The gift-giving process started early this holiday season for Fort Lewis College star guard Joshua Blaylock.
After leading the No. 18 Skyhawks men’s basketball team to another unbeaten week, the senior was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week.
“Josh might have been voted as the player of the week this week, but he’s deserving almost every week,” Fort Lewis head coach Bob Pietrack said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “He was outstanding this week for us, just as he has been ever since he got to Fort Lewis College. He’s a special player and this is probably just one of many awards he’ll have by the end of the season.”
Blaylock was nearly unstoppable Tuesday at Adams State, scoring 21 of his 26 points in the second half as FLC held off the Grizzlies 95-91.
In Saturday’s 90-83 win against Westminster, the RMAC Preseason Player of the Year led the way again with 25 points and shot a perfect 14-for-14 from the foul line to put the game away.
In the two games, Blaylock was 15-for-15 in free throw attempts, shot 67 percent from the floor and made 8-of-12 shots from beyond the 3-point line.
Fort Lewis will get a much-needed rest over the holiday break, and that means trouble for opponents. Though they haven’t been 100 percent healthy all season, the Skyhawks (11-1, 6-0 RMAC) have run off 11 consecutive wins to go along with 21 in a row against RMAC opponents heading into the holiday break.
Blaylock’s honor marks the sixth Offensive or Defensive Player of the Week award in six weeks for a Skyhawks player. Brandon Wilson has earned two on the defensive end and Rasmus Bach has earned three, two offensively and one on defense.
Blaylock and company will be back in action Dec. 30 at Chadron State before heading to Regis on New Year’s Eve.
jfries@durangoherald.com
