A perfect non-conference season was thrown out the window when the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team squared off with rival Adams State in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener Saturday in Alamosa.
The FLC Skyhawks (5-1, 0-1 RMAC) lost both halves by four points to fall 73-65 to the Grizzlies (2-4, 1-0 RMAC).
The key stat was Adams State winning the rebounding margin 47 to 35.
“Adams State played really good, and we just didn’t match their intensity,” FLC head coach Bob Pietrack said. “I give them a lot of credit. We didn’t shoot well, and we played too fast at their tempo and had uncharacteristic turnovers. Getting outrebounded, too, and that’s not a good combo for us to win the game.”
Rasmus Bach was back in the lineup for the Skyhawks after missing Wednesday’s exhibition at Colorado, and he scored a team-high 16 points. Joshua Blaylock added 13 points but finished without an assist and four turnovers. Cade Kloster tallied 11 points.
FLC was led in rebounding by senior guard Jared Smith, who had 11 to go with two points and a team-high four assists.
The Skyhawks shot only 6-of-27 from behind the 3-point line and 36.1 percent from the field in the game.
Adams State’s Shakir Smith continued his strong season with a game-high 17 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Joe Bell Austin, DJ Morgan and Bryan Umoru all scored 10 points for the Grizzlies, and Kendyl Grover grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Adams State shot 8-of-24 from 3 and 42.9 percent from the field.
FLC will return home to play nationally-ranked Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian in two big games next weekend.
“This is just one of 22 conference games for us, and a lot of teams are going to lose at Adams State this year,” Pietrack said. “We have to come back and play a top-15 team next Friday night.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
