There were audible cheers and gasps from the Skyhawks faithful, as the Fort Lewis men’s and women’s basketball teams showed off their skills during Skyhawks Madness Wednesday night at Whalen Gymnasium.
Hundreds of fans showed up to see numerous skills competitions like the 3-point contest and the dunk contest. Fans got in on some of the action taking part in musical chairs and a shooting contest. The Skyhawks spirit squad also gave the crowd a great performance.
“Skyhawks Madness always serves as a great start to the season,” Fort Lewis athletic director Travis Whipple said. “It's a fun way to get to know the teams as we get set for another outstanding season ahead. There is tremendous energy and excitement around both basketball programs and FLC athletics as a whole right now.”
Both teams were introduced to the crowd to start the night.
Both women’s coach Taylor Harris and men’s coach Bob Pietrack spoke to the crowd, thanking them for the support and encouraging even more fan turnout after the men’s team No. 5 ranking for attendance in all of Division II, and with the women being ranked highly in the RMAC.
Then, the 3-point contest ensued. Eight teams made up of men’s players and one women’s player. They had one minute to make as many 3-pointers from the top of the key as possible, with each player on the team getting 30 seconds.
Women’s guard Sadie Misner and men’s guard Tristan Hurdle won the 3-point contest with 11 3-pointers. It was not a surprising result, as Misner shot 40% from downtown for Fort Lewis last season and Hurdle made six 3-pointers in a game in his last season at CSU Pueblo.
For the finale, one man stood out in the dunk contest. Junior Brayden Carter, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Regis University, got two perfect scores of 50 from the student judges to win.
In the second round, Carter showed off his hops by jumping over his 6-foot-6 teammate Isiah Thompson, flushing it home with one hand.
The women’s team will play its first exhibition game on Sunday at Utah State. The men’s team will play its first exhibition game on Nov. 4 against Haskell Indian Nations University at the Sun Ute Community Center in Ignacio.
Visit durangoherald.com this weekend for in-depth previews on both the men’s and women’s teams.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
