Grizzlies unable to stave off Fort Lewis second-half rally, lose 85-77

by David Mejia

Wes Jensen was one of four Grizzlies to score in double figures. The senior scored 17 points in the loss to the Skyhawks.

Box Score

DURANGO, Colo. – Momentum can change in a heartbeat on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference hardwood. Such was the case for the Adams State College men’s basketball team, which dropped a hard-fought game to host Fort Lewis College on Friday, 85-77.

The loss drops the Grizzlies to 8-11 overall and 7-5 in the RMAC and ends a modest four-game win streak. Adams State will take on Mesa State on Saturday at Brownson Arena at 8 p.m. Fort Lewis improved its record to 16-5 overall and 8-4 in conference.

The Grizzlies held the lead for the majority of the game and had no less than four players score in double figures. Roman Moniak (Sacramento, Calif.) and Wes Jensen (Molalla, Ore.) each finished with 17 points, while Rajshad Anderson (Lewisville, Texas) and Larry Charles Jr. (Tucson, Ariz.) contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Fort Lewis dominated the play inside, outscoring Adams State 40-12 in points in the paint. The Grizzlies countered with 16 three-point goals, as Moniak and Anderson each hit four treys, while Jensen hit three and Charles Jr. canned a pair.

It wasn't enough, however, as the Grizzlies were trumped in the scoring column by Fort Lewis, which had three players score 20 points or more for the game. Devon Manning scored a game-high 25 points, while teammates Tim Bieri and Guy Meyer added 20 points each for the Skyhawks.

Moniak canned a free throw with 6:29 left in the game to give ASC a slim 69-68 lead, but it was the last of the game for the Grizzlies. The Skyhawks abruptly reeled off 10 consecutive points to establish some breathing room at 78-69 before a lay-up by Russ Murrey (El Cerrito, Calif.) snapped the spurt.

ASC could not recover from that Skyhawk burst, as the Grizzlies would get no closer than five points through the remaining minutes of play.

Adams State will be in Grand Junction on Saturday for another RMAC showdown with Mesa State. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. and the game can be heard live on KSPK-FM (103.5) or via the internet at www.kspk.com.