The showdown atop the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women’s basketball standings turned into a blowout as Fort Lewis, ranked No. 5 in Division II, routed No. 14 Metro State 73-47 in Durango on Friday night.
The Skyhawks (16-1, 11-1 RMAC) ended the Roadrunners’ school-record 15-game winning streak by holding Metro (15-1, 11-1) to 32 percent shooting and forcing 24 turnovers. The Roadrunners, who entered the game leading D-II in rebounding margin, were outrebounded 36-29.
Dana Schreibvogel led Fort Lewis with 22 points. Brandi Valencia topped Metro State with nine points.
The loss dropped Metro into a three-way tie for first in the RMAC with Fort Lewis and Colorado Christian.
• Colorado Christian was able to stay atop the league, thanks to Christina Whitelaw, who scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the first half of the Cougars’ 61-47 win over Western State in Gunnison.
Whitelaw’s first-half efforts allowed the Cougars (12-3, 11-1 RMAC) to forge a 25-25 halftime tie, then Stephenie Allen and the rest of her teammates stepped up in the second half as CC steadily pulled away from the Mountaineers (5-11, 3-9). Allen scored 13 of her 16 points after halftime.
• Sharaya Selsor scored 21 points to lead Mesa State to a 73-45 win over cold-shooting Colorado Mines in Grand Junction.
The Mavericks (11-5, 8-4 RMAC) ran to a 39-20 halftime lead by shooting 54 percent (15-of-28) while holding Mines (7-10, 3-9) to 30 percent (7-for-23). Brecca Gaffney was the only Oredigger to reach double figures with 20 points.
• Adams State used an 18-5 run in the final seven minutes of the first half to turn a five-point deficit into a 41-33 halftime lead, and the Grizzlies defeated Regis 78-59 in Alamosa.
Kendra Coveal scored 18 points for ASC (12-6, 7-5 RMAC). Meagan Nickell led the Rangers (7-9, 6-6) with 16 points.
Jefferson rallies Metro men.
Brandon Jefferson scored 24 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:57 left that broke a 70-70 tie, and paced the Metro State men to an 85-78 win over Fort Lewis in Durango.
The Skyhawks (13-3, 9-3 RMAC) cut their deficit to 77-74 with 45 seconds left on a 3-pointer by David Kanyinda, but Jonathan Morse responded with a layup for Metro, and the Roadrunners (14-2, 11-1) made their free throws at the end.
• Chris Goutama’s two free throws with nine seconds left rescued Colorado Mines from a loss as Mines beat Mesa State (11-5, 7-5 RMAC) 55-52 in Grand Junction.
Mines (13-3, 9-3) led by 16 points in the second half but had the lead cut to 53-52 with 11 seconds left on two free throws by Lance Fite. Gordon Galloway led Mines with 14 points.
• Western State (5-12, 4-8 RMAC) held Colorado Christian (4-11, 3-9) to 36 percent shooting (20-for-56) in a 65-57 win in Gunnison.
• Marqus Richards led Adams State (12-3, 9-3 RMAC) with 15 points in an 86-53 rout of Regis (5-11, 2-10) in Alamosa. Blake Bales led the Rangers with 12 points.
DU gymnasts third in Oklahoma meet.
The University of Denver’s Brianna Springer and Louise Mercer finished 1-2 in the all-around, but the depth of the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team proved too much as the Sooners won their own quadrangular meet in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma finished with 195.300 points, OSU 194.650, Denver 194.300 and Centenary with 187.625.
Springer’s all-around score of 39.100 was a personal best. Mercer had a 38.975 in the all-around and won the bars with a 9.875 score. Taylor Sanford tied for first on the beam with a 9.875.
