Foul trouble hurt the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team in a big way Friday night.
The Skyhawks’ top-two guards, sophomore Sydney Candelaria and junior Kayla Herrera, each checked out with 4 minutes, 3 seconds to play in the third quarter with four personal fouls each. Sophomore forward Jordan Carter also played with foul trouble all game.
Fouls were 18-6 in favor of visiting Western Colorado University when they checked out, and the Mountaineers (11-3, 7-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) quickly built a 10-point lead of 51-41 in the next 1:43 of play. Western continued to grow the advantage with Candelaria and Herrera on the bench on the way to a 64-54 win at Whalen Gymnasium in Durango.
“It doesn’t help the cause,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said of the foul trouble. “It just was inconsistency, and it’s killing us right now. We go spurts where we defend and rebound and then spurts where we give up really easy layups and open shots. Our players gotta be better, the coaches have to be better. We have to figure out a way to find consistency.”
Herrera picked up two fouls in the game’s opening 2:59 of play. She sat most of the first half and picked up a third foul late in the second quarter. She didn’t start the third but quickly checked back into the game, as Western turned a 35-33 halftime lead into a 39-33 advantage in the opening minutes of the second half. FLC (7-9, 3-7 RMAC) quickly got back within 40-39 with 4:57 to play before a Candelaria charge and a Herrera shooting foul sent them both to the bench.
Whistles continued to rain down on the Skyhawks. The Western advantage in fouls reached 21-8 in the third quarter before it finished 26-12. After three quarters, Western had shot 27 free throws and made 22, while FLC was 5-of-9. The Mountaineers led 54-41 going into the fourth.
FLC got back into the game with some defensive toughness the refs would allow. A steal from Alyssa Yocky led to a Yocky 3-pointer with 7:21 to play in the fourth, and that cut the Western lead to 56-48. Moments later, Aubre Fortner hit a 3, and FLC was within 56-51 with 6:40 to go.
Yocky led the Skyhawks with 14 points and six rebounds.
FLC had a chance to cut further into the deficit, but a Tanisha Begay turnover led to a basket for Western’s Kate Najvar to extend the lead to 58-51. Begay then missed a mid-range jump shot, and Western answered with a another Najvar basket in the post to build the lead to 60-51. FLC never got within two scores again.
Candelaria fouled out moments later. Carter checked in for her and immediately fouled out, too. Western finished 25-of-31 at the foul line, while FLC was 6-of-11.
On top of the foul trouble, the Skyhawks hurt themselves with 18 turnovers and were outrebounded 37-22.
“It’s frustrating, but we have to realize it’s a turnover and we have to get back and play defense,” said FLC forward Aubre Fortner, who finished with nine points but five turnovers. “Sometimes with turnovers, we let them get to our head. Instead of turning back and playing defense, we start whining. As long as we get back and play defense, we should be fine.”
Candelaria and Herrera are good rebounding guards. Yocky said their absence made it difficult while trying to box out big Western players and pursue loose balls.
“It’s really frustrating. We have the talent,” Yocky said. “It’s so frustrating that our talent is kind of going to waste this season and we’re not filling our potential that we have. We have young players that are really good and experienced players like me and (Herrera) to lead us, but inconsistencies really get us.”
Najvar led Western with 12 points off the bench. She was 4-of-4 shooting from the field and at the foul line. Tammarrah Gothard had seven points and 11 rebounds from her guard position.
Now, the Skyhawks have to prepare for the 23rd-ranked team in the nation with Colorado Mesa University (13-1, 10-0 RMAC) set to visit at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. After falling another game back in the chase for a top-eight RMAC finish to reach the conference tournament, FLC is in dire need of an upset win with only 12 games to play in the conference schedule.
“We have a choice. We’re going to find out about individual players, find out about our team,” Flores said. “We will come in and get after it and try to win a game. Those who don’t feel like playing defense and rebounding, we will give someone else a shot. We will try to find a nucleus that will start playing more consistently.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
