Akuel Kot’s 45-point performance helped the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team dominate the University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons 104-75 in a nonconference South-Central regional matchup Saturday at FLC.
The 45 points is the most a Skyhawk has ever scored in a game.
The previous all-time scoring record was 43 points, set by Jon Cremers against American Indian Bible, now SAGU American Indian College, a mark that has stood since 1994.
Kot capped off his historic performance by shooting 13-14 from the floor, 3-3 from the three-point line and 16-17 at the free-throw line for the new single-game scoring record of 45 points. Not only did Kot best his near record-setting performance of 42 points against Colorado State University-Pueblo, which ranks third all time in program history, but he also set a new career record by making 16 free throws in a single game.
Kot on Saturday paved the way for Fort Lewis with 27 points at halftime and eclipsing 1,000 career points in blue and gold. After the game, Kot had scored 1,026 career points for FLC.
Out of the half, Kot was quiet, bringing his total on the night to 35 points before five-scoreless minutes.
Just as time dropped under the six-minute mark, Kot made his moves. In back-to-back possessions, the Amarillo, Texas, native buried a pair of three-point jumpers from well beyond the arc; the first with an and-one foul and free throw for good measure.
Kot now leads the RMAC in scoring, averaging 28.8 points per game through four games for 115 total points.
Obi Agbim and Junior Garbrah also scored 14 points each for Fort Lewis. Brenden Boatwright scored nine, and Dunnnell Stafford and Ra’Shjon Martinez both scored five. JaQuaylon Mays led the Skyhawks with 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Azariah Seay led the Falcons with 22 points while Jalen King scored 19 and Nathaniel Powell added 11.
Fort Lewis edged Texas Permian Basin in rebounds, 39-34, turnovers, 10-15, and dominated in points in the paint 44-26.
With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 2019-20 and are undefeated against regional opponents. The Falcons fell to 2-2 overall.
Fort Lewis will next compete at the Adams State University Thanksgiving Classic in Alamosa, taking on Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday and Navajo Technical University on Saturday.
