What a difference a week makes.
Seven days after being blasted by 36 points at No. 14 Metro State, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team sent a resounding statement across the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and all of Division II men’s basketball with a 83-77 victory against the ninth-ranked Colorado Mines Orediggers.
“We beat a championship team,” FLC head coach Bob Hofman said.
“It took our whole program to win the game,” associate head coach Bob Pietrack added. “Mines is a great, great team. They’re a first-class program, and we’re very proud of our team.”
The Skyhawks (15-4, 10-3 RMAC) controlled the first half, taking a 43-33 lead into the break. But the Orediggers (15-2, 11-2 RMAC) came roaring back behind electric play from fifth-year senior guard Brian Muller, who scored a game-high 31 points. But, when FLC senior center Alex Herrera checked back into the game after a brief break with 9 minutes, 15 seconds to play, the Skyhawks erased a 67-63 deficit behind an 8-0 run to take a 71-67 lead with 6:27 to play.
“We gave them their run, and we just wanted to make one last run, and it would be our run to finish the game,” Herrera said.
Herrera dominated the game’s final minutes, as he finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and one key blocked shot that helped seal the contest late.
“I wouldn’t take it upon myself. I give credit to Will (Morse) and these guys for giving me the ball in spots I could score,” Herrera said.
Herrera’s block set up a Cade Kloster 3-pointer with 3:40 to play that gave FLC a 76-70 lead.
“Cade’s 3 was big. I mean, he has no conscience. He air-balled one and then comes down and splashes the next one,” Herrera said.
Mines raced back to tie the game at 77 with 1:40 to play, but a Rasmus Bach offensive rebound off a missed 3 by Will Morse put FLC back in front for good.
“Rebound and put back shows you every play matters,” Pietrack said. “So many plays throughout the game that were enormous. It’s a signature win that we needed, and we got it.”
FLC closed the game out with a Kloster steal that set up a Herrera hook shot with 23 seconds to play, icing the game.
FLC came out with tons of energy, exemplified by Jared Smith crashing through chairs on the end-line hustling after a loose ball. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“Last week, we didn’t come out on a Saturday, and that’s not who we are,” Smith said. “We’re a much better team than that. Everyone on the team knew we had to come out with energy, and I wanted to set the tone for the team and let Mines know we were going to come out and make this a game and make this our game.”
Bach finished with six points for FLC, while Kloster scored 13 and Morse added 10.
FLC won the rebounding battle 36-27 and turned the ball over only nine times.
Austin Haldorson didn’t score a point but had five rebounds and five assists to go with three blocks. Even bench players Ryan Brooks and Kevin Flohr checked in to hit big 3s in the game.
“We’re such a close-knit group, everybody is truly pulling for each other,” Pietrack said. “That’s what’s special about team sports. When you have guys stepping up that don’t always get opportunities and they make the plays to help you win, it’s such a great feeling.”
Gokul Natesan, the reigning RMAC Freshman of the Year, scored 17 points for Mines, which shot 13-of-23 from 3-point land in the game. FLC did a great job closing out on Trevor Ritchie, holding the fifth-year senior guard to five points, four rebounds and two assists and turning him over four times.
Herrera said the team has made a step in the right direction with the win. FLC next plays at Adams State at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“Completely 180 right now,” Herrera said when asked to compare the feelings of Saturday night’s win to the loss of a week ago. “I would say we went from one of the worst games we’ve ever played here to turning around and taking two steps forward.
“One thing we need to do is keep taking steps forward. That’s the bright side of this.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
