A 10-point deficit in the first quarter was the difference that ended Fort Lewis College’s season on Tuesday night as the Skyhawks lost to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 75-65, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals.
The Skyhawks had a poor shooting first quarter, couldn’t get into a rhythm, and fell behind by double-digits less than seven minutes into the game. FLC then showed the hustle and fight that has led to its turnaround season, coming back to cut the deficit to one point in the third quarter and two points in the fourth.
However, the No. 7 seed Skyhawks’ late fouls, plus poor shooting in the fourth quarter, allowed the No. 2 seed Mountain Lions to pull away to advance in the conference tournament, ending FLC’s season.
“We didn't settle in quick enough,” FLC head coach Lauren Zuniga said. “Having 19 turnovers doesn't help; missing free throws doesn't help. Once you start out slow, you have to make sure you have stops and all the little things to come back out on top. We just were never quite able to get over that hump to take a lead.”
FLC finished the season 18-11 overall after it shot 41% from the field, 29% from 3-point range and 63% from the free-throw line. The Skyhawks’ 18 wins are the most since the 2017-2018 season, which was also the last time FLC made the conference tournament.
Junior guard Natalie Guanella led the Skyhawks with 19 points on 6-13 shooting from the field, 2-3 from 3-point range, 5-8 from the free-throw line and six rebounds. Sophomore guards Katie Lamb and Claudia Palacio Gámez each added 10 points. Zuniga credited Guanella with her consistency in practice, off the court and in the work she put in on her own.
UCCS improved to 20-9 overall after it shot 49% from the field, 33% from 3-point range and 82% from the free-throw line. Amyah Moore-Allen, a Division I talent who’s one of the top players in the RMAC, led the Mountain Lions with 21 points on 6-14 shooting from the field, 0-2 from 3-point range and 9-12 from the free-throw line and seven rebounds.
“It was not good enough,” Zuniga said about her team’s defense against Moore-Allen. “We talked about it. She’s really good in transition; she’s really good at getting to the free-throw line. I don’t think we guarded her off the bounce very well. The proof is in the stats, right? She shot 12 free throws. Some of those calls were questionable, but we messed up a few times on her.”
The Skyhawks’ only lead was 2-0, then UCCS took control with a 16-5 lead with 3:21 left in the first quarter. The Mountain Lions led 21-11 after the first quarter. FLC shot 29% from the field and 0-5 from downtown in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, FLC showed fight. After going down by 14 early in the second, the Skyhawks went 4-6 from 3-point range to cut the lead to 36-33 after a Guanella bucket with 33 seconds left. UCCS led 37-33 at the half.
“We did a good job defensively, took away some of their transition stuff, made them play in the half court and then rebounded really hard,” Zuniga said. “Offensively, we settled in ... Everybody touches the ball. We worked the ball left to right ... In the first quarter, we were playing into their hands, and then the second and third, when we went on the run, we were more so playing our game.”
FLC hung around in the third quarter, keeping the margin less than seven points, and UCCS led 56-52 going into the fourth.
A layup by junior Makaya Porter cut UCCS’ lead to 58-56 with 8:30 left. After that, the Mountain Lions pulled away late thanks to some FLC turnovers and fouls. UCCS scored its last eight points from the free-throw line, and FLC finished the fourth quarter 0-5 from 3-point range.
Despite the tough loss, there are a lot of reasons for optimism for the Skyhawk program. That couldn’t be said last season after a 5-22 record against Division II teams.
Zuniga did a much better job recruiting in Year 2, and the Skyhawks only had two seniors in their rotation, Laisha Aremendariz and Ashten Martinez, who combined to average 4.6 points per game.
As long as no one hits the transfer portal, the Skyhawks could have a team good enough to host an RMAC tournament game in Zuniga’s third year and win a conference tournament game for the first time since 2016.
Katie Lamb, the team’s best shooter and scorer, will be a junior after averaging 11.8 PPG. So will her back-court mate, Gámez, who had a lot of strong moments in her first year as the team’s point guard. Natalie Guanella will be a senior after a stellar finish to her junior campaign, where she finished the season with five consecutive double-digit scoring games. Makaya Porter will be a senior after tying for top scorer, 11.8 PPG, and leading the team in blocks and finishing second in steals.
Deniece Ryan can also return after sitting out most of this year with an injury. She was All-RMAC Honorable Mention in 2024-2025. Sarah Chick will also be a senior after providing valuable depth at the forward position.
Young players can also return after promising freshmen seasons. Josie Davis immediately impacted the game from the guard spot with her efficiency and all-around play. Alemaualii Fonoti provided a great presence inside with her strength and motor. Savanna Dotray provided great versatility with her length at the forward position.
“I’m really excited,” Zuniga said. “Obviously, we wanted to honor our amazing seniors in the locker room. We’re sad, take the loss in, but also let it keep you hungry. This was a perfect year. It’s all about momentum.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
