The list of accolades keeps getting longer and longer for Vivian Gray.
The Fort Lewis College freshman was awarded the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women’s basketball offensive player of the week for the second week in a row after helping the Skyhawks to a pair of wins during the weekend.
The 6-foot-1 Gray helped the Skyhawks (15-1, 9-1 RMAC) to their ninth and 10th consecutive wins during the weekend, with a 70-63 victory against Metro State University-Denver Friday and a 69-57 win against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Saturday at Whalen Gymnasium in Durango.
Gray scored 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists against Metro State, and had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists against UCCS. In the two games, Gray shot 14-of-29 from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point line and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. Six of her 16 rebounds came on the offensive end.
In 15 games played this season, Gray leads the conference with 17.5 points per game and is the only player in the RMAC with 100 field goals made.
To go with her back-to-back offensive player of the week awards, Gray also is a two-time winner of the RMAC defensive player of the week for Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.
The Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s basketball teams kept their places in their respective top-25 polls this week.
The FLC women’s team moved up one spot in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s poll and hold the No. 13 ranking with 275 points, one point ahead of Edinboro University, located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. The men’s team dropped back one spot – from 20th to 21st with 95 points – in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll despite the team picking up a pair of wins during the weekend.
This week marks the 36th in a row the Skyhawks have been in the top 25.
The No. 13 ranking the second highest spot the women’s team has held this season – the Skyhawks were ranked 11th after the second week of the season.
Ashland University received all 24 of the first place votes to maintain its hold on the No. 1 ranking. The Eagles of Ashland, Ohio, have held the top spot each week this season.
No other team in the RMAC was ranked in the top 25 or received votes in this week’s poll.
The FLC men’s team pulled out close wins at home during the weekend, as the Skyhawks knocked off Metro State 94-88 Friday, then separated from UCCS late in the second half for an 85-76 victory Saturday.
The RMAC-leading Skyhawks (13-2, 9-1 RMAC) were one spot ahead of RMAC rival Colorado School of Mines (12-2, 6-2 RMAC) , which came in at No. 22 with 93 points. No other team in the RMAC made the top 25 or received votes in this week’s poll.
Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina received the top ranking in the poll after receiving 13 of the 16 first-place votes for 392 points. Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, was second with three first-place votes and 387 points.
The FLC men and women will hit the road this weekend with games at Black Hills State University Friday in Spearfish, South Dakota, and South Dakota School of Mines Saturday in Rapid City, South Dakota.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
