After being hit by a high rate of turnover, the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team is a relative unknown heading into the 2016-17 season.
The Skyhawks lost five seniors from last year’s team that went 19-11 overall and 13-9 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. That team became the first in RMAC history to upset a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament as the eighth seed. FLC also lost the services of four underclassmen from last year’s roster for various reasons.
FLC head coach Jason Flores reloaded on talent, but inexperience could be a factor early in a conference that boasts many elite players who have led their respective teams for years.
Because of the uncertainty, the Skyhawks were picked eighth in the RMAC Preseason Poll conducted by the coaches and released Tuesday.
“A lot of our players are unknown to people,” Flores said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “That’s alright. We know them, and that’s all that matters.”
Colorado State University-Pueblo, last year’s RMAC Tournament champions, were a heavy favorite to finish first in the RMAC with 188 total points and eight first-place votes. Colorado Mines, last year’s regular-season champion who lost to FLC in the tournament opener, was picked second with 166 points and four first-place votes. UC-Colorado Springs earned three first-place votes and 162 points to take third in the poll. The Mountain Lions feature the RMAC Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year in Brittany Hernandez, a senior center who won two All-America awards a year ago.
“Pueblo has the majority of their scorers back with a lot of experience,” Flores said. “They should be picked first, but, gosh, I had a really hard time picking one through eight. Even all the way through 10, 11 and 12. Every team is going to be fighting hard, and every team that makes the tournament this year is going to be very good.”
FLC senior guard Astrea Reed was named to the Preseason All-RMAC team. In her first year with FLC after transferring from Grand Canyon University, she was named to the All-RMAC second team. She led the Skyhawks with 13.7 points per game.
“I’m expecting a lot out of her this year,” Flores said of Reed, who is one of only two seniors on this year’s squad along with Ande Lampert. “We’re gonna need her a lot at the beginning with her experience and leadership. Behind her, we will be pretty darn well rounded.”
FLC will open its season with an exhibition Nov. 1 at Division I New Mexico before facing Texas-Permian Basin in the regular season opener Nov. 11 in Portales, New Mexico.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
