Even while being outshot from the field, Akuel Kot’s 24-point night gave the No. 15/17 ranked Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team the edge it needed to best the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs team 77-69 in a rousing Whalen Gymnasium on Friday.
The Skyhawks (12-1, 6-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) picked up their second-consecutive win and fifth-consecutivein Whalen Gymnasium while the Mountain Lions fell to 11-4, 5-3.
“We did not shoot the ball very well collectively as a group,” head coach Bob Pietrack said. “(UCCS) is an excellent basketball team evident by their record coming in at 11-3. This is a regional type of game and they’re a team that will probably be in the regional. Defensively I thought we were really good. Limiting them to only four threes, a team that was making a lot of threes as we do. We simply made the big plays down the stretch, made the free throws down the stretch, and the last six minutes of the game were ours.”
It was a battle right from the start. Both sides exchanged midrange jump shots to an even 9-9 split. From there UCCS began to put its foot on the gas and a layup from William Becker put the Mountain Lions ahead 18-11.
Back-to-back jump shots from Kot cut into the lead and FLC eventually went back in front 30-27.
Just before halftime, a layup in the post from Jezza McKenzie pulled the Mountain Lions back within two, 34-32. Beni Fungula then made two free throws to start the second half and UCCS to recaptured the lead 36-35. It would be the final lead of the night for the Mountain Lions.
Brenden Boatwright dropped in a layup for the lead, and a fast-break slam dunk down seconds later was all the momentum FLC needed to seal the game away. The Skyhawks stretched their lead to 11 on a midrange jump shot from Obi Agbim, 56-45, and FLC never allowed the Mountain Lions to come any closer than three points the remainder of the night.
Kot led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 8-19 (42.1%) from the floor, 3-8 (37.5%) from the three, and 5-7 (71.4%) at the free-throw line. Kot also had four rebounds and three steals. Boatwright added 17 points, JaQuaylon Mays scored 11 and Dunnell Stafford scored nine for FLC.
Obi Agbim had seven rebounds, matching his season-high.
Brendan La Rose tied his career-high with three blocks, providing half of FLC’s six total. The six blocks is the most FLC has had since blocking six Regis shots last season on Dec. 17, 2021.
The Skyhawks also 23 forced turnovers, the most since forcing 23 against Colorado Mesa on Jan. 29, 2021.
UCCS outshot FLC 41.4% (24-58) to 39.7% (27-68) from the floor.
FLC, however, now owns a three-game winning streak over the Mountain Lions and has not lost to UCCS in Whalen Gymnasium since Jan. 11, 2019.
At 7 p.m. tonight (Jan. 7), following the women’s game, FLC will get a chance to avenge last year’s season-ending loss to the Regis Rangers. FLC is celebrating veterans and first responders night so all veterans, first responders, and those in the armed forces will receive free admission to the game.
