March is here, and that means it’s crossover time in the local sports world.
The weather in La Plata County makes it hard to believe, but there are still winter sports going on. On the high school schedule, Bayfield High School’s boys basketball team begins its playoff journey with a road matchup. Fort Lewis College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have the chance to continue their seasons with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament games this week.
It’s crossover time in the local sports world because spring sports and winter sports are going on at the same time. FLC softball and women’s lacrosse are underway. At the high school-level, spring sports are starting later this week, headlined by the Durango Dust Off track and field meet hosted by Durango High School.
There are plenty of sports to keep an eye on, so here’s the local sports schedule for the upcoming week:
Friday: Men’s basketball vs. Black Hills State in RMAC tournament semifinals at Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Notes: The Skyhawks advance to the semifinals of the RMAC tournament thanks to their 88-72 win over No. 5 seed Adams State on Tuesday night at home. FLC, the No. 4 seed, forced 26 turnovers and were led by redshirt sophomore Stewart Erhart, who finished with a career high 32 points, seven steals and six assists.
FLC moved to 18-10 overall with the win. The Skyhawks will make their fourth consecutive RMAC tournament semifinal appearance.
Black Hills State enters the matchup 25-4 overall after it escaped with a 74-73 win over the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets are the top seed in the RMAC after winning the regular season title. Black Hills State has won eight consecutive games, including a pivotal game against Colorado Mesa to end the regular season. The Yellow Jackets are led by Cam Lowe, who’s averaging 17.5 points per game on incredible shooting splits of 49% from the field, 42% from 3-point range and 91% from the free-throw line.
These teams have met before, with the Skyhawks coming from 19 points down in the second half to beat Black Hills State, 78-76, on Jan. 17 in Spearfish.
A win against Black Hills State could secure an NCAA tournament birth for the Skyhawks. They have the top RPI in the RMAC, but the Lone Star has the top six teams in the South Central region in RPI. The RPI between the FLC, Colorado Mesa and Black Hills State is close enough that head-to-head record will matter, and the Skyhawks were ranked ninth in the recent regional ranking; eight teams from the South Central region will make it to the NCAA tournament, with auto bids from the RMAC and Lone Star.
Softball at No. 18 Colorado Christian at noon
Notes: The Skyhawks are off to a terrible start after their four losses to Colorado School of Mines on Saturday and Sunday. FLC is 1-17 overall and 0-8 in the RMAC. FLC lost 4-2 and 5-4 on Saturday. A 6-3 loss and a 9-1 loss on Sunday ended the series. Things won’t get easier for FLC against Colorado Christian; the Cougars are 18-2 overall and 8-0 in the RMAC.
Softball at No. 18 Colorado Christian at 2 p.m.
Saturday: Potential men’s basketball game in the RMAC tournament finals at Black Hills State in Spearfish
USA Cycling Gravel National Championships in Turkey, Texas
Softball at No. 18 Colorado Christian at 11 a.m.
Softball at No. 18 Colorado Christian at 1 p.m.
Monday: Women’s golf at Southwest Minnesota State University for the SMSU Spring Invitational in Litchfield Park, Arizona
Tuesday: Women’s golf at Southwest Minnesota State University for the SMSU Spring Invitational in Litchfield Park, Arizona
Thursday: Durango girls tennis at Vail Christian at 5 p.m.
Bayfield baseball at Aztec Tournament
Friday: Durango girls tennis at Western Slope Open
Bayfield baseball at Aztec Tournament
Durango girls lacrosse at Legend at 4:30 p.m.
Durango boys lacrosse at Chaparral at 6:30 p.m.
Durango girls soccer at Cherry Creek at 8 p.m.
Saturday: Bayfield baseball at Aztec Tournament
Durango track and field, Bayfield track and field at Durango Dust Off at 10 a.m.
Durango boys lacrosse at Summit at 11 a.m.
Ignacio girls soccer at Ridgeway at 11 a.m.
Durango girls soccer at Ralston Valley at noon
Durango girls lacrosse at Summit at 1 p.m.
Monday: Ignacio girls soccer vs. Telluride at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Bayfield baseball vs. Shiprock at 3 p.m.
Bayfield girls soccer at Ignacio at 4:30 p.m.
