Behind a monumental performance from sophomore guard Akuel Kot, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team scored an 81-75 victory over No. 23 Regis University on Saturday in Denver.
Limited to two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half, Kot responded in the second half by pouring in 31 of his career-high 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting in the second half, helping the Skyhawks erase a 39-31 halftime deficit.
“I’ve been at Fort Lewis for 22 years if you count being a player and assistant, and we’ve had so many great players here throughout the years, but I don’t know if we’ve ever had a player have that great of a half like what Akuel did,” said FLC head men’s coach Bob Pietrack. “That’s the greatest scoring half I’ve ever seen. And we’ve had some unbelievable scorers in this program.”
The victory was the first for the Skyhawks over a ranked opponent since the 2017-18 season. It also avenged an 81-71 loss to the Rangers (17-6 overall, 12-5 RMAC) on Dec. 17 in Durango.
As a team, Fort Lewis shot 61% (17 of 28) from the floor in the second half after struggling at a 35% clip (11 for 32) through the first 20 minutes.
Kot’s performance not only elevated the percentage, but opened up more scoring options for the Skyhawks as senior forward Riley Farris (14 points, 5 rebounds) and redshirt junior Brenden Boatwright (11 points, 9 rebounds) got going in the second half to join Kot in double figures.
On Monday, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team put an emphatic stamp on a tremendous four-day stretch of basketball, cruising to a 90-73 win over Colorado Christian University.
With the victory, Fort Lewis (15-7 overall, 11-5 RMAC) extended its season-long win streak to four games – three straight road wins in four days – and snapped a three-game losing skid to the Cougars (7-17 overall, 4-14 RMAC) inside CCU Events Center.
FLC stormed out to a 45-31 lead at the break, including a 10-3 run over the final 3:01 of the first half.
Farris paced a sizzling Skyhawks offense, scoring 21 of his team-high 26 points through the opening 20 minutes.
Senior point guard JacQuess Hobbs posted 16 points and five assists while making a pair of triples. Kot added 11 points with three 3-pointers, while redshirt junior Brendan La Rose was the fourth Skyhawk in double figures with 11 points and three 3-pointers, as well.
The Skyhawks will turn their attention to a tough three-game road trip next weekend, starting with a rematch against rival Adams State University at 7:30 p.m. Friday.