A stellar weekend on the defensive end by Mary Brinton reached beyond Durango to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference offices in Colorado Springs.
Brinton was tabbed the RMAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team snap a three-game losing streak with impressive wins over Regis and Metro State last weekend at home.
Brinton, a sophomore forward from Pagosa Springs, did her best work in Friday’s 79-61 victory over Regis. She came off the bench to block a career-high six shots while scoring 15 points and pulling in six rebounds against the Rangers.
She kept her roll going the next night in a 78-57 victory over Metro State. Brinton blocked two more shots and pulled in six more rebounds, five of which came on the defensive end. She also was part of a solid effort by FLC’s post defenders in holding Metro’s leading scorer on the season, Amy Nelson, to just five points.
Brinton averaged 4.0 blocks, 6.0 rebounds and 11.0 points on the weekend, connecting on 9-of-11 attempts from the field.
The 6-1 forward also is second in the conference with 29 total blocked shots. Brinton is averaging 10 points and 5.6 rebounds per game so far this season in 15.6 minutes per game and is shooting 66.7 percent from the field.
Chadron State’s Kattie Ranta scored 59 total points in two games last weekend to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Skyhawks (9-6, 6-5 RMAC) will hit the road this weekend, starting Friday in Lakewood against Colorado Christian (7-8, 5-6 RMAC). On Saturday, Fort Lewis will be in Golden to take on Colorado Mines (5-10, 4-7 RMAC).
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
