Clinching a conference championship and watching two teams ahead of them lose games still didn’t help the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team climb the regional rankings this week.
Still, the No. 8 ranked Skyhawks sit comfortable at No. 3 in the second of three NCAA Division II South Central region polls.
Fort Lewis clinched the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season championship last weekend with road wins at New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico. The Skyhawks (23-3, 18-3 RMAC) have earned the right to host the RMAC Shootout tournament.
Midwestern State leapfrogged the Skyhawks from No. 4 to No. 1 in this week’s rankings. A home win against Angelo State propelled the Mustangs to the top spot and bumped Angelo State from No. 1 to No. 2 in this week’s rankings.
Falling below Fort Lewis was Dallas Baptist, which fell from No. 2 all the way to No. 6 after a one-point road loss to unranked Texas A&M International.
Midwestern State’s leap and Angelo State’s selection as No. 2 reflects the voters’ value in the Lone Star Conference.
The only other RMAC team in the regional rankings is Colorado Mines. The Orediggers maintained their position at No. 5.
The top eight teams in the regional rankings will be selected for the NCAA Division II regional tournament. The top team will host the regional games.
Teams from outside the top eight can shake up the tournament picture by winning their respective conference tournament to earn an automatic qualifying spot.
FLC has one game left in the regular season, a 7:30 p.m. contest Friday against rival Adams State. The Grizzlies are one of three teams to beat the Skyhawks this season. FLC is planning a “white-out” for senior night. Fans are asked to wear white, and the first 800 fans to the game will receive a white shirt.
Led by interim head coach Bob Pietrack, the Skyhawks have scored 83.7 points per game while holding opponents to 71.2 percent. The Skyhawks boast a perfect 13-0 home record this season and are 2-0 on neutral courts.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
