by DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis men’s basketball topped Adams State University 94-85 on Saturday afternoon inside Whalen Gymnasium to climb to 5-4 overall and remain a perfect 4-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play and in first-place heading into the holiday break.
The Skyhawks stand alongside No. 19-ranked Black Hills State University (8-1, 3-0 RMAC) as the only unbeaten teams in conference play.
In a fast and physical bout, it was Stewart Erhart who was near perfect, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting with a 3-of-5 clip from the three-point line and 2-of-3 afternoon at the free throw line. The redshirt sophomore guard also led the roster with six steals, brought down five rebounds, and dished out five assists without committing a foul and turning the ball over just once.
Chuol Deng scored in double figures for his tenth consecutive game, dominating off the glass for an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, his third of the season and the 12th of his career. Deng also dished out three assists and blocked one shot. Donald Bangham, Jr. poured in 13 points, and Jaxon Smith added another 10 points to round out the Skyhawks in double figures. Cassius Carmichael hauled in a career-high nine boards and nabbed four steals.
Fort Lewis shot an efficient 46.3 percent (37-80) for the contest while sticking to its high-pressure defense, forcing 26 turnovers out of Adams State for 26 points off turnovers. The Skyhawks also brought down a season-high 46 rebounds, one behind the Grizzlies’ 47, but dominated the post for 48 points in the paint and 24 second-chance points.
Both sides exchanged 12 of the 16 lead changes throughout the first half, with Adams State posting its largest lead of the half, 8-1, in the early minutes. The Grizzlies once again led by as many as eight points at the 17:16 mark, but Fort Lewis slowly and steadily chipped away, forcing the final lead change of the day on a Keither Florence layup, 66-64, with 9:38 seconds left to play. Florence finished with eight points, five boards, an assist, and a steal.
Adams State’s Wyatt Helming dominated on both ends of the floor, leading all players with a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double, his fourth of the year and sixth overall at ASU. Dillan Baker posted a 20-point, four-rebound effort, while Emilek Jallow finished with 11 points as the final Grizzly in double-figures. Jarmell Johnson added a season-high 10 rebounds. The Grizzlies shot 37.8 percent (28-74) from the field as a unit.
