flores asked.
When Bayes replied no, Flores responded: “Then start playing harder.”
Bayes did just that, coming up with two steals and seven rebounds, though she went just 3-of-7 from the free-throw line.
“That definitely hit home,” Bayes said. “The first half, I took a few shots that were pretty stupid that Flores got on me about, too. Between that and a turnover the first time I touch the ball in the second half and Flores saying that, it definitely got me going and got me mentally back into the game.”
FLC once again struggled from behind the 3-point line, going 1-of-15 after an 0-for-10 start in the first half. Seven FLC players attempted a 3 in the game.
Western N.M. was led by Ashley Mitchell’s 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting.
FLC outrebounded the Mustangs 52-46, with junior forward Mary Brinton pulling down eight rebounds to go with 13 points.
The Skyhawks are off until a two-game road trip at Regis on Friday and at Metro State on Saturday.
“I love preparing and coaching in those kind of games because they’re gonna be good games,” Flores said. “As a competitor, hopefully our players feel the same way. It’s a big opportunity for us, not huge pressure. The home teams in the early first go-around are gonna have more pressure. If we go up and get a couple, it puts us in a good spot.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
