Fresh off a 2-0 start against two quality Division II South Central Region opponents at a tournament in Ignacio, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team will settle into its true home court.
The FLC Skyhawks (2-0) began the year in style with wins against St. Mary’s and Texas-Permian Basin at the SunUte Community Center. FLC will open its home schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday against a smaller school but equally talented opponent in Northern New Mexico College, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school in Española, New Mexico.
The Northern New Mexico Eagles have opened their season with a 4-1 record, including a pair of overtime wins and a 2-1 road trip two weekends ago.
“Smaller, but a team that in two exhibition games last year beat us twice,” FLC head coach Bob Hofman said of the Eagles after Saturday’s 101-97 win against Texas-Permian Basin. “It’s gonna be a tough game on Tuesday night. They are extremely talented.”
Also making the matchup unique is Northern New Mexico fifth-year head coach Ryan Cordova, a FLC graduate who played football for the Skyhawks.
Cordova opened his coaching career in 1995 as an assistant to the women’s basketball team at FLC under then head coach Keith Durham. When Durham was named the FLC men’s basketball head coach in 1998, Cordova followed and assisted the men’s team through 2000 before moving to Albuquerque to work with a semi-professional team.
“Northern New Mexico is a really good program with a Fort Lewis grad as their head coach. It should be a lot of fun, and we’re looking forward to it,” Hofman said.
Gabe Martinez, a senior guard for the Eagles, is a dangerous scorer capable of knocking down many 3-point shots. Senior forward Eric Garcia also is a double-double threat in rebounding and scoring.
Garcia likely will go against FLC star center Alex Herrera, who earned another Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor for his efforts last weekend.
Herrera averaged 24 points, 10.5 rebounds, four assists and four blocks during the two games in his hometown of Ignacio. He broke the FLC career blocked shots record in the process, and he will be honored before the game alongside former record holder Rich Hillyer in a special ceremony.
Herrera is a two-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Year and was picked to win a third honor this preseason. He won the defensive player of the week honor five times last season.
Herrera is joined in the FLC starting five by guards Rasmus Bach, Cade Kloster, Will Morse and Jared Smith. Guards Lucas Archuleta and Kofi Josephs have been first off the bench along with forwards Ryan Brooks, Austin Haldorson and Kody Salcido. Haldorson suffered a knee injury Saturday night and did not return to the game after going down early in the second half.
Hofman is pleased with the team’s roster top to bottom, and he is excited to watch the team continue to grow before conference games begin Dec. 5 against UC-Colorado Springs.
“I think this team has a lot of getting better to do, and I know we will,” Hofman said. “We have really good attitudes on our team, so I’m really looking forward to getting better the rest of the way.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
