The Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team found themselves in an early hole that it could never quite dig out of on Friday against Metropolitan State University Denver.
Metro scored the first 14 points of the game before Sadie Misner got FLC on the scoreboard with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter. The Skyhawks settled in and the last three quarters were close, but Metro maintained its early lead to win the game 67-51.
After Misner’s score, Kate Gallery blocked a shot and then Avery Evans scored a layup with a determined drive. Misner also made two free throws in the first, but Metro took a 20-6 lead into the second quarter.
Kelsey Sorenson started the scoring in the second with a shot that rolled around and around the hoop before finally dropping in. Evans then scored her second basket to cut Metro’s lead to 20-10, but that’s as close as the Skyhawks would get the rest of the way.
Brooke McGee hit a three in the second on her only shot of the game. Alyssa Adams, Kaitlyn Bell and Sorenson followed with field goals, but Metro seemed to have an answer for every FLC score and took a 38-23 lead into halftime.
FLC started to chip away at Metro’s lead with early buckets from Bell and Lanae Billy, in the third, but the Roadrunners hit four 3-pointers to extend their lead to 54-32 heading into the fourth.
The Skyhawks then played some of their best basketball of the night. Billy made a free throw, a jumper and a 3-pointer to start the fourth. Sorenson blocked a shot. Misner then stole a pass and Bell scored on the ensuing fast break as FLC started the quarter on an 8-0 run. Tayla Nez also made a 3-pointer while Evans scored three the old-fashioned way, but the rally wasn’t enough to get out of the early hole FLC found themselves in.
Evans scored 11 points to lead FLC. Billy added 10 while Bell scored eight, Sorenson scored six and six other Skyhawks recorded at least two points. FLC shot 39.5% from the field, compared to 41.7% for Metro. MSU also out-rebounded FLC 37-31 while the Skyhawks committed 23 turnovers in the loss.
FLC slid to 9-18 overall and 6-15 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with the loss. MSU Denver improved to 15-12, 13-8.
The Skyhawks will conclude their regular season at 5 p.m. today against Colorado School of Mines (21-5, 17-4). Mines was tied with Regis (21-6, 18-3) for first place in the RMAC, but lost to Adams State on Friday, 64-60.
