by COLORADO SPRINGS – The Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team is tabbed to finish second overall in the 2017-18 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball preseason poll, announced by the conference office. Senior guard Briana Clah (Navajo) was chosen to the Preseason All-RMAC team.
The Skyhawks received two first place votes and 174 points. Defending league champion, Colorado State-Pueblo, is the preseason favorite with 194 points and 12 first place votes to lead all 15 teams.
The Skyhawks finished last season 21-7 overall and tied for fourth place in the league with a 16-6 mark. Fort Lewis returns the RMAC Freshman of the Year, Kayla Herrera (Chippewa), and three all-conference performers: senior guard Briana Clah (2016-17 All-RMAC First Team), junior forward Alyssa Yocky (2016-17 All-RMAC Second Team) and Astrea Reed (2015-16 All-RMAC Second Team).
An All-RMAC first team honoree in her first season with the program, Clah earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades on Feb.13. She started all 28 games and ranked ninth in the RMAC with 14.4 points per game and was fifth in the league with 3.5 assists per game. She scored in double digits 23 times and scored over 20 points six times on the season, while making a team high 53 three-point field goals while shooting .340 from beyond the arc.
The Skyhawks women’s team will open their season at home Nov. 10-11 against Texas-Permian Basin and Eastern New Mexico University
