Tori Fisher’s record-setting night doomed the Skyhawks.
Fisher hauled in 23 rebounds to set a UC-Colorado Springs single-game record, and rebounding was the key in the Mountain Lions’ 75-71 win against the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team.
The FLC loss snapped a seven game winning streak and ended a four-game road trip.
“Tough end to the trip,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “We got killed on the boards. That’s something we have to fight harder on, because it was really the difference in the game.”
FLC was outrebounded 52-37, as Fisher had nearly 20 rebounds in the first half alone. She also finished with a game-high 23 points.
“Give her credit, she’s a good player and worked really hard,” Flores said. “She was more aggressive than we were.”
Brittany Hernandez scored 22 points and had seven rebounds for the Mountain Lions (11-4, 8-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) to keep UCCS within one game of CSU-Pueblo for first place in the RMAC. The No. 9 ThunderWolves (15-0, 9-0 RMAC) found a way to win in overtime Saturday at Black Hills State.
FLC (12-3, 7-3 RMAC) led by as much as 19-10 in the first quarter before taking a 21-17 lead into the second. The game was tied at 36 at halftime, but the Mountain Lions claimed a 56-50 lead going to the fourth quarter.
The Skyhawks wouldn’t quit as Alyssa Yocky and Kaitlyn Romero came up with several big plays, but the rebounding difference was too much to overcome in such a close game otherwise.
Yocky led FLC with 19 points and eight rebounds. Briana Clah added 15 points, but she wasn’t her usual self with a 4-of-16 shooting performance from the field.
“We were battling,” Flores said. “We needed all hands on deck. Briana was a little out of sorts, but we’ll all bounce back. It’s not the end of the world.”
Shelby Patterson had a strong game for FLC with 13 points, four assists and three rebounds. Romero also had 10 points.
Defensively, the Skyhawks did generate 12 steals to force 17 turnovers.
FLC will now return home for four games and will play eight of its final 12 at home.
“This is a marathon,” Flores said of the RMAC schedule. “We’ve been on the road more than any team in the conference, and now it will turn for us, and we have to take advantage. It’s time to lock in and not lose sight because we have 12 games to go.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
