It hasn’t been pretty, but Fort Lewis College men’s basketball is 2-0 after its 85-82 victory over Western New Mexico on Saturday.
The Skyhawks’ victory over the Mustangs was FLC’s second consecutive comeback victory to begin the season. FLC’s first win against Eastern New Mexico was more impressive considering Western New Mexico finished 4-23 overall last season.
FLC was down by as many as eight points in the second half before staging its comeback. Fifth-year forward Chuol Deng hit a 3-pointer to retake the lead for FLC, 70-68, with 6:07 left.
After that, it was a back-and-forth affair with multiple ties and lead changes. With the game tied at 80 with 1:03 left, the Skyhawks scored their final five points of the game from the free-throw line and escaped New Mexico with a victory.
FLC finished the game shooting 46% from the field, 46% from 3-point range and 64% from the free-throw line.
Junior guard Yorgio Golesis led the Skyhawks with a terrific all-around game in his second game for FLC. He finished with a team-high 23 points on 7-9 shooting from the field and 9-10 from the free-throw line. Golesis also finished with six rebounds and six assists. Deng added 18 points on 6-17 shooting from the field, 2-5 from 3-point range and 4-7 from the free-throw line along with 10 rebounds. Junior guard Donald Bangham Jr. made his start for FLC and finished with 16 points on 5-9 shooting from the field, 2-2 from 3-point range and 4-8 from the free-throw line.
Bangham made his first start of the year with redshirt sophomore Stewart Erhart out with an MCL injury. Erhart played 11 minutes in the opener against Eastern New Mexico.
Western New Mexico dropped to 1-1 overall after it shot 47% from the field, 41% from 3-point range and 70% from the free-throw line. Carson Kelly led the Mustangs with 21 points on 5-15 shooting from the field, 4-10 from 3-point range and 7-8 from the free-throw line.
The Mustangs were handled on the boards by FLC 45-29, but finished with 12 3-pointers, compared to only six for FLC.
FLC and Western New Mexico will face off again, this time in Durango, on Friday at 7 p.m. as part of the Skyhawks Hardwood Classic.
The FLC football team finished its season at home on Saturday with a 55-21 loss to Colorado School of Mines.
Despite putting up 21 points, FLC couldn’t stop Colorado School of Mines’ balanced offensive attack, giving up 601 yards to the Orediggers and at least 13 points in every quarter of Saturday’s matchup.
FLC finished its regular season at 2-9 overall and 1-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after the loss.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Jones led the Skyhawks’ passing attack, completing 7/13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jacob Morris also saw time for the Skyhawks and finished 9/18 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown. Jones also led FLC with eight carries for 38 yards. Junior wide receiver Zachary Gaumont led FLC with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Colorado School of Mines finished its season 7-4 overall and 5-4 in the RMAC after the win. Quarterback Joseph Capra finished 21/29 passing for 210 yards and four touchdowns.
FLC finished with five more passing yards, but the Orediggers dominated on the ground with 335 yards. Running back Josh Snyder had 12 carries for 183 yards and two touchdowns to lead Colorado School of Mines. Pierce Richards led the Orediggers with nine receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Colorado School of Mines only led 14-7 after the first quarter, but expanded its lead to 27-7 at the half and kept that advantage at 41-21 after three quarters. All of FLC’s touchdowns were at least 40 yards, while the Orediggers had a mix of long drives that ended in short scores and drives that ended in long scores.
The Skyhawks’ 2025 season was somewhat disappointing after finishing 2024 with three wins and the program returning a lot of its key players. But the quarterback position turned from a preseason strength to a question when redshirt sophomore quarterback Stone Walker left the first quarter of the opening game with a leg injury. Walker was limited to two games, and the offense struggled at times without him.
FLC should have the pieces to take a step forward next season. Walker should return from his injuries at quarterback; the team’s top three running backs (KB Broadus, Jamal Johnson, Orlando Guevara) should return along with Gaumont at wide receiver. On defense, leading tackler Jake Penney should return.
The question isn’t about the potential continuity; it’s about whether all of these players under head coach Johnny Cox can turn into a winning football team. With a record of 5-38 as FLC’s head coach, Cox has to show his process turns into winning progress.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
