The Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team capped a weekend road sweep in style Saturday, closing on a 14-3 run to secure a 67-59 victory against Westminster College in an empty Behnken Field House in Salt Lake City.
The win marked back-to-back nights the Skyhawks (11-6 overall, 7-4 RMAC) completed second-half comebacks, accomplishing the feat less than 24 hours earlier by erasing a 10-point deficit Friday in an 83-77 victory against rival Colorado Mesa.
“This road trip, since Westminster and Colorado Mesa have been travel partners, is one of the toughest trips in the conference. I think only two teams have ever swept the trip, and we’re very grateful to sweep the road trip,” said FLC head men’s basketball coach Bob Pietrack. “Our defense kept us in the game the whole night until our offense could shut the door. I’m just so proud of our group for being able to come from behind on back-to-back nights and get these wins.”
The early storyline for the Skyhawks was senior forward Riley Farris, who entered the ballgame just two points shy of breaking the all-time scoring record (1,861 points) previously held by FLC Hall of Famer DeAndre Lansdowne.
At the 10:06 mark of the first half, Farris took an entry pass from fellow senior Corey Seng and muscled through a double-team for two of his 13 points on the night and 1,873 points of his career to date. The FLC bench erupted, providing an atmosphere largely absent Saturday as fans were unable to attend the games at Behnken Field House because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
But in a seven-year career that has seen Farris navigate injuries, redshirt years, two seasons affected by the pandemic and countless opposing double teams; Saturday's acoustic performance, in a game FLC desperately needed, was a poetic way for the introverted kid from Hutto, Texas to reach the milestone.
“That’s an incredible record that shows his commitment to Fort Lewis College because there are many times, with players of his caliber, that they could have left. For him to stay loyal to everybody and our program; he knows how we feel about him,” Pietrack said of Farris. “If there is a Mount Rushmore for Fort Lewis College basketball, it’s hard not having the all-time leading scorer on it, and I think Farris etched himself onto the mountain tonight.”
Despite the offensive record, offense was tough to come by Saturday for the Skyhawks as they headed into the half down 29-24 and shooting just 36% (10-of-28) as a team. The FLC defense stiffened to help stem the tide, limiting the Griffins (8-12 overall, 6-8 RMAC) to 32% shooting (9-of-28) in the first half to keep the game in reach.
The Skyhawks were able to get the offense back on track over the final 20 minutes, shooting a blistering 56% (15-of-27) in the second half, paced by redshirt junior forward Brenden Boatwright, who finished a spotless 7 for 7 from the field and scored nine of his 15 points in the second half.
“We were just out of whack, offensively, in the first half. And a big part of that is Westminster is one of the best defensive teams in the RMAC,” Pietrack said. “Boatwright is an All-RMAC player, and (Saturday) we needed him desperately when the offense wasn't clicking. He was big for us.”
Down 56-53 at the final media timeout, the Skyhawks made their final push, outscoring the Griffins 14-3 over the final 3:58, sparked by a Boatwright layup at the 3:46 mark.
With 2:27 remaining, it was Seng’s turn to make the crucial plays as he converted a 3-point opportunity for three of his nine points, giving FLC the lead for good at 59-56. The next trip down the floor, Seng took a charge to give the Skyhawks the ball back at the 2:06 mark.
FLC sophomore guard Akuel Kot, who tied Boatwright for the team high with 15 points, splashed home four free throws in final 100 seconds, while Farris drilled a straightaway 3-pointer with 35 ticks remaining that effectively put a bow on the 67-59 final.
“We practice four-minute games all the time because of the way media timeouts go. We just kept preaching to the guys, ‘It's a four-minute game now,” Pietrack said of his message during the final timeout. “Our seniors and players who have been in this program for a few years now really stepped up and made winning plays down the stretch. They knew what the road trip meant and what road wins mean for us moving forward.”
Senior guard Dunnell Stafford added eight points and four rebounds, while fellow senior JacQuess Hobbs tallied five points, three assists and grabbed a career-high six steals.
The Skyhawks will look to build off the momentum when they return home for matchups against New Mexico Highlands Friday and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Saturday.
“This weekend slingshots us back into the mix. After a disappointing home loss last Saturday to Adams State, we knew our backs were against the wall a little bit, and we had to play well this weekend,” Pietrack said. “This group is a bunch of fighters and really fun to coach, so I’m not surprised by our response. We’ve faced some adversity in January, with some injuries and COVID-19 postponements, but I think we're all back and ready to go now.”
| Name | Career | Points | Games | Points (average) |
| 1. Riley Farris | (2016-current) | 1,873 | 125 | 15.0 |
| 2. DeAndre Lansdowne | (2007-2011) | 1,861 | 123 | 15.1 |
| 3. Rasmus Bach | (2013-2018) | 1,841 | 127 | 14.5 |
