Trailing 33-18 at halftime largely because of self-inflicted errors, the Skyhawks went on one final comeback this season.
Just as they did several times, the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team went on big second-half run to force a thrilling finish. This time it was in the first round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout and on the road at No. 3 Colorado Christian.
No. 6 FLC came roaring back from the big first-half hole and tied the game at 52 with 56 seconds remaining on a layup by Mary Brinton, who earlier in the day was named a All-RMAC First Team selection.
FLC briefly took a lead at 54-52 and 56-55 thanks to free-throw shooting by Dallas Dickerson and Kylie Santos, but Colorado Christian star Christina Whitelaw had the last laugh.
Whitelaw delivered a game-winning shot with 5 seconds remaining in the game to give the Cougars (16-13) a 57-56 win and advance her team to the RMAC Shootout semifinals in Grand Junction at Colorado Mesa University.
“I’m heartbroken for our players. We left it all on the line in a really good game,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said. “It came down to a couple of key possessions. Give Whitelaw credit, she hit the shot.
“It was a game neither team deserved to lose.”
Colorado Christian took a timeout with 15 seconds to play after Santos put FLC up one with a pair of free throws. Out of the timeout, the Cougars ran multiple screens, as Whitelaw drove the lane. Whitelaw put a floater up and it fell with a touch off the glass.
The Skyhawks (16-11) jumped out to an early 12-5 advantage before turnovers started piling up. The Skyhawks gave the ball away 12 times in the first half and 18 times in the game, directly resulting in 21 Colorado Christian points.
“That stretch of the game in the first half, that cost us,” Flores said. “But what can you say about the second half? We showed so much heart and overcame it to get back in the game.”
FLC didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half but made a few key 3s late. Still, FLC shot only 3-of-15 from long range and 38.2 percent from the field, though it was a big improvement from the 28 percent shooting in the first half.
Santos finished with a team-high 16 points, and Dickerson scored 11. Dickerson also grabbed six rebounds.
Santos willed the Skyhawks back into the game with her energy in the second half.
“She played her heart out, battling and having to defend their best perimeter player,” Flores said of Santos.
Brinton had seven points and seven rebounds in only 15 minutes of action as she dealt with foul trouble all night.
“We crept back into the game with her on the bench and brought her back in when it was close,” Flores said. “Other girls did a great job stepping up in the second half, but it always helps to have an all-conference player in the game.”
Kaile Magazzeni led FLC with 14 rebounds, and she added eight points in her final game in an FLC jersey.
The Skyhawks were down one starter in guard Skylyn Webb, who was suspended one game for a violation of team rules.
Whitelaw finished with a game-high 17 points and collected nine rebounds. Kate Louthan added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars, and Taylor Torres had nine points and seven rebounds.
Reaching the RMAC Shootout semifinals is a big step for the Cougars, who started the season 0-8 before going on a late season run with players, including Whitelaw, returning from injury and ineligibility. They’ll play No. 2 UC-Colorado Springs in the semifinals Friday.
FLC will go back to the drawing board with only two seniors graduating from this year’s team. With a strong recruiting class coming in and more experienced players set to return, Flores is excited about the future, even if Tuesday’s loss was too tough to swallow right away.
“It’s hard to look at the big picture, but we definitely have a lot to look forward to,” Flores said. “With the amount of players we have coming back and the recruits we have coming in, this experience we gained this season bodes well for us. More than anything, the fight we showed bodes well for our future.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
