Balanced scoring and a mismatch for Alyssa Yocky led Fort Lewis to a narrow win in Nebraska.
The FLC women’s basketball team trailed 63-60 with 7 minutes, 8 seconds to play at Chadron State. But solid free-throw shooting down the stretch and Yocky’s double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds helped send the Skyhawks to a 76-69 victory.
FLC (10-2, 5-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) had five players score in double figures, as Briana Clah and Kaitlyn Romero each scored 14 points while Kayla Herrera added 13 and Shelby Patterson scored 11.
“We ended up having to go small,” FLC head coach Jason Flores said of his lineup. “We weren’t getting some things inside because of their style, so we went small and played Alyssa at the five. She caused mismatch problems and pulled their big post players out. They were less mobile, and that opened things up.”
Yocky finished with nine offensive rebounds and eight defensive. She also had four assists and committed only two fouls when others dealt with foul trouble. Patterson added two key steals, and Clah had five rebounds. Herrera also had four rebounds and three steals in only 18 minutes of play.
The strong play of FLC’s guards around Yocky gave the team versatility on both ends of the floor. FLC won the rebounding battle and had more assists (15) than turnovers (12), two big keys to winning on the road in the RMAC.
“I felt like we had more than 12 turnovers,” Flores said. “But we did a good job for chunks of the game really moving the ball, getting in tempo and taking rhythm shots.”
Chadron State (2-8, 2-5 RMAC) was led by Kalli Feddersen’s 17 points and six rebounds.
Flores said he would’ve liked a better defensive effort, but after a more than 11-hour bus ride to Nebraska fresh off the holiday break, he was pleased.
He is not pleased, however, with having to travel to Chadron State and then another five hours to Regis (10-1, 5-1 RMAC) to play at 5 p.m. today, especially with only two days to practice coming off a Division II mandated break Dec. 20-26.
“I’ll get fined for saying what needs to be said, so I won’t say anything,” he said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
