The Skyhawks needed something to stabilize them after three consecutive road losses.
Balanced scoring did just that in a 75-60 victory for the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team against the Colorado School of Mines on Saturday in Golden.
Christie Groh led four Skyhawks in double figures with 17 points and also had nine rebounds. Erika Richards followed Groh with 16 points, while Ashley Kuchar scored 14 and Kaile Magazzeni 12.
“(The balance) was huge. Mines is a really good defensive team,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “They force you to play a certain way.”
Neither team gained a decisive scoring advantage until FLC (10-7, 7-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) turned a one-point deficit into a seven-point lead with an 8-0 run midway through the second half.
The Skyhawks extended their lead to double digits with 9 minutes, 16 seconds remaining on a Magazzeni layup and only let their advantage slip to single digits once for the rest of the game.
“I credit our players for just locking in on what we needed to do,” Flores said. “Sometimes it’s an easy game if you play really well.”
FLC held Colorado Mines (6-11, 5-8 RMAC) to 38-percent shooting from the field and 1-of-12 from behind the 3-point line, while shooting 43 percent itself and making six 3s.
The Skyhawks also outrebounded the Orediggers 30-23 and made 23-of-25 shots from the free throw line.
FLC rebounded from a tough 66-65 loss to Colorado Christian on Friday and now will play at home for the next two weeks.
FLC next will host Adams State at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Whalen Gym.
“It’s a great bounce back for us. I credit our players for having the resolve to come back after a tough loss,” Flores said. “We have a chance to try to make some waves. We have to take care of our home court.”
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