Fort Lewis College men’s basketball needed a bounce-back win badly, and the Skyhawks delivered with an 80-65 win over Chadron State at home on Thursday.
Losers of four consecutive games, FLC needed a win to stay in the fight for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season crown.
The Skyhawks were hot from 3-point range early, allowing them to pull away early from the Eagles. FLC’s big three on offense, redshirt sophomore guards Stewart Erhart, Jaxon Smith and fifth-year forward Chuol Deng, were efficient, keeping the FLC offense going as they shot a combined 56% from the field.
On defense, the Skyhawks kept Chadron State out of the paint, forcing the Eagles to unsuccessfully fire from beyond the 3-point arc as FLC held a double-digit lead for the entire second half en route to an easy win.
“It means a lot,” FLC head coach Jordan Mast said. “This time of year, you want to be playing your best basketball. The last two weeks showed that we’re not invincible. Maybe we got ahead of ourselves and felt that we didn’t need to work as hard doing the little things. Tonight was great because through adversity, we showed up ready to go.”
FLC improved to 15-9 overall and 13-4 in the RMAC after it shot 45% from the field, 36% from 3-point range and 65% from the free-throw line. The Skyhawks moved a game behind Black Hills State and Colorado Mesa for first in the RMAC.
Erhart lead the Skyhawks with 22 points on 9-12 shooting from the field and 4-6 from 3-point range. Smith added 16 points and Deng contributed 13.
Chadron State dropped to 6-19 overall and 4-13 in the RMAC after it shot 33% from the field, 27% from 3-point range and 94% from the free-throw line. Isaiah Randolph and Luka Djurovic each had 13 points to lead the Eagles.
The Skyhawks got off to a good start with two 3-pointers after good ball movement. FLC led 6-0 after it forced Chadron State into contested outside looks. The Eagles started hitting their open 3-point looks, cutting FLC’s advantage to 9-6 with 15:33 left in the first half. Thirteen of the 14 shots in the game were 3-pointers.
“We talk about taking shots under 10 seconds,” Erhart said. “Once I get the ball under 10 seconds, I know how they’re playing me on the ball screen. For the second 3-pointer, I knew he was going to go under, so I pulled it.”
FLC started having success from inside, and Chadron State couldn’t respond inside the arc. FLC did a good job defending the rim, even against second-chance looks. Deng hit a tough finish, plus the foul, and a fadeaway jumper to put FLC up 17-8 with 13:11 left in the first half.
Offense continued to be the strength of the Skyhawks in the middle of the first half. FLC finished inside when it had mismatches, and continued to be flamethrowers from the outside. The Skyhawks’ defense wasn’t stellar and was bailed out by some poor outside shooting by the Eagles. FLC led 25-11 with 10:15 left in the first.
After some struggles against Chadron State’s zone, FLC got its mojo back on offense after a 3-pointer by redshirt freshman Noah Hellem. Senior forward Massal Diouf hit two free throws and really worked hard for an impressive steal and offensive rebound. Deng hit an open 3-pointer after good ball movement against the zone to reestablish FLC’s lead to 33-19 with 4:30 left.
“They’re going to zone and try and pack it in,” Mast said. “We aren’t one of the best shooting teams in the country, but what I was proud of is we talked about ball movement first … even though we shot a lot (of 3-pointers), they were better ones.”
The Skyhawks finished the first half on a high note. Diouf gobbled up rebounds and set a great screen for a Smith mid-range jumper. FLC did a good job contesting shots without fouling, and an Erhart steal in the backcourt gave FLC a 42-27 lead at the half.
It’s noticeable how much more comfortable the Skyhawks are at home versus on the road. They are much more decisive, composed and consistent at home versus on the road. Mast said it’s easier to lock in at home with friends and family cheering them on, and they need to bring that same intensity on the road.
Both squads had strong offensive starts, with FLC finishing inside and outside the arc with a variety of players. The Skyhawks were a step slow on their rotations, leading to open 3-pointers. The Eagles started the second half 3-4 from downtown to cut FLC’s lead to 50-38 with 15:37 left.
Chadron State cooled off from 3-point range, and FLC did a good job crashing the defensive glass. The Skyhawks weren’t setting any records with their offense, but they were moving the ball well to generate some good looks. FLC had the lead as big as 19, but the Eagles got in the bonus early for some easy points. Two free throws cut FLC’s lead to 63-53 with six minutes to go.
Fouls go both ways, and FLC quickly joined Chadron State in the bonus. The Eagles intentionally fouled senior forward Cassius Carmichael, and he hit both. Carmichael responded with a steal and an old-fashioned 3-point play. Smith then stole the ball, leading to two Diouf free throws and a 74-56 lead with 3:30 left.
FLC plays at home on senior day against South Dakota Mines at 3 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
