GUNNISON, Colo.  It all came down to the free throw line, and Western Colorado's best from the stripe hit the mark with both tries as the Mountaineers scratched out a 59-57 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win over visiting Fort Lewis College Saturday afternoon.

Alyssa Eckroth calmly sank two from the line to lift Western back in front, 58-57, with 14 seconds to play.  A Skyhawk foul on the ensuing inbounds play put Micah Wick at the line and she hit the first of two for the game's final numbers.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Fort Lewis, 59-57
Records: Western 13-9 overall (11-5 RMAC), Fort Lewis 14-10 (7-9)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With a double-digit lead late in the third quarter, and a seven-point advantage with 3:23 to play, the end wasn't supposed to be as frantic as it became.
• The Skyhawks led for a total of 11 seconds through three quarters and 9 and a half minutes of the fourth.
• The Mountaineers went up 55-47 on two Eckroth free throws with 3:23 to play, but Fort Lewis scored10 unanswered points to take the lead with only 29 seconds left on the game clock.
• Western set up a play after a timeout that finished with Ivey Schmidt driving the lane where she was fouled and sent to the line. She missed the first but made the second. However… FLC's Katie Lamb was called for a foul trying to box out Penelope Urquhart, with Lamb's right arm connecting hard with Urquhart's mouth.
• Upon video review by the referees, the foul was deemed a flagrant foul, meaning Western would receive two technical free throws, putting anyone of its choosing at the line.
• An 83% shooter from the stripe, it was an easy choice to send Eckroth out for the two shots. Without any fanfare, she calmly dropped both through the hoop to inch the Mountaineers back in front.
• The technical foul also meant Western would keep possession, which is when Wicks was fouled on the inbounds for her chance at the line. She hit the first and missed the second, but the clock started immediately with the Skyhawks' rebound and they were only able to get off a prayerful shot that never made it to the rim.
• The game had a slow start with neither team really zeroing in on the basket as FLC shot just 20% in the first quarter while Western was only a little better at 30%.
• Both teams warmed up in the second quarter but overall scoring over the second 10 minutes was still just as stunted.
• Western led by four, 28-24, at the halftime break, but after the Skyhawks climbed back within a single point (29-28) the Mountaineers went on a 14-1 run to build a sizable cushion that slid back to 6 or 7 or 8 points through most of the fourth quarter before the Skyhawks' late rally.

COURT NOTES

• Eckroth finished the game with 18 points, which included a 12-for-14 afternoon from the free throw line and a pair of 3-pointers.
• Schmidt would post a game-high 19 points in the win, a total that included 9-of-12 from the stripe.
• Western's proclivity for attacking the basket forced the Skyhawks into foul trouble as the Mountaineers went the to line 31 times to just 19 by FLC.
• Rebounding totals also favored Western, 43-36, led by Chloe Daniels' seven rebounds while four others came away with five rebounds each.
• Fort Lewis made only two 3-pointers in the game, but made up for 14% shooting from behind the arc by scoring 32 of its points in the paint. One Skyhawk fouled out of the game and three others ended the loss with four fouls each.

UP NEXT
Western has a home and away week upcoming, hosting Westminster University on Thursday, Feb. 19 then traveling to take on No. 4 Colorado Mesa University two days later.