Skyhawks men’s basketball redshirt sophomore guard Stewart Erhart has shown moments of offensive and defensive brilliance throughout this season, but he put them together like never before in Fort Lewis College’s 88-72 win over Adams State on Tuesday night in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals.
It was a game of runs between the No. 4 seed Skyhawks and No. 5 seed Grizzlies, and Erhart showed up in FLC’s two biggest runs, which were the difference in the game.
FLC’s defense powered the Skyhawks to a 20-point lead late in the first half, and Erhart was everywhere. It felt like he had sticky glue on his hands with how he could get every loose ball, and Erhart had Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak against Adams State, seemingly coming out of nowhere for steals.
Late in the second half, it was Erhart’s scoring that allowed the Skyhawks to pull away for the final time. He was the lone Skyhawk who could create one-on-one, and he consistently when FLC’s offense stalled. Erhart finished with a career-high 32 points and seven steals to lead the Skyhawks into the RMAC semifinals.
“It's a fast-paced game when you play them,” FLC head coach Jordan Mast said. “We knew that … we wanted to be very disciplined on offense, then get it inside. On the defensive end, we felt we could defend them way better than we did at their place. I was so proud of how we defended them.”
FLC improved to 18-10 overall after it shot 49% from the field, 28% from the free-throw line and 65% from the free-throw line. Erhart finished 14-22 from the field, 2-5 from 3-point range, 2-2 from the free-throw line and six assists. It was the fourth time this season Erhart has had seven assists. Senior forward Cassius Carmichael added 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
“My teammates and coaching staff’s trust in me (was the key),” Erhart said. “They’re putting me in a great position. They give me good ball screens, and they’re spacing the floor out for me.”
Adams State finished its season 18-11 overall after it shot 43% from the field, 29% from 3-point range and 77% from the free-throw line. Dillan Baker led the Grizzlies with 19 points on 7-17 shooting from the field, 3-11 from 3-point range and 2-3 from the free-throw line.
It was a typical start for the Skyhawks, creating turnovers, but also allowing 3-pointers. Adams State hit three early from downtown, while FLC found some success inside. Threes are worth more than twos (thanks, Captain Obvious), and Adams State led 11-6 with 15:45 left.
Adams State cooled off from 3-point range after starting 3-4 from downtown, and FLC took advantage. FLC continued to turn over the Grizzlies. Adams State looked like it had never seen FLC’s press before, and it looked like the Skyhawks defenders were Pat Surtain of the Denver Broncos, reading ball handlers’ eyes for easy interceptions. An Erhart steal and score gave FLC a 24-13 lead with 10:30 left, capping an 18-2 run.
FLC’s lead continued to grow, powered by its defense. When Adams State broke FLC’s press, it looked like someone who started a sentence and didn’t know how to finish it. The Grizzlies would drive into the paint, not know who to pass to, and turn it over. A Deng 3-pointer gave the Skyhawks a 39-19 lead with 5:20 left as FLC was putting together one of its most impressive defensive stretches of the season.
“We were very disciplined,” Mast said. “They're a team that lives in transition. I think in the first half, points off turnovers was 27-0 us. So, we weren't turning over and letting them get out in transition. That was a huge key for us.”
The Skyhawks kept their lead around 15-20 points until the end of the half, when Adams State started getting out in transition off FLC’s misses. Plus, the Grizzlies were in the double bonus for around eight minutes. FLC led 48-36 at the half.
Adams State continued the momentum it had at the end of the first half in the first few minutes of the second. The Grizzlies hit multiple 3-pointers and did a good job getting to the basket and finishing strong. A layup by Baker cut the FLC lead to 56-48 with 15:45 left. Mast didn’t think his team came out with the same pop in the second half; he thought they played like they had a cushion.
FLC’s offense wasn’t as efficient inside as it was in the first half. The ball wasn’t moving as quickly, and the Skyhawks weren’t as decisive in their actions. Adams State continued to get inside, and an easy layup by the Grizzlies cut FLC’s lead to 62-57 with 9:09 left. But once again, FLC used its defense to power its offense with transition looks, reestablishing FLC’s lead to 11 with blocks and steals.
The Skyhawks’ offense got back on track in large part because of Erhart. He had multiple very difficult shots he created on his own when FLC needed it the most. Erhart rarely gets sped up driving to the basket, and he uses his body really well to finish while staying balanced, leaving the ground.
One of Erhart’s last baskets ended up with him on his belly as his floater dropped through the net. He came out to a standing ovation from the FLC faithful as the Skyhawks led by as many as 21 points late in the game. Mast was very happy postgame to see all of Erhart’s hard work pay off.
FLC will face No. 1 seed Black Hills State on Friday at Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota. The Skyhawks won in Spearfish, 78-76, on Jan. 17 after a miraculous comeback. A win against the Yellow Jackets will go a long way for the Skyhawks’ NCAA tournament hopes.
“Our superpower is we’re going to play harder than you, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Erhart said.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
