by Angela Roberts
DURANGO, Colo. – A career night for both freshman Lanae Billy and sophomore Avery Evans led the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team to its second-straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win on Friday, topping South Dakota Mines by a 77-67 final.
Fort Lewis improved to 6-6 overall and 3-3 in the league while South Dakota Mines dropped to 1-12 on the year and 1-6 in RMAC play.
“South Dakota Mines was well-prepared for us, but we made some adjustments in the second half which led us to come out on top tonight,” said head coach Taylor Harris. “We knew that we had to turn them over to create scoring opportunities and that ended up being crucial for us in the win.”
Billy led the scoring charge for the Skyhawks, dropping in a career-high 24 points (8-of-11 FG, 5-of-7 3pt). Evans followed with a career-high 15 points (6-of-10 FG) to go along with a team-best three assists. Rounding out double-digit scorers for the Skyhawks was junior Kelsey Sorenson who put up 13 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
“A theme for us is championing each other on the court,” acknowledged Harris. ‘Everybody is each other’s biggest fan, and when you know that your team is hyped for you when you’re taking shots and scoring, it leads to something special. Our scorers have confidence because of the support from the team, and that’s what you could see tonight.”
Lending to the team’s win was a season-high field goal percentage of 50.9 (27-of-53) compared to a 40 percent (22-of-55) night for the Hardrockers. The field goal percentage with Fort Lewis’ best since December 31, 2018 (59.1 percent vs. Northern New Mexico). Fort Lewis forced 21 turnovers on 15 steals—the third-best mark this season. The steals added up to 19 points off turnovers for the Skyhawks squad.
The lead traded sides to begin the quarter with a three from Billy putting Fort Lewis up 7-5. South Dakota Mines responded with five straight to pull ahead, but a 7-0 run made it 14-10 in favor of the home team. Senior Tayla Nez capped off the first quarter with a pair of made free throws to see the score at 19-13 as time expired.
The lead grew thanks to jumpers by senior Alyssa Adams and Evans, putting Fort Lewis ahead by a game-high 12 points with nine minutes on the clock in the second quarter. Evans and Billy combined for scores midway through to pad the lead at 42-26 with 2:12 on the clock. The Hardrockers picked up three points in the waning moments, but Fort Lewis held on to a 43-29 lead at the half.
The third quarter was slow to start, but the Skyhawks remained in control through the first three minutes. South Dakota Mines found its moment to strike, though, going on an 8-0 run to narrow the lead to 48-42 with under four minutes on the clock. Sophomore Samantha Wattawa hit a corner three to make it a double-digit lead yet again, but a late three by the Hardrockers saw the score at 57-50 heading into the fourth quarter.
South Dakota Mines’ Piper Bauer, the game’s leading scorer at 28 points, kept the visitors in contention by dropping in all 10 points to open the fourth. Fort Lewis rallied around a group of scorers to hold off the charge, including sophomore Sadie Misner who hit two from the charity stripe for a 67-57 score. The Skyhawks showed their toughness down the stretch, responding to each make from the opposition to put a bow on a 77-67 final.
