Fort Lewis managed to turn Colorado School of Mines’ home court into the danger zone during this weekend’s top-25 matchup.

The Skyhawks’ zone defense kept the Orediggers off-kilter, preventing the Mines starters from hitting their usual numbers. The Orediggers stuck with the Skyhawks through most of the game, though, thanks to 44 bench points and some timely second-chance shots.

Fort Lewis pulled away in the end, winning 93-87 and handing Mines its second loss of the season on Jan. 27.

“They were just amazing. We couldn’t stop them,” Mines coach Pryor Orser said of the Skyhawks. “ … They answered every call. That’s the sign of a really good team.”

The Orediggers rebounded the next night against Adams State, mauling the Grizzlies 102-81.

As of Jan. 29, Mines is 19-2 overall, 13-2 in the conference, and No. 2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference race. It’s just behind Black Hills State — its next opponent.

As they prepare for the Feb. 3 game at Black Hills State — the top-five team that beat Mines earlier this year — Orser said the Orediggers have to make shots against a zone defense.

Teams have figured out they can’t run man-to-man defense against Mines, so recent opponents have been running a zone. Although the Orediggers are moving and sharing the ball well, they’re just missing open shots, Orser described.

“And then it gets to our heads,” he continued. “ … You’ve got to make shots against a zone, and if you don’t, then it’s just deflating.”

Junior forward Riley Schroeder, who racked up 12 points in his 15 minutes against Fort Lewis, agreed that navigating a zone defense has “really messed up our flow.” The team needs to practice how to make those shots and minimize turnovers before heading to South Dakota, he explained.

“We’re kind of just chucking (the ball) around all over the place,” he said of the team’s zone offense. “That’s not conducive to win against elite talent like this.”

Amping up the atmosphere

With more than 800 people in the Lockridge Arena stands for Mines’ alumni weekend, the Skyhawks stayed just a possession or two ahead of the Orediggers throughout most of the first half.

With nine minutes left in the half, Mines finally closed the gap as an Adam Krasovec trey kicked off a 14-2 run for the home team.

But, junior guard Akuel Kot made back-to-back treys, helping Fort Lewis take back some of the momentum with five minutes left. The teams had four lead changes through the rest of the half, and the Orediggers went into the locker room up 44-43.

The Skyhawks opened the half with a 15-4 run, fueled by Oredigger turnovers and second-chance points. While Mines tried to generate some momentum, Fort Lewis managed to keep the home team at arm’s length through most of the second half.

With five minutes left, Mines cut the deficit to one point. But, once again, Fort Lewis answered with back-to-back treys, this time by Obi Agbim, along with a Kot jumper.

The teams battled in the final minutes until Mines was down by six with 1:44 left. So, the Orediggers resorted to playing the foul game to stop the clock, and looked for three-pointers at the other end.

The Skyhawks went 11-12 from the line, maintaining their lead to the bitter end. However, the Orediggers went down swinging, as Reagan Koch and Brendan Sullivan made three treys in the final 15 seconds.

Kot ended the game with 34 points — the most for either team. The Skyhawks also scored 13 points off turnovers, and shot 54% overall and 42% beyond the arc.

The Orediggers dominated inside, though, with 42 points in the paint and 17 second-chance points.

“Our starters didn’t play great,” Orser said. “Our bench actually played well, and we got a lead the first half. Once we subbed (our starters) back in, here comes Fort Lewis.”

Despite the loss, Schroeder said the Jan. 27 crowd was “one of the best crowds I’ve ever played for.” Along with Mines alumni, his friends from Denver Church of Christ also packed the stands, which he greatly appreciated.

“Even the opposing fans really just amped up the atmosphere,” he continued. “It was one of the most awesome games I’ve ever played in.”

The seven-game stretch

The Orediggers have seven games left in the regular season.

They start with two road games in South Dakota — Feb. 3 at Black Hills State and Feb. 4 at South Dakota Mines. Then, they’re home for three consecutive games, including the Feb. 18 Senior Night game.

After that, Mines closes out the regular season at Adams State Feb. 24 and at Fort Lewis Feb. 25.

Orser said Mines and Fort Lewis have built up a fun rivalry, with both teams winning big games at each other’s home venues.

So, if the Orediggers want to win in Durango, Orser said they’ll need to be “ready for a street fight” on Feb. 25. Mines must have the same laser-focused intensity that Fort Lewis did this weekend in Golden, he explained.

“(The Skyhawks) were ready for a street fight. We weren’t, and they won,” Orser said. “ … They had better focus than we did — there’s no question. We have to do the same.”

Schroeder was confident he and his teammate would be ready for the Durango trip, saying it would be a must-watch game.

“I hope they bring a crowd this big, so we can shut them up like they shut ours up,” Schroeder continued. “ … I would watch out for us. We’re not done yet. … We’re going to stick our nose to the ground and keep working hard.”