DURANGO, Colo. (December 13, 2014) – Despite a tied halftime score the Adams State University men's basketball team was unable to keep pace with a hot-shooting Fort Lewis College Skyhawks team in an 87-73 defeat on Saturday afternoon from Whalen Gymnasium. FLC shot 8-of-9 (88%) from three-point range and 13-of-19 (68%) from the field after halftime as the Grizzlies drop to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) games. The Skyhawks improve to 7-2, 2-1 RMAC with the win.
After a Rasmus Bach three-pointer to put FLC ahead 24-17, the Grizzlies retaliated with an 8-0 run to claim a 25-24 lead with 3:29 left in the opening stanza. From there, momentum continued to shift between the two RMAC foes with a series of lead changes. A
Michael Middlebrooks jumper inside the paint tied the game at 32-32 to send both squads into the break all knotted up.
From there the Skyhawks went on their notable run to pull away from Adams State. Jared Smith connected for three made shots from beyond the arc as Cade Kloster and Bach each added two apiece. The trio combined to shoot 7-7 from three in the second half. FLC went on to possess a double digit lead from the 10:39 mark until the conclusion of the game.
Shakir Smith paced the Grizzlies with 17 points off 6-of-17 shooting along with six assists and four rebounds. The junior guard scored 15 of his 17 total points after halftime.
Mike Hemsley added 10 points and a team-high eight boards while
Juwan Buchanan finished with nine points.
Kloster led the Skyhawks with 20 points and shot 6-of-9 from three. Alex Herrera tallied 16 points while going 12-of-16 from the free throw line. In total, four FLC players finished in double figures.
Adams State returns home for a pair of games at Plachy Hall before taking a break for the holiday season. The Grizzlies welcome rival Western State Colorado University on Dec. 20 followed by a meeting with Colorado Mesa University on Dec. 21. Both games will begin at 7:30 p.m. MT. Live stats, video, and audio will be provided.
