Defending home court is critical to success in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and winning at Whalen Gymnasium is exactly what the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team is doing.
The Skyhawks (17-3, 12-3 RMAC) extended their perfect home record to 11-0 as they closed out an unbeaten four-game home stand with a 90-72 win Saturday against Chadron State. The fifth consecutive win gives the Skyhawks a two-game advantage in the RMAC’s Mountain Division, as New Mexico Highlands lost to Metro State on Friday and UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday.
Joshua Blaylock had another big night for Fort Lewis with 25 points and six rebounds. Cade Kloster added 20 points, Rasmus Bach finished with 19, and birthday boy Austin Haldorson had 15 points in the win.
“They really took it to us at the start,” said Fort Lewis head coach Bob Pietrack. “It was just a matter of us getting some shots to fall and turning it up on the defensive end to turn it around.”
Fort Lewis needed some big first-half runs to get back in the game after trailing early. Chadron State (6-13, 4-11 RMAC) made it clear that they were a formidable foe from the opening tip. The Eagles jumped out to a fast start and built a nine-point lead in the game’s first 10 minutes.
The Skyhawks turned the tables in a hurry behind a 13-2 run that got them back into the game and a 15-4 run to close out the half gave the home team a 47-36 halftime lead.
Having seen what the Eagles did early in the first half, Fort Lewis came out hot in the second half. They stretched the lead to 17 points, but the scrappy Eagles weren’t done yet.
Chadron State kept fighting and pulled to within eight with six minutes remaining. Sharif Black led the Eagles with 21 points, and he did his best to bring the Eagles back.
However, that’s the closest the Chadron State would get, as Blaylock and Bach put the game away with big 3-pointers late and a monster two-handed dunk by Bach that had Whalen Gymnasium buzzing.
“I was thinking, man, the white guy can really jump,” said Blaylock with a chuckle. “It was a big play, and that’s just what (Bach) does.”
The 17-3 Skyhawks record ties the best 20-game start in the history of the program, and it’ll take a heck of an effort for an opponent to steal one at Whalen Gymnasium.
“We have a great crowd, and they’re a big reason why we’ve had so much success here,” Bach said. “It’s just a great place to play.”
Fort Lewis will be back on the road for a 7:30 p.m. Friday matchup with South Dakota Mines and a 6 p.m. Saturday tip at Black Hills State.
jfries@durangoherald.com
