Fort Lewis College men’s basketball coach Jordan Mast has preached to his team that if they play their aggressive style on offense and defense, the other team will wear down, and Saturday’s home win against Adams State was an example of that.
Adams State and FLC traded blows like welterweight boxers for the first 30 minutes. Adams State was lights out from 3-point range, hitting 17 3-pointers, while FLC did its damage in the paint.
FLC’s fast pace on offense and constant trapping and pressing on defense wore down the Grizzlies in the last 10 minutes. After FLC was down eight early in the second half, it led by as many as 12 points late after Adams State struggled to defend FLC and couldn’t finish inside. FLC took the 94-85 win and remains unbeaten in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
“Our effort was there,” Mast said. “We preach effort; we can’t play our style if our effort’s not there. Even in the first half, they hit some threes … but we preached that we need to have that same effort the whole time and trust what we’re doing. We did it for 40 minutes.”
The Skyhawks improved to 5-4 overall and 4-0 in the RMAC after they shot 46% from the field, 29% from 3-point range and 69% from the free-throw line. FLC scored 54 points in the second half; the Skyhawks are averaging 58.5 points in their last two second halves.
Redshirt sophomore guard Stewart Erhart led the Skyhawks with 21 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, 3-5 from 3-point range, 2-3 from the free-throw line, five rebounds and a team-high six steals. Fifth-year forward Chuol Deng added 18 points on 7-15 shooting from the field, 1-6 from 3-point range, 3-3 from the free-throw line and a team-high 10 rebounds.
“You're seeing him evolve from just a great defender that we needed him to be last year to now a guy that defends, and you can put the ball in his hands,” Mast said about Erhart. “He makes baskets. He’s somebody we need to score, and we like him in that role.”
Adams State dropped to 6-5 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC after it shot 38% from the field, 41% from 3-point range and 86% from the free-throw line. Wyatt Helming led the Grizzlies with 26 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, 6-9 from 3-point range, 4-4 from the free-throw line and 10 rebounds.
It was a familiar sight for Skyhawks fans, with FLC down early in the game. Adams State found its 3-point shooting stroke, was 3-7 from downtown and led 13-9 with 14:50 left in the first. On the other hand, FLC was 0-5 from 3-point range during this stretch.
Mast knows his team has had some slow starts, but he’s not concerned about it. He knows his team’s aggressive style can delay his team’s offensive flow until later in the game.
After its slow start, FLC came back. The Skyhawks’ pressure and trapping forced some poor passes from the Grizzlies, resulting in transition opportunities for FLC. The Skyhawks also found some success from behind the arc. Junior guard Donald Bangham Jr. hit a 3-pointer, and Erhart had a highlight play with an ankle-breaking step back into a 3-pointer. FLC led 19-16 with 11:45 left.
FLC had the lead for the next five minutes, but its offense slowed down, the Skyhawks gave up offensive rebounds and open 3-pointers. A corner 3-pointer by Jayce King gave Adams State a 29-23 lead with 5:45 left.
Injuries have plagued the Skyhawks since the preseason, so it must’ve been nice for FLC fans to see freshman forward Garrett Barger enter the game late in the first half for the first time this season. Barger had been out with a broken collarbone. At 6-foot-9-inches, Mast is excited to see Barger use his size and finishing ability.
The Skyhawks got back into the game by being aggressive with their drives and baskets inside the paint. This also allowed FLC to get into the double bonus and to the free-throw line. Adams State continued to hit from the outside and led 41-40 at the half.
In the first half, Adams State was 10/23 from 3-point range and 2/14 from inside the arc.
“Our key was to keep them out of the paint,” Mast said. “They were going to have to make a ton of threes to beat us, and they did, but they didn't make enough … Our recipe is that we want to own the paint, and we did that tonight.”
FLC’s defensive struggles from the 3-point line continued, and Adams State made two 3-pointers in the first three minutes to build a 53-45 lead. However, FLC fought back with its defense. Erhart and redshirt sophomore guard Jaxon Smith had steals and scores, Smith made a transition 3-pointer, and the Skyhawks led 56-53 with 15:33 after an 11-0 run in less than two minutes.
It all came together in the middle of the second half for FLC. The defensive rotations were crisp with the whole team on the same page. FLC made smart decisions with the ball, running great sets for high-quality looks inside. The Skyhawks took their open 3-pointers and made them, with Smith making an open 3-pointer to put FLC up 78-66 with 6:49 left.
“In the first half, we forced 16 turnovers, but we only had 13 points,” Mast said. “You want to be above a point a possession off a turnover. In the second half, we scored on those turnovers, and that was the difference.”
Like a great title fight in boxing, Adams State had one last counter punch with an 8-0 run, mostly off FLC’s turnovers. But FLC steadied the ship by breaking Adams State’s press and getting the defensive rebounds from a tired Grizzlies squad.
FLC hits the road to play some more stellar nonconference opponents. The Skyhawks play No. 14 St. Edward’s University on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and No. 7 St. Mary’s University on Wednesday at 10 a.m., with both games part of the River City Holiday Classic in San Antonio, Texas.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
