by Angela Roberts
DURANGO, Colo. – In front of a crowd 2,000 strong, the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team earned its first home win, 80-70 over Northern New Mexico College on the annual Nike N7 night. Honoring Native American Heritage month, the Skyhawks dressed in their turquoise N7 jerseys and welcomed local tribal leaders for a pre-game blessing and warrior song to get the evening underway.
In addition to the festivities put on by local tribal nations, three women’s basketball players were recognized for their tribal affiliations prior to tip-off. Receiving special nods were Ember Cervantes (Mescalero Apache), Tayla Nez (Diné Navajo), and Lanae Billy (Diné Navajo).
“To me, Nike N7 is a chance to play for my community back home while honoring my ancestors,” said Ember Cervantes. “We do a good job of appreciating that, and we receive a lot of support.”
The good times pre-game rolled right into the competition on the floor where the Skyhawks shot a season-high 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the field. The team had a similar mark of 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from three to mark a season-best. Fort Lewis also set season marks in rebounds (39), assists (13), and free throws made (18).
“Offensively, I thought we were really good tonight. We had a confidence to us, and there was a flow to our play which made for plays that were really fun to watch,” said head coach Taylor Harris. “I’m proud of the swagger that we played with. I’m happy to see that so early in the season.”
Freshman Lanae Billy led all players with 18 points, a career-high, by going 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from three. The Skyhawks had 11 additional players pick up points in the win, including nine points from both senior Tayla Nez (3-of-4 3pt) and freshman Ruby Sweeney-Spitzeck. Junior Kelsey Sorenson turned in eight points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes of play.
After settling the crowd for the opening tip, the Skyhawks won the ball and immediately dished it to Nez who scored the first bucket from deep in front of a contingency of friends and family. The game stayed tight in the following minutes before a jumper by Sorenson gave Fort Lewis a lead that it would never surrender. Sorenson and Nez combined for five points over the following pair of possessions to build the advantage to 13-6 with five to play. A wave sub saw a handful of new players emerge, and senior Alyssa Adams wasted no time draining a three to give her team the eight-point lead. Senior Kaitlyn Bell scored the Skyhawks’ final basket of the quarter to make it 22-10.
A trio of freshmen opened the second quarter with scores, including points from Kate Gallery, Audra Vine, and Billy to make it 32-14 with seven minutes on the clock. The Eagles scored in the following three possessions to make it 35-20 before a layup by Sorenson, assisted by Bell on the perimeter, built the lead back to 17 points. Sophomore Sadie Misner showed up midway through the quarter, nailing a pair of tough jumpers to see the score at 43-25 with 2:06 to go. The teams traded free throws down the stretch to make it 47-29 at the half.
The free throw trend carried into the third quarter where Northern New Mexico earned four before a three from Billy got Fort Lewis on the board. The sharp-shooting freshman followed it up with another from beyond the arc, bringing the lead to 53-33 with 7:44 remaining in the third. The Skyhawks saw their largest lead of the night at 62-39 when Sweeney-Spitzeck converted a steal to a fast-break layup with four minutes to go. The Eagles scored the final basket of the third quarter with one free throw to make it 65-43 with 10 minutes to play.
The good times continued to roll in the final quarter of play, first with a layup by Sorenson, followed by a corner three from Vine to push Fort Lewis to the 70-point mark. The Eagles returned the favor by going on a 15-0 scoring tear to narrow the lead to 70-60 with 3:18 to go. Billy finally paused the momentum with a jumper, but the lead remained at 10 heading into the final minute of play. Northern New Mexico made it a 78-70 game with a layup, but sophomore Samantha Wattawa put a stamp on the win with a jumper to run out the clock.
