The trap door on the Fort Lewis women’s basketball season opened a few weeks ago and the Skyhawks haven’t been able to close it.
Fort Lewis struggled to score on Friday night at MSU Denver and fell behind by double-digits early in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks were able to fight back and tie the game late in the fourth, but a deep 3-pointer by sophomore guard Lanae Billy was no good and Fort Lewis lost 62-59.
The Skyhawks fell to 12-15 overall and 9-12 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after they shot 33% from the field, 28% from 3-point range and 80% from the free-throw line.
Fort Lewis has officially been eliminated from competing in the RMAC tournament with the loss.
“I'm really proud of our group and how every time Metro made a big run, they would get it to double digits, instead of hanging our heads, we just rallied and I was really proud of our group.” Fort Lewis head coach Taylor Harris said. “We had to do that like three or four times throughout the game, claw back from 10 down and get it close. We just ran out of gas and ran out of time.”
MSU Denver improved to 9-17 overall and 8-13 in the RMAC after it shot 37% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 75% from the free-throw line in the win.
Fort Lewis was led by Billy’s 20 points on 8-23 shooting from the field and 2-11 from 3-point range along with seven steals. Junior forward Samantha Wattawa had a much more efficient night and she finished with 17 points after she finished 6-7 from the field, 1-1 from the 3-point line and 4-4 from the free-throw line.
“Without her defensive effort in the second half, we aren't in that position,” Harris said about Billy. “She did a great job. She got off to a good start and they made a big emphasis of just not letting her get a catch. At the end of the game, we got the right player the right shot,”
Senior forward Kelsey Sorenson struggled against the length and size of MSU Denver’s front line. She finished 0-9 from the field and 6-8 from the free-throw line along with seven rebounds, five turnovers and five steals. Harris was proud of how Sorenson competed despite being sick for most of the week.
MSU Denver was led by Jackie Pippett’s 15 points on 4-7 shooting from the field and 7-8 shooting from the free-throw line along with seven rebounds. Brooklyn Jones also had 12 points on 4-9 shooting from 3-point range.
Fort Lewis got out to an early 11-4 lead with a few 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the contest but the Roadrunners hit two 3-pointers to finish the first quarter with a 16-13 lead.
“They hit shots, so you have to give them credit,” Harris said. “We let some frustration get to us with the whistles. Some 50-50 calls went Metro's way and that happens but we got a little frustrated and let that affect our sense of urgency on the defensive end.”
In the second quarter, the Skyhawks never led but were behind between four and eight points the entire way as Fort Lewis shot 25% from the field and didn’t make a single 3-pointer. MSU Denver took a 30-24 lead into halftime.
After halftime, the Skyhawks cut the deficit to three with a Billy 3-pointer but they dug themselves a deeper hole later in the third quarter. Five points by MSU Denver in the last 30 seconds stretched the lead to 43-33 after three quarters.
After being down by 13 early in the fourth, the Skyhawks went on a 12-1 run. The team hit some outside shots and got to the free-throw line. Two Wattawa free throws cut the deficit to 51-50 with 4:20 left.
The Skyhawks were causing turnovers and Billy was able to tie the game at 54 with two free throws with 2:20 left after her seventh steal of the game.
Down one with 1:30 left, junior guard Avery Evans fed Sorenson in the post but she turned it over and Jones hit a transition 3-pointer to put the Roadrunners up 58-54 with 1:31 left.
But Billy made a shot to cut it to two and then Sorenson was fouled down two but only made one of two free throws with the ability to tie the game.
Down three after fouling the Roadrunners, Fort Lewis executed a great play and found Wattawa on a cut for a layup to cut the deficit to one. After Ashlyn Yow made two free throws with 14 seconds left for MSU Denver, Billy launched a long 3-pointer off a broken play and she missed and the Skyhawks lost their third game in a row.
Harris said the team was looking to create confusion on the last play and he was happy that Billy got the ball and a decent look.
Fort Lewis is back in action on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Colorado School of Mines for its regular season finale.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
