’Hawks win Grizzly

Saturday, Feb 1, 2014 1:05 PM Updated Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 4:29 PM

Adams State made the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team play its style of game Saturday.

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Erika Richards and Fort Lewis College continued their climb up the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with a home win over Adams State on Saturday. The Skyhawks have won their last two games and will play at home next weekend, as well.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ashley Kuchar struggled with her shot against Adams State’s defense. She made 5-of-17 shots Saturday and only hit 1-of-6 three-pointers. The Skyhawks made up for their lack of outside shooting by dominating the points in the paint 28-10.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Michelle Turner helped FLC hold Adams State to 31.9 percent shooting from the field, including 23.8 percent in the second half. The Skyhawks made 51.1 percent of their field goals in a 64-52 win.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Erin Curry led the Skyhawks with five assists and orchestrated their offense to the tune of 51.1 percent shooting. Four players scored in double figures for FLC.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Mary Brinton led the Skyhawks’ charge in the paint. She scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. “Our guards are doing a good job turning around the perimeter, and that just opens me up,” Brinton said. “I’m able to bury in (the paint) a lot easier.”

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Adams State made the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team play its style of game Saturday.

FLC just played it better.

FLC (10-7, 7-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) ground out a 64-52 win over the Grizzlies for its second consecutive victory.

The Skyhawks held Adams State (7-11, 3-10 RMAC) to 31.9 percent shooting and forced 14 turnovers to push their conference record above .500.

“I think we did get into the tempo of their game,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “The thing with them you have to be careful with is they’re going to milk possessions, and a lot of times you’re going into the last 10 seconds (of the shot clock). You can’t foul them in that situation, and that’s something we did a poor job of.”

The Skyhawks committed 24 fouls that led to 28 Adams State free throws. The Grizzlies made 19 of them, which is as many as FLC attempted.

FLC countered Adams State’s defensive pressure by pounding the ball inside both through drives and post-ups, shooting 51.1 percent in the game.

The Skyhawks controlled the paint with 28 points in the paint and outrebounded Adams State 33-25.

Mary Brinton led the Skyhawks with 16 points off the bench.

“Our guards are doing a good job turning around the perimeter, and that just opens me up,” Brinton said. “I’m able to bury in (the paint) a lot easier.”

The Pagosa Springs High School alumna played 23 minutes because foul trouble limited Christie Groh to 15 minutes.

Groh still scored 10 points, one of four ’Hawks in double figures.

FLC opened the second half on a 10-3 run after leading 30-29 at the break.

Kaile Magazzeni gave the Skyhawks their first double-digit lead 54-44 with a made free throw with 6 minutes, 44 seconds remaining.

Tessie Pikula scored 14 points to lead Adams State.

FLC will play its next two games at home, which gives the Skyhawks a chance to continue climbing the RMAC standings.

“You’re never disappointed with a win,” Flores said. “There’s things we could have done better that we didn’t. We got a double-digit win, and we’re happy with that. We’ve got to keep climbing into next weekend and stay in the hunt for that home game (in the first round of the RMAC Tournament).”

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com