ALAMOSA, Colo. (February 20, 2017) – The 2016-17 regular season concludes this week as Adams State University takes on No. 11 Fort Lewis College and Westminster College (Utah). The Grizzlies face the Skyhawks on Feb. 21
st and the Griffins on Feb. 25
th. Both games are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Last Time Out
Senior Night did not end as planned as Colorado Christian University walked away with a 74-73 win on Feb. 17
th. The Grizzlies held the final possession but a
Brandon Sly layup fell off the iron with two seconds left. The night began in a funk as the Cougars' zone defense limited the Grizzlies to a 31.2 percent (10-32) shooting clip in the opening stanza. Trailing 35-27 at halftime, the Grizzlies surged in the second half and outscored the Cougars by 7 points. The resurgence allowed Adams State to steadily climb back as a 12-point CCU lead with 13:29 remaining shrunk to a single possession affair less than six minutes later. Four players finished in double figures led by 15 points apiece from Sly and
J.R. Tailey. Umoru and Pasker each added 14. Tailey chipped in 12 rebounds as Pasker pulled in 10 to give the duo a double-double in the home finale. Sly added a game-high 6 assists and 3 steals.
Scouting The Skyhawks
A 30-game home winning streak was snapped with a 94-82 overtime loss to No. 22 Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 17
th. In defeat, the RMAC's leading scorer, Joshua Blaylock, led all players with 35 points. For the season, Blaylock nets 19.7 points per game while shooting 45 percent from three. Blaylock is the RMAC leader in playing minutes at 34.4 minutes per game. Rasmus Bach is third in RMAC scoring at 18.8 points per game while teammate Will Morse ranks first in assists at 5.4 per game. The Skyhawks lead the conference in scoring (90.3 ppg.), scoring margin (+15.1), field goal percentage (52%), three-point percentage (43%), and assists (17.5 per game).
Scouting The Griffins
Since Jan. 13
th, Westminster owns a 10-1 recording including overtime road wins against Chadron State College and Metropolitan State University of Denver. The program owns the RMAC's best defensive field goal shooting mark (39%) and ranks second in blocked shots (3.9 per game). Dayon Goodman leads the team at 16.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Despite their 15-7, 15-5 RMAC record, the Griffins are ineligible for any postseason play as they continue their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership.
Last We Met
vs. Fort Lewis College (12/13/16)
Behind a 57 percent shooting night, the then No. 18 Skyhawks got the best of the Grizzlies by a final score of 95-91 from Plachy Hall Gym. With the Skyhawks owning a 42-33 halftime lead, the Grizzlies put forth a valiant second half effort to make matters interesting late. In the final 20 minutes of play, Adams State shot an impressive 61.8 percent from the field but the Skyhawks countered with a 62.1 percent shooting clip. After a
Jarrett Givens layup to make it 93-91, ASU was unable to push ahead as FLC sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to bring the game to a 95-91 final. In the loss, Pasker tallied a team-best 17 points along with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Sly and
Shane Johnson each added 14 points as Givens and
Umoru both chipped in 13 points to give Adams State a total of five players in double figures. Joshua Blaylock and Rasmus Bach paced Fort Lewis with 26 points apiece.
vs. Westminster College (12/16/16)
Westminster entered Plachy Hall Gym with the RMAC's top defense but made their biggest impression on offense during an 83-74 victory over Adams State. The Griffins shot a blistering 10-of-12 from three-point territory in the opening stanza to positioned the Grizzlies in an unfavorable spot of playing from behind for the duration of the contest. The sharp three-point shooting gave the Griffins an early advantage as Casey Evans, Jarred Laws, and Travis Devashrayee combined to shoot 10-of-11 from downtown in the opening stanza. The Griffins cooled off after halftime but then relied on their tough defense to keep Adams State in the rear view mirror. Givens led Adams State with 18 points and 7 rebounds with Johnson adding 17 points.
Umoru was the third ASU player to finish in double figures with 12 points along with 4 steals.
Szymon Walczak paced the ASU bench with 9 points in 11 minutes.
Conference Glance
^ - Not eligible for RMAC or NCAA Postseason Play
Looking Ahead
RMAC Shootout beginning Feb. 28
th. Top four seeds host quarterfinal matchups. Highest seed remaining after quarterfinal round hosts both semifinal games and championship game.
Stay Connected
For any updates regarding Adams State athletics stay connected with www.asugrizzlies.com! Updates are also available through the Grizzlies official Twitter (@ASUGrizzlies) and Facebook (/TheAsuGrizzlies) accounts.
Team Posters
Fans, team posters are available online at www.asugrizzlies.com. Navigate to the 'Fan Zone' at the top of the ASU home page to find our 'Team Posters' link. Team posters will be updated and added over the course of the year. Hard copies of posters are also available at the ASU athletic office.
