Regis and Fort Lewis College engaged in an epic women’s basketball clash Saturday in Denver. It all came down to the last shot.
After the visiting FLC Skyhawks forced a Regis turnover with seven seconds to play down 55-52, FLC would get a chance at a game-tying shot to try to force a third consecutive overtime game. But the final 3-point heave from junior guard Sydney Candelaria, who had a brilliant fourth quarter and entered the day with two game-winning shots to her name already this season, was too strong off the backboard. That gave Regis the 55-52 home win.
“It’s so hard. In my opinion, the worst loss is when you lose by one possession,” FLC head coach Orlando Griego said. “You can just look back and say, ‘Gosh, we could have done this better, or as a coach, I could have done this better.’ The girls played really well on the road the last two games, were in the games and fighting. I’m proud of them even though they end up losses.”
FLC fell to 15-7 overall and 11-6 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The loss also dropped the Skyhawks to 2-6 on the road this season. But it wasn’t without a valiant effort on short rest for a 3 p.m. start in Denver one night after FLC dropped a tight game in overtime at Colorado Christian.
Candelaria scored 11 of her team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter, and she added a team-high 11 rebounds. The left-handed junior from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque had her second consecutive double-double and willed FLC back from a 51-43 deficit after a 10-0 Regis run early in the fourth quarter, as she scored six points to get FLC within 53-52.
On top of her offensive play, she has consistently been one of the best on-ball defenders in the RMAC this season.
“She’s playing excellent,” Griego said. “She’s out here rebounding the ball, scoring the ball, stealing it and playing on their best offensive player. She’s doing it all.”
But Candelaria’s layup with 2:08 to play would be FLC’s final field goal of the game. Regis’ Grace O’Neill would make a jump shot to give the Rangers a 55-52 lead with 1:48 to play, and neither team would score the rest of the game.
FLC’s Chloe Warrington would get a chance at a game-tying 3 with 10 seconds to play, but tough perimeter defense from Regis forced a tough shot that would bank off the glass too strong. Warrington felt she was fouled on the shot, and the announcer for the host Rangers agreed with the FLC shooter.
“Theres no question. The ref and Chloe were both right in front of us. We set an on-ball screen, and their post came out and challenged her shot,” Griego said. “She hit her hand. We saw it. I disputed that with the ref during the official timeout they called, and he told me there was not enough contact to affect her shot. It’s a judgment call, and we certainly won’t blame a loss on that or the final play. There are so many things we could have done a bit better to have a chance to win that game.”
Regis would get the ball out of bounds with eight seconds to play. After a couple of FLC fouls in a game with very few whistles, the Rangers would throw the ball away out of bounds for a second time in the final 20 seconds to give FLC another chance, but Candelaria’s final heave was off the mark.
Scoring was tough to come by, especially inside, in a physical game. FLC junior forward Jordan Carter had 12 points and five rebounds, with eight points in the first half. She was huge in the second quarter when Regis nearly opened up a big lead before FLC closed to tie the game at 28-28 on a Katrina Chandler layup just before the halftime buzzer.
FLC had only the two women in double-digit scoring. Kayla Herrera-Flores added eight points and four steals. She had six of her points in the first half. FLC freshman forward Jordan Vasquez was limited to six points and four rebounds. She was 3-of-9 shooting.
Morgan Smith scored a game-high 15 points for Regis. All of her shots were 3-point attempts, where she went 5-of-10. Whitney Jacob added 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Rangers, while O’Neill finished with 11 points.
FLC is now outside the top four in the RMAC standings with five games to play. The Skyhawks would love to get back into the top four and earn a home game in the first round of the conference tournament. Three of the final five games are on the road, with two against nationally-ranked opponents, including Friday’s game at Westminster College in Salt Lake City before a Saturday trip to Dixie State University in St. George, Utah.
“It’s another tough road trip. We are in the thick of our season as far as competition,” Griego said. “The biggest thing is for us to regroup, stay together, stay positive and learn. We have to do a better job winning on the road. That’s the biggest thing. If we’re going to make the RMAC tournament, you gotta be able to win on the road.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
