DURANGO, Colo. – Both Chadron State and Fort Lewis finished their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference basketball game on Thursday night with 11 three-pointers, but the Skyhawks sank six treys to CSC's one in the first 10 minutes to give the home team a big lead that they never yielded en route to an 80-65 victory.

Senior Isaiah Randolph and freshman Luka Djurovic each had 13 points to pace the Eagles while guards Zach Smith and Mack Keighran added 11 apiece. Randolph also blocked three shots and the 6-8 Djurovic, who meshed five of his six field goal shots, including all three of his three-pointers, also grabbed 10 rebounds while playing arguably the best game of his young career.

The Skyhawks' early success from behind the arc put them ahead 25-11 halfway through the first half. Chadron State never got closer than nine points the rest of the way. Fort Lewis finished the first half 8-of-19 on three-pointers and held a 42-27 intermission lead. Three-pointers were certainly the game's feature. The two teams fired 72 of them—41 by CSC and 31 by FLC.  

Each team scored 38 points in the second half, but the die had been cast. Even though the Eagles made six treys in the second half, twice as many as Fort Lewis, the Skyhawks maintained at least a 10-point advantage.  

The Eagles had also trailed by sizable margins at halftime at home the previous weekend—16 points against Metro State in the first game and 13 versus Colorado School of Mines in the second. CSC rallied to defeat Metro 84-77 and to draw within two points of Mines. But Fort Lewis held off the challenge with some room to spare on its home court. 

Fort Lewis was led by 6-foot-2 guard Stewart Erhart, who sank three of his team's six early treys, with 22 points. Fellow guard Jaxon Smith had 16 and the inside duo of Chuol Deng and Cassius Carmichael, 13 and 12, respectively.

The win snapped the Skyhawks' four-game losing skid and solidifies their status as one of the top three teams in the RMAC standings. They are now 13-4 in league play while Black Hills State is 14-3 and Colorado Mesa is 13-3.

The Eagles are 6-19 overall and 4-13 in the RMAC. They will tangle with Adams State in Alamosa on Saturday afternoon.

Chadron State—Isaiah Randolph 13, Luka Djurovic 13, Zach Smith 11, Mack Keighran 11, Jackson Schauer 7, Collin Nick 5, Blessing Adesipe 3, Jovan Jovanovic 2.  Totals: 19-58 (11-41) 16-7, 65 points, 33 rebounds, 13 assists, 16 turnovers.

Fort Lewis—Stewart Erhart 22, Jaxon Smith 16, Chuol Deng 13, Cassius Carmichael 12, Massel Diouf 8, Tate Ziemkiewicz 4, Noah Hellem 3, Keither Florence 2.  Totals: 27-60 (11-31) 15-23, 80 points, 41 rebounds, 14 assists, 15 turnovers.

Eagles Lead Early, Fall to Fort Lewis

CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State led after the first quarter, but Fort Lewis dominated the next two quarters and defeated the Eagles 67-46 in Durango on Thursday.

The Eagles sank a trio of 3-point shots in the first five minutes and 20 seconds of the game while also employing an aggressive defense the limited the Skyhawks to just three field goals in 16 shots in the opening frame of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game. That gave the Eagles a 14-9 lead at the first quarter break.  

But the lead didn't last long. Chadron State scored just five points in the second quarter and 11 in the third. The Skyhawks shot 50 percent in those two periods, making 15 of 30 shots while tallying 40 points and taking a 49-30 advantage going into the final frame. The Skyhawks scored 18 points and the Eagles 16 in the fourth quarter. 

For the game, Fort Lewis was 25 of 62 (40.3 percent) and CSC 16 of 49 (32.7 percent) from the field. Each team finished with four 3-pointers. The hosts were 13-18 at the free throw line and the Eagles 10-15. 

Both teams had difficulty keeping track of the basketball. Fort Lewis had 25 turnovers and the Eagles had a season-high 37.  

The game's high scorer was the Skyhawks' Natalie Guanella, who tallied 16 points while making all six of her field goal shots and four of five free throws. Katie Lamb added 13 points and a game-high eight steals. Savanna Dotray chipped in 12 points for the winners.

Chadron State was led by guard Audrey Quintana with 14 points. Center McKenzi Petersen added nine points and shared the game-high rebounding lead with six. Freshman Ella Moser had eight points.

Fort Lewis is now 15-10 overall and at 8-9 remains in the RMAC playoff picture. The Eagles, still seeking their second victory, will play Adams State in Alamosa on Saturday afternoon.