The Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team did something Tuesday night that had only ever been done once before.
As the No. 8 and final seed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout tournament, the Skyhawks traveled to Golden to face top-seed and 25th-ranked Colorado Mines in the opening round of postseason play.
An eight-seed had only ever beaten the women’s regular-season RMAC champions once in RMAC Shootout history, and it hadn’t been done since 2006. But, behind a combined 45 points from Kate Bayes and Astrea Reed, the Skyhawks knocked off Colorado Mines 79-63.
It was the third meeting between the two teams this year, with the Orediggers winning the previous two matchups by a combined three points.
“The two games we dropped to Mines, we were mad,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We wanted this rematch. One versus eight, it didn’t matter. We were ready for this rematch and got the job done.”
FLC (has won 10 of its last 13 games down the stretch, and Flores feels like his group has proven to be one of the top teams in the league, especially after making the final four of the conference tournament.
The Skyhawks (18-10) didn’t record the only upset of the night. No. 6 Colorado Christian also knocked off No. 3 Black Hills State. No. 7 Colorado Mesa also pushed No. 2 CSU-Pueblo into overtime before falling 65-60. CSU-Pueblo will now host the final four of the tournament Friday and Saturday.
“Anybody could win this tournament,” Flores said. “We’re excited to be in the final four, and it’s where we felt like we should be. To get there is rewarding.”
FLC was playing for its life Tuesday night, and it showed early. The Skyhawks raced out to an 11-3 lead, but the Orediggers made a few big 3-pointers down the stretch of the first quarter to claim a 25-23 lead.
Bayes got hot in the second quarter with three 3s, and the Skyhawks built a 39-33 halftime advantage.
The Orediggers (21-6) mounted a 10-0 run to start the second half, but the Skyhawks kept battling back. A big 3-pointer in the corner by Kylie Santos before time expired in the third quarter gave FLC all the momentum and deflated the Orediggers. Alyssa Yocky and Bayes made two more 3s early in the fourth quarter, and the Skyhawks never looked back.
Bayes finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Reed led the game with 24 points. Reed, who was named to the All-RMAC second team Tuesday, battled through foul trouble and played a smart game down the stretch, getting to the free-throw line and avoiding fouls on the defensive end.
“Just mental discipline,” Reed said in a postgame interview. “As a team, we decided what we were going to do. We’re pretty much an unstoppable team if we work together as a team. We did great, all of us.”
FLC shot 46.7 percent from the field and made 8-of-22 3-pointers. FLC held the Orediggers to 28.9 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers.
Dallas Dickerson, who also was named to the All-RMAC second team, poured in 14 points off the Skyhawks’ bench. Santos and Yocky each finished with seven points. Reed added seven rebounds, as did Ande Lampert.
“We always had confidence in ourselves as a team in what we can accomplish,” Reed said. “We’ve had trials and tribulations passing this road, but other teams overlook us. That’s a positive for us.”
Courtney Martin, an All-RMAC first teamer, led the Orediggers with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Cassidy Budge was big off the bench with 14 points.
FLC has overcome plenty of injuries all season as well as close losses. But, at 18-10, Flores knows his team can make a statement this weekend and make a push to get in the top eight of the regional rankings to continue the season in the NCAA Division II South Central regional tournament.
First is the RMAC Shootout semifinals against No. 5 UC-Colorado Springs. FLC will travel to Pueblo on Wednesday and be ready to play again Friday.
“This is such a great win, and I’m so happy for our seniors that we’re still alive,” Flores said. “We’ve talked about refusing to lose, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’re dangerous, and we’re alive. That’s all we can ask for.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
