Fort Lewis College was dominated inside the 3-point arc and didn’t do enough damage from outside of it to keep up with the Roadrunners.
Metro State University-Denver used a 43-34 rebounding advantage and made 23-of-26 foul shots to send Fort Lewis College to a 78-61 road loss Friday night at the Auraria Event Center in Denver. Emily Hartegan was huge for Metro State with 21 points, 17 rebounds.
The 78 points were the most FLC has given up all season and was uncharacteristic of the tough defense the team has been known for.
“Tonight it was about effort,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “That’s the part that’s hard to swallow. We weren’t ourselves. All game we were trying to get out of second gear and never did.”
FLC (6-6, 2-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) didn’t expect to get beat in the paint so badly. Senior forward Alyssa Yocky was held scoreless until halfway through the third quarter, and Jordan Carter, the team’s leading scorer, was limited to only six points and three rebounds. Yocky finished with eight points and four rebounds.
“We rely on that, and so that’s what make us good or not,” Flores said. “We have to score. Those two are too good not to produce. Then from there, it trickles to the others.”
Kayla Herrera played through foul trouble and led the Skyhawks with 11 points and eight rebounds. Metro State saw Jaelynn Smith shine with 25 points, while Bree Wellington added 17 off the bench.
FLC didn’t shoot its first free throw until the final two minutes of the first half. The Skyhawks got to the line nine times and made only four compared to the Roadrunners’ 23.
“That was a frustrating part of the game,” Flores said. “It was hard because we weren’t playing good enough early, but they were scoring at the free-throw line and we weren’t getting the same. But you have to overcome. You’re on the road, you gotta make it happen yourself and overcome that.”
Metro State (4-8, 3-3 RMAC) snapped a four-game losing streak with the home win.
The Skyhawks got in a big hole and trailed 16-6 after one quarter. Numerous attempts to cut the game to single digits were quickly answered by the Roadrunners.
Sydney Candelaria added nine points for FLC, many coming in the second half as she tried to get quick baskets to cut the deficit.
FLC also lost freshman guard Alyssa Adams, a starter, to an injury in the second quarter. She did not return to the game. Hanna Valencia and Kaitlyn Romero stepped up in her place. The team has played all season without senior guard Kelsey Wainright and for the past month without Division I transfer MorningRose Tobey. Flores is hopeful to get Tobey and Wainright back next weekend, but he said the team will be without Adams.
“Alyssa earned her way into a starting position as a true freshman,” Flores said. “Now others have to step in and give what she’s been giving us.”
A trip to Chadron State in Nebraska awaits the Skyhawks, who will get into Nebraska around 4 a.m. Saturday before a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. The Eagles (2-10, 1-5 RMAC) beat Adams State 67-57 on Friday.
“We have nine players and have to find the gas to get through that game,” Flores said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
