Skyhawks women’s basketball senior forward Darla Hernandez had nearly a perfect day shooting the ball for Fort Lewis College Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t enough as FLC lost at home to Western Colorado 86-70.
Hernandez scored a season-high 27 points. Her jump shot was on fire early from the midrange and she scored 13 points in the first quarter. But FLC couldn’t keep pace with a strong Western Colorado offense in the second half as FLC’s supporting cast struggled to show up to help Hernandez.
“We just weren't efficient enough offensively,” FLC head coach Lauren Zuniga said. “I actually think our defense was decent. A couple of their girls had good nights, but we shot more free throws in them, we held them to zero second chance points and we shot more field goal attempts. We couldn't convert. Western, props to them, they had higher percentages than us and I liked our looks.”
The Skyhawks fell to 6-18 overall and 3-13 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after they shot 39% from the field, 25% from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line. FLC has lost four consecutive games; it’s the third time this year FLC has had a losing steak of at least four games.
Hernandez finished 10-12 from the field, 1-1 from 3-point range and 6-6 from the free-throw line. Senior guard Livia Knapp finished with 14 points on 4-12 shooting from the field, 3-5 from 3-point range and 3-3 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Natalie Guanella added 11 for FLC.
Western Colorado improved to 17-6 overall and 12-4 in the RMAC after it shot 57% from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 73% from the free-throw line.
The Mountaineers were led by Rachel Cockman’s 24 points on 10-15 shooting from the field, 1-2 from 3-point range and 3-5 from the free-throw line along with 11 rebounds. Ivey Schmidt added 24 points.
Hernandez scored FLC’s first seven points to jump-start the Skyhawks’ offense and FLC led 20-18 after the first quarter.
Western Colorado started the second quarter on a 10-0 run with two 3-pointers and two layups. Despite being down at least five points for most of the second quarter, FLC finished strong and went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 34 with 30 seconds left. The Skyhawks trailed 36-34 at half.
In the second half, Western Colorado outscored FLC 50-36 and shot 68% from the field to pull away and lead by as many as 22 points in the fourth. FLC shot 37% in the second half.
“Defensively, a little bit, we missed some key plays that we could have probably stopped with better effort,” Zuniga said. “Letting Schmidt get downhill, or a couple plays of letting Cockman get the ball early and in deep position obviously didn't help. On the stops that we would get in the second, we wouldn't go back down and score on the other end.”
FLC plays against CSU Pueblo at home on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
