Each week gets increasingly more important for the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team.
Tough-to-swallow losses followed by spirit-lifting wins has defined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule for the Skyhawks this season. But, coming off a big overtime win against UC-Colorado Springs last weekend, FLC hopes to build momentum during its final two home games of the season this weekend.
The schedule is set up to where the Skyhawks could capitalize on two wins. At seventh in the RMAC standings, FLC will play No. 6 Regis at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and No. 8 Metro State at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“Back-to-back huge games for us,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “We really have to focus on Metro (Friday night) and worry about Regis on Saturday. They’re all big games for everybody.”
After losing to CSU-Pueblo at home last Friday, FLC responded by beating the Mountain Lions, who are second in the RMAC standings.
But not being able to string wins together has kept FLC at the bottom of the top eight in the RMAC standings. The top eight teams make the season-ending conference tournament, with the top four earning first-round home games.
FLC has won two games in a row just four times this season, with two of those coming in weekend sweeps against the New Mexico RMAC teams and another against Eastern and Northern New Mexico.
“It’s hard. We’re losing an important game, winning a big game and not making up ground,” Flores said.
FLC has met this weekend’s opponents once on the road already this season. Regis topped the Skyhawks 63-52 on Jan. 16, but FLC beat Metro State 65-61 in overtime one night later.
The two opponents will bring drastically different games into Whalen Gymnasium, with Metro State scoring the majority of its points from 15 feet and in and Regis doing most of its scoring behind the 3-point line and on long jump shots.
“Regis spreads the court with a lot movement. Even their post players, when they score they score from outside. Their guards carry the bulk of the scoring,” Flores said. “Metro is the opposite. They are a really good offensive rebounding team that works hard on the glass. They have some good size across the board, and it will be an interior battle.”
Regis scored the second most points per game in the RMAC at 68.7. Slowing down a potent offense was no problem for FLC last weekend, as it shut down the top-scoring team in UC-Colorado Springs. Even with going to overtime, FLC held the Mountain Lions to 61 points, 16 below their season average.
Metro State also is a good shooting team, shooting an RMAC-best 43.1 percent from the field this year. Meanwhile, FLC’s defense ranks first in the league in holding opponents to 34.6 percent shooting. The Roadrunners also have held opponents to 35.4 percent shooting, second behind FLC.
The Roadrunners’ defense is tops in rebounding at 33.2 per game, and their 41.8 rebounds a game is second in the RMAC.
Turnovers have been one of FLC’s biggest problems all season. The Skyhawks have turned it over 419 times for an average of 19 per game.
Defensively, FLC will have to key in on Regis’ Bay’lee Purdy, who averages 15.9 points per game, as well as Metro State’s Deni Jacobs, who averages 14.8 per contest.
FLC has been led by Mary Brinton’s 13.8 points per game, but the junior forward from Pagosa Springs has struggled with foul trouble in recent games, leading to decreased minutes.
With that, other Skyhawks have had to step up, and freshman Dallas Dickerson has carried a heavier scoring load, leading the team in scoring in both games last week.
“Dallas has given us a scoring punch that we desperately need from the perimeter,” Flores said of the guard from Alaska. “She turned our Springs game around. They really couldn’t guard like they wanted to because she could stretch the defense and hit open shots. Having that helps open up things inside, but more than anything it gives us someone who can score from the perimeter.”
FLC will see two seniors honored Saturday night before the game against Regis. Erin Curry and Kaile Magazzeni will play in their final regular-season home games that night.
“They’ve both put in a lot of minutes the last few years and are great kids,” Flores said. “As seniors, you don’t want it to be an emotional time. I hope they look back and celebrate a great career.”
FLC hopes fans arrive early for Friday night’s game. A white-out is planned in the stands, with the first 500 people through the gates receiving a free white shirt. With a highly anticipated men’s game to follow, Flores hopes the fans arrive early to support his team in an equally important contest.
“We need the fans to be great. Metro is a good rival,” he said. “People, come out and watch some good basketball. It’s two teams in the playoff race, and you can’t ask for much more than that.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
