It was hard not to notice the play of Marquel Beasley in the first two home games for the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team.
Beasley, a senior forward from Rock Island, Illinois, scored 46 points, had 15 rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots across two games against Northern New Mexico and University of the Southwest. For his effort, Beasley was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, and he also earned the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award.
“It was just having a mind-set of knowing I’m gonna lead my team as a senior and doing whatever it takes to put them on my back,” Beasley said Friday night after his 28 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots helped send the Skyhawks to a 65-62 comeback win against University of the Southwest. “I know we were having a pretty sluggish night. I just had to find a way to keep scoring the ball.”
Beasley’s efficiency has been remarkable in his time in an FLC uniform. Already this season, he’s made 57 percent of his shots, including 5-of-10 from behind the 3-point line. He’s added to his offensive arsenal with bank shots and deeper jump shots to go with his usual aggressive play in the post.
“That’s my type of ball game,” Beasley said. “I’m always gonna go to the hole strong, play strong.”
The one area Beasley has struggled in is free-throw shooting. For such a hot shooter from the field, his 14-of-34 (41 percent) performance at the foul line has been puzzling. A year ago, Beasley made nearly 70 percent (103-of-148) of his free throws.
“It’s just really just me in my head,” he said. “I just gotta get up there and focus and knock them down.”
Beasley’s 19.3 points per game lead the Skyhawks this season.
“Marquel is a very established player,” FLC head coach Bob Pietrack said. “We need him to continue to play well. He’s deserving of the awards based on those two games. He’s an enormous part of our team, and we need him to play well every week.”
Beasley and the Skyhawks (3-1) will host Haskell Indian Nations University (3-3) at 5 p.m. Wednesday inside Whalen Gymnasium, where FLC will try to improve to 3-0 at home this season.
Fans will enjoy watching Beasley work alongside senior Otas Iyekekpolor, a transfer from Division I Central Arkansas who has averaged nine points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season along with a team-high six blocked shots.
FLC will need an answer to replace the scoring of Riley Farris, who had averaged 17 points per game before he left Friday’s win in the opening two minutes after he re-injured his left shoulder. The junior forward is expected to miss at least the next six games.
FLC can turn to senior Alex Semadeni, a guard who has averaged 10 points, 7.8 rebounds 4.6 assists per game.
The Skyhawks will see if they can improve as a whole Wednesday against Haskell, as the team has worked to blend nine new players into the system despite injuries and limited practice time with all of the players. It is the final tune-up game before the start of RMAC play Dec. 1 at Adams State University. FLC will go on the road for its first three conference contests and won’t be back home until Dec. 15 against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
“We just want more consistent play,” Pietrack said. “We’ve shown flashes the last four games this year of being a really good team and shown some lulls of a bad team. For us, we’re not worried about the opponent as much as us becoming a better basketball team and playing together and being more consistent.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
Haskell Indian Nations University at Fort Lewis College
What:
Men’s college basketball
When:
5 p.m. Wednesday
Where:
Whalen Gymnasium, FLC campus
