On an emotional senior night at Whalen Gymnasium, the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team didn’t play its best game, but the five FLC seniors still walked off Bob Hofman Court as winners.
In the final home game for seniors Kate Bayes, Mary Rambo, Simone Ruedin, Kylie Santos and Michelle Turner, it was the underclassmen who wouldn’t allow their leaders to leave in disappointing fashion, as FLC grinded out a 75-62 win against Adams State.
Astrea Reed led the Skyhawks with 20 points and Dallas Dickerson added 14. Freshman Alyssa Yocky was big again for FLC with 12 points. Santos led the seniors with 12 points, including a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left that sealed the deal for the Skyhawks.
“It was a bit closer than we would have liked, but we got the job done,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “The younger girls played their hearts out for the seniors. They weren’t going to let these girls go out as losers.”
The Skyhawks never trailed in the game, but the last-place Grizzlies weren’t about to lie down for their rivals in the last game of the season.
Adams State trailed by seven heading into the final quarter and got to within five, but the FLC underclassmen refused to let their senior leaders down.
Reed’s mid-range jumper followed by Dickerson’s fourth 3-pointer of the night extended the Skyhawks’ lead back to 10 with 2 minutes remaining. Back-to-back baskets by Yocky, a freshman, put the outcome out of reach.
For good measure, Santos’ third 3-pointer of the evening, her last shot at Whalen Gymnasium, was the dagger.
“We put in a lot of hard work over the years, and it was nice to get the appreciation we received (Friday),” Santos said. “There was a lot of excitement for us, and I’m just glad we came out with a win.”
Four of the seniors got on the board in the first half, but Reed’s 12 first-half points led the attack for the Skyhawks. Santos also was sharp early, as her two first quarter 3-pointers paced an 8-0 run which helped the Skyhawks build a 43-29 advantage at halftime.
Adams State did its best in the second half to spoil the special night.
The Grizzlies (3-22, 2-20 RMAC) quickly cut into the halftime deficit with an early third quarter 7-0 run that trimmed in half what was at one time a 16-point Skyhawks’ lead.
Fort Lewis responded with five consecutive points to pump the lead back to double digits, but the Grizzlies kept coming.
They got to within five again, but that’s when Reed, Dickerson and Yocky put it away with a late run that finally put away the Grizzlies.
The group had one last memory, however, as the fifth senior of the night checked in, and it was a special moment.
Rambo, who has been out for the last month and won’t play again after suffering from concussion-like symptoms, came in the game in the last minute and received a proper farewell from the hometown faithful.
“It was a huge win for us, and I’m very appreciative of everyone’s effort to get me in there,” Rambo said. “To be able to get in there one more time and say goodbye to the fans here was special for me.”
The Skyhawks will play at Colorado Mines on Tuesday in the opening round of the RMAC Shootout. The Orediggers squeaked out a 65-63 win in the last meeting.
jfries@durangoherald.com
