DURANGO, Colo. – The Regis University women's basketball team struggled offensively and suffered lengthy scoring droughts before falling to Fort Lewis, 63-46, at Whalen Gymnasium on Friday.
 
How It Happened: The Rangers faced a 46-31 deficit with only seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, a layup from redshirt freshman forward Eve Kulovitz beat the buzzer to push the Skyhawks to a 17-point, 48-31 lead and proved to be a sufficient cushion for Fort Lewis.
 
This was preceded by a layup from Regis junior forward Whitney Jacob with 1:26 left and a trey from freshman guard Sydney Daniels with 49 seconds remaining in the third that ended a lengthy drought for the Rangers, but the aforementioned layup from Kulovitz marked the last score change of the third, 48-31, as time expired and began a 6-0 run that extended into the fourth.
 
The run concluded on FLC junior forward Jordan Carter's jumper with 7:31 to go in the last quarter, making the score, 52-31.
 
A brief 6-0 run gave a little hope for RU when freshman guard Morgan R. Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers and shrunk the Rangers' deficit to 56-40 on the latter score with 3:55 remaining in regulation.
 
Finally, with Regis trailing, 63-43, Jacob's trey brought the deficit below 20, 63-46, and moved the game to its final result. Jacob's score occurred with only 50 seconds to go prior to the final buzzer.
 
After going a couple minutes without a point to start the game, junior guard Emma Sterkel put RU on the board with a jumper to tie the game at 2-2 with 7:38 left in the first quarter. This proved to be the first of four ties in the opening frame.
 
But after being at the wrong end of a 5-0 run during the middle of the first, back-to-back treys from freshman guard Kali Murrell at the 5:26 mark and Jacob at the 4:44 reading comprised a 6-0 run that brought the Rangers to a 9-7 lead.
 
However, following a jumper from junior forward Grace O'Neill that tied the game, 11-11, with 3:36 remaining in the opening 10 minutes, a jumper from freshman forward Jordan Vasquez and a layup from Carter with 3:21 and 1:07 left on the clock in the first, respectively, sent the Skyhawks to a 15-11 lead to end the first.
 
Those scores proved to be the start of a 13-0 run for Fort Lewis, and the run finally ended upon the completion of junior guard Sydney Candelaria's successful trip to the free-throw line at the 5:44 mark of the second and brought FLC to a 24-11 advantage.
 
The Skyhawks led by as many as 14 twice in the first half and closed it out with a 14-point, 32-18 margin on account of junior forward Chloe Warrington's 3-pointer with 1:21 to go before halftime.
 
Regis eventually reduced its offensive struggles to start the second half by going on an 8-0 run. The run commenced on senior forward Jaz'Myne Snipes' layup 1:35 into the second half and was capped by Jacob's trey with 7:03 left in the third. Jacob's basket trimmed RU's deficit to 32-26.
 
Unfortunately, Fort Lewis awoke from its scoring drought and answered with a 14-0 run that kicked off on Carter's jumper at the 6:24 mark of the third and ceased on junior guard Katrina Chandler's 3-pointer with 2:46 to go in the third quarter, which gave FLC a 46-26 lead.
 
Game Notes: Jacob led the Rangers with a double-double, consisting of a share of the game-high 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with a share of the team-high one steal. O'Neill finished with a game-high 13 rebounds in addition to five points, two assists, and a block. Sterkel had game-highs of three assists and three blocks as well as two points and two rebounds. Junior guard Tashika Burrell matched Jacob for the team-high one steal, finishing also with three points, four rebounds and two assists.

Points off turnovers and points in the paint proved to be difference makers in this contest for Regis. RU trailed the Skyhawks, 18-6, in points off turnovers. The Rangers were outscored by Fort Lewis in the paint by a tally of 28-10.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis drops to a 7-11 record overall and a 5-7 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. RU wraps up its road trip at Adams State (2-16, 2-10 RMAC) inside Plachy Hall Gym on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.