Fort Lewis College point guard Joshua Blaylock played 43 minutes and led the Skyhawks with 37 points in Friday’s overtime win. At 2:30 a.m., he was sent to the emergency room with dehydration only to come back and lead FLC again Saturday.
For the second consecutive night, Fort Lewis (19-3, 14-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) trailed by double-digits early in the first half. For the second consecutive night, Blaylock led the Skyhawks back, and Rasmus Bach had a double-double as Fort Lewis rallied to win 80-73 at Black Hills State.
Blaylock’s 22 points led all scorers for the second night in a row, while Bach had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win. The Skyhawks also used a season-high 16-point effort from Kody Salcido, who led a Fort Lewis bench that outscored the home team 34-13.
“This is such a brutal trip, but we’re too proud of a group to be happy with a split,” Fort Lewis head coach Bob Pietrack said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “It’s enormous for us to have won both of these games, especially this one after overtime (Friday night). We’re nowhere close to home and the wear and tear of travel can get to you, but these guys fought through adversity once again and got the job done.”
The Skyhawks used two well-timed second half runs to change the momentum of the game and close out a feisty Black Hills State (9-12, 7-10 RMAC) team that gave the RMAC leaders all they could handle.
The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a slow Fort Lewis start and built a double-digit first half lead just as South Dakota Mines had done in Friday’s game. FLC closed the gap to four at halftime, but Black Hills State opened the second half in sharp form and pushed the lead to eight points. Fort Lewis was 3-for-19 from long range midway through the second half, and a comeback looked unlikely.
That’s when Fort Lewis flipped the switch.
“Hey, this is a 40-minute game,” Pietrack said. “Eventually the shots are going to fall and we’re going to get some stops.”
Blaylock converted on a four-point play, and Will Morse nailed a 3-pointer to close the gap to one. The Skyhawks defense turned up the heat and the stops aided an 18-5 run which gave Fort Lewis its first lead of the game halfway through the second half.
When the home team responded, the Skyhawks threw another run at them. This time, it was the knockout blow.
Jared Smith’s first basket of the night extended the lead to five, and a deep one from Blaylock capped off a 10-2 run that pushed the FLC lead to eight.
Up by six with a minute left, Morse drilled a corner 3-pointer that buried the Yellow Jackets. For the second consecutive night, the RMAC’s best team won when they weren’t at their best.
Morse finished with nine points, and Cade Kloster had 10 in Fort Lewis’ seventh consecutive win.
It was Blaylock, however, who had a weekend to remember. In the two wins, the point guard scored 59 points, led all scorers in both wins and spent 2½ hours in the hospital before heading back to school.
“I don’t think people realize just how good this kid is,” Pietrack said. “He got IV’s all night, took a nap, ate some Subway and played 40 minutes (Saturday). He’s an incredibly tough kid.”
The Skyhawks will be back in Durango for a 7:30 p.m. tip Friday against Western State at Whalen Gymnasium. It will be a special night at Whalen Gymnasium, as Fort Lewis will name its court in longtime head coach Bob Hofman’s honor.
jfries@durangoherald.com
