Fort Lewis College’s basketball teams started their 2023-24 seasons well, with many key contributors leading the way for the Skyhawks.
Here’s a breakdown of where some of FLC’s top men’s and women’s players are ranked in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in key statistics. These rankings are for all games, not just the RMAC games these players have played in thus far.
Scoring
Senior forward Kelsey Sorenson is the Skyhawks’ leading scorer at 13.7 points per game, but doesn’t qualify for the RMAC statistical standings because she’s only played in six out of 11 games.
Instead, sophomore guard Lanae Billy is the top scorer for the Skyhawks in the RMAC standings, averaging 13 points a game, which is ranked 11th in the RMAC. Billy’s numbers are down a bit from last year, but she has not needed to do as much on the scoring end this year because other players stepping up their contributions.
Ashley Steffeck of Colorado School of Mines leads the RMAC in scoring with 18.6 points per game.
The men’s squad has loads of depth. Even with the incredible bench contributions, junior guard Obi Agbim is still one of the top scorers in the RMAC. Agbim is averaging 14.1 points per game, which is ranked 16th in the RMAC. Matthew Ragsdale of Black Hills State University leads the RMAC with 20.6 points per game.
Rebounding
Once again, the women’s squad’s top rebounder is ineligible for the RMAC statistical standings because they haven’t played enough games.
Junior Sydney Bevington only played six games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. She was averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.
Redshirt junior forward Lilly Pepper averaged 6.2 boards per game in five games, but is away from the team.
Junior forward Samantha Wattawa is 16th in the RMAC in rebounding with 6.1 boards per game. Wattawa has been critical in Fort Lewis’ rebounding efforts for the team’s 2-3 zone defense, despite her smaller size than some of her opponents. Olivia Reed of Colorado Mesa University leads the RMAC with 12 rebounds per game.
Throughout the season, junior forward Brayden Carter has been a beast on the boards off the bench for the Fort Lewis men.
Carter is seventh in the RMAC in rebounding with 6.3 boards per game. If Carter can stay out of foul trouble, that number should only go up.
New Mexico Highlands’ Ezichi Kalu leads the RMAC with 9.1 rebounds per game.
Shooting
Billy and sophomore forward Kate Gallery were the two Fort Lewis women’s players who qualified for any of the shooting rankings.
Billy is seventh in the RMAC with a 3-point shooting percentage of 33.8%, which is down from last season. The sophomore guard is also eighth in 3-pointers per game with 2.1. Gallery is 14th in the RMAC with 1.5 3-pointers per game.
Adams State University’s Harmonie Dominguez leads the RMAC with a 46.8% 3-point shooting percentage. She also leads the RMAC in 3-pointers per game with 3.9.
Agbim is the top-qualified shooter for the Fort Lewis men, ranking 17th in the RMAC in field goal percentage at 43.9%. This is especially strong, as Agbim is a guard. The junior guard is also fourth in the RMAC with an 87.5% mark from the free-throw line.
Junior guard Samier Kinsler is 18th in 3-point field goals made per game with 1.6. Junior guard Tristan Hurdle is right behind Kinsler with 1.6 per game, which ranks 19th. Senior guard Junior Garbrah is 23rd with 1.5 3-pointers per game.
Mario Lacy Jr. of MSU Denver leads the RMAC with a field goal percentage of 68%. MSU Denver’s Brayden Maldonado leads the RMAC in free-throw percentage at 90.6% Daeyon James of CSU Pueblo leads the RMAC with 3.1 3-point field goals per game.
Passing
No one on the women’s team was ranked in assists because of the Skyhawks’ heavy isolation and ball-screen offense.
Agbim once again leads the Skyhawks with 2.8 assists per game, which is 12th in the RMAC. Colorado School of Mines’ Sam Beskind leads the RMAC with 4.7 assists per game.
Blocks and steals
The women’s squad doesn’t have any elite shot blockers, but Billy does lead the RMAC in steals per game with 3.5.
Junior guard Sadie Misner is ranked sixth in the RMAC with 2.5 steals per game, while Gallery is 25th with 1.5 steals per game.
Billy and Misner are super disruptive and get lots of steals playing the top of the 2-3 zone.
Carter leads the men’s team and the RMAC with 1.7 blocks per game. Garbrah and Agbim rank 23rd and 24th, respectively, in blocks per game, with both averaging 0.5.
The men’s team is also very good at stealing the ball. Senior guard Malik Whitaker is seventh in the RMAC with 1.8 steals per game. Agbim is ninth with 1.6, while junior guard Jhei-R Jones (1.5) and Kinsler (1.2) are 13th and 17th, respectively.
Both teams’ steals numbers are not surprising, as both teams press the whole game.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
