The next few months will be a wonderful time for local sports fans, and the Durango High School girls basketball team hopes to start this stretch with an upset win.
March Madness is only a few weeks away for the NCAA Division I basketball teams, and what fans love most about the tournament are the upsets and the Cinderella runs by underdog teams.
Durango High School’s girls basketball team hopes to play in March, but first, the Demons will hit the road to head to Denver as the lower seed on Saturday. Durango will need to remember what it takes to win in the playoffs after two playoff wins last season.
Elsewhere on the local sports schedule, the Fort Lewis College basketball teams are preparing for their potential March Madness runs. Both teams will wrap up their regular seasons this week with two road games. The men’s team still has a chance at winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title, while the women are in a good position to make the RMAC tournament for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.
Bayfield and Ignacio High School’s basketball teams are also in action this week, along with FLC’s softball and track and field teams. Here’s the local sports schedule for the upcoming week:
Thursday: Women’s basketball at CSU Pueblo at 5:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks women’s basketball team is fighting to make the RMAC tournament for the first time in eight years. FLC is 16-10 overall and 9-9 in the RMAC after beating Chadron State, 67-46, at home on Thursday and South Dakota Mines, 62-56, at home on Saturday.
FLC is tied for eighth in the RMAC after its last two wins with CSU Pueblo. Colorado School of Mines is a half-game up on the Skyhawks in seventh place after the Orediggers’ win on Tuesday night. Eight teams make the RMAC tournament.
If FLC can win, it will lock up an RMAC tournament spot, since it will have the tiebreaker over CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands in ninth.
The ThunderWolves are 13-13 overall and 9-9 in the RMAC. They have lost their last two games, and Seneya Martinez leads them in scoring with 14.8 points per game.
Men’s basketball at CSU Pueblo at 7:30 p.m.
Notes: The FLC men’s basketball team is in a different position than the women. The FLC men have made the RMAC tournament, will host a quarterfinal game and are fighting for the RMAC overall title.
FLC is 16-9 overall and 14-4 in the RMAC after beating Chadron State, 80-65, at home on Thursday and South Dakota Mines, 87-67, at home on Saturday. The two wins snapped a four-game losing streak for the Skyhawks.
With two games remaining, the Skyhawks have to win out and receive some help to win the regular-season conference title. FLC is in third place in the standings, a game behind Black Hills State and a game behind Colorado Mesa, since the Mavericks have the tiebreaker, even though FLC and Colorado Mesa have the same conference record.
The good news is Colorado Mesa and Black Hills State play each other on Saturday. If Colorado Mesa loses on Thursday and beats Black Hills State, FLC can win the conference tournament via tiebreaker if the Skyhawks win out. If Black Hills State goes 0-2 this week and Colorado Mesa goes 1-1 with a win at Black Hills State, the Skyhawks would win the conference tournament if they win out.
CSU Pueblo is the hottest team in the RMAC at 19-7 overall and 13-5 in the RMAC. The ThunderWolves have won six consecutive games and are led by Jordan Blair’s 13.8 PPG. It will be a contrast of styles as the ThunderWolves only allow a conference-best 64.2 PPG, over six points less than any other team. Something will have to give as the Skyhawks average 82.9 PPG.
Friday: Men’s, women’s track and field at RMAC Indoor Championships in Gunnison
Saturday: Men’s, women’s track and field at RMAC Indoor Championships in Gunnison
Softball vs. Colorado School of Mines at noon
Notes: The Skyhawks softball squad is looking to snap an 11-game losing streak. FLC is 1-13 overall and 0-4 in the RMAC after losing four games against MSU Denver on Sunday and Monday to start conference play. It looks like FLC is close to breaking through after two one-run losses to MSU Denver.
Women’s basketball at Colorado Christian University at 1 p.m.
Softball vs. Colorado School of Mines at 2 p.m.
Men’s basketball at Colorado Christian University at 3 p.m.
Sunday: Softball vs. Colorado School of Mines at 11 a.m.
Softball vs. Colorado School of Mines at 1 p.m.
Tuesday: Men’s basketball hosts RMAC tournament quarterfinal game, opponent TBD.
Women’s basketball potentially away in RMAC tournament quarterfinal game, opponent TBD
Thursday: Ignacio girls basketball at Monte Vista at 5:30 p.m.
Ignacio boys basketball at Monte Vista at 7 p.m.
Friday: Bayfield girls basketball at Montezuma-Cortez at 5:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball at Montezuma-Cortez at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Durango girls basketball at Golden in the second round of 5A state playoffs at 1 p.m.
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 2:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 4 p.m.
