Fort Lewis College always gives Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball, regularly one of the top teams in the NCAA South Central Region, all it can handle. It hasn’t amounted to a win against the Mavericks since 2017.
The Skyhawks will try to end a five-game losing streak against Colorado Mesa University when the teams meet at 5:30 p.m. Friday inside Whalen Gymnasium on the FLC campus in Durango. Fans will not be permitted because of COVID-19 health guidelines.
Second-year FLC coach Orlando Griego knows it will be another battle after a pair of three-point losses to the Mavericks a season ago.
“We’ve had great practices leading up to this game. The girls are energized and understand the history of the competition between us and Mesa,” Griego said. “I’m excited to see our team play against them.”
The Mavericks have lost more games this season than they are accustomed to during the tenure of head coach Taylor Wagner. Still, Mesa will enter with a strong 9-3 record overall and within the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Mavericks are 2-2 in their last four games, including an ultra-rare 58-50 home loss last Friday against Colorado School of Mines.
Colorado Mesa has gone 4-2 on the road this year with losses at Metropolitan State University-Denver and Black Hills State, a loss it would avenge at home later in the season.
The Mavericks are third in the conference standings, one game behind Mines (9-2, 8-2 RMAC) and two behind conference leader Western Colorado (8-1, 7-1 RMAC). Fort Lewis will enter in eighth place at 4-4 overall thanks to a three-game winning streak since having to forfeit a home game to South Dakota Mines because of COVID-19 issues. That forfeit has S.D. Mines a game in front of the Skyhawks in the standings.
Colorado Mesa boasts the best scoring defense in the RMAC, having held opponents to only 54.9 points per game. That is nine points below what FLC has scored this season and 12 points better than what FLC is giving up.
The Skyhawks will have the best player on the floor in sophomore forward Jordan Vasquez. After she scored only four points and grabbed two rebounds in last week’s win at CSU-Pueblo, her average is down to 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Both numbers still rank third in the conference.
But the Mavericks boast more all-around depth with two of the conference’s top-10 scorers in Kylyn Rigsby (15.2 points per game) and Daniella Turner (15), while Natalie Bartel isn’t far behind with 14 points per game. Meanwhile, Kelsey Siemons has led Mesa with 6.4 rebounds per game to go with 10.1 points per game. Her 17 blocked shots are the most in the conference.
Turner, the team’s star from a year ago who shoots better than 50% from the field, has played only eight games this season and hasn’t played recently. Griego is unsure if she will play Friday.
“We are prepared for her in the event she’s able to return,” he said. “But they are a good team with good players across the board. Rigsby has shot the ball very well as of late. She’s a hard-working player, and everyone around her plays extremely hard. It’s a tough matchup.”
Griego believes scoring will be the key to keeping up with the Mavericks.
Behind Vasquez, FLC has received 10.3 points per game from Bailey Osmer, who had a career-high 17 in the win at CSU-Pueblo last week. She also leads the Skyhawks with 11 steals.
Alison Chanhthala has scored 7.1 points per game while Durango’s own Katrina Chandler, who transferred away from Colorado Mesa before the 2019-20 season, has averaged seven points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. FLC again will rely on the defense of senior guard Sydney Candelaria, a proven stopper who will likely see plenty of time against Rigsby. Candelaria is also rounding back into offensive form after an early-season injury.
“To beat them, we have to be able to score consistently across the board,” Griego said. “To be in position to win, we have to put all four quarters together and make them work hard on offense. Our defense is improving, and it needs to continue to improve.”
After Friday night’s game, FLC will welcome Westminster College (5-2, 5-2 RMAC) for a 4 p.m. Saturday game. The Griffins are another one of the league’s top teams.
“We are excited to be home this weekend with two of the top teams in our league,” Griego said. “We are ready to compete and work hard in our gym. We have to defend home court.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
