Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – For the second consecutive season, the Fort Lewis Skyhawks cut down the nets of Brownson Arena as the 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Champions. The Skyhawks took down top-seeded and regular season champions Colorado Mesa 86-75 in front of a crowd of 2,047 on Saturday, Mar. 9 in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
For the third time in this year’s tournament, Fort Lewis started the game cold, allowing the Mavs to open the game on a 12-0 run. After two successful free throws, the Skyhawks settled in and were able to play their brand of basketball. Six different players recorded multiple steals in the contest, amassing 13 takeaways on Saturday.
 
As for their offense, Fort Lewis looked to junior Obi Agbim to get them the title. It became apparently quickly that the Texan would have an excellent shooting performance leading the Skyhawks with 12 first-half points. Agbim finished with a career-high 33 points, 10-for-12 from the field and perfect behind the arc, draining four triples. His dominance pushed his Skyhawks to the lead late in the first half, a lead that they would not relinquish. Agbim received the 2024 RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player, awarded to the best performing player in the tournament from the championship winning team.
 
Despite letting the game get away from them early, the Mavs found a way to stay in the game. Redshirt junior Trevor Baskin set the tone with two three-pointers in the first six minutes and tallied 14 total points in the first 20 minutes. The CMU standout finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists, to keep the Mavericks hanging around late, while also being recognized as an All-Tournament Team selection.
 
With the championship acquired, the Skyhawks won their sixth RMAC tournament title in program history and their third crown since 2016. In addition to defeating the Mavericks for the championship, Fort Lewis also secured their second win at Brownson Arena in 2024. The Skyhawks held off CMU 87-79 on Friday, Jan. 26 in a very similar final score.
 

As for what’s next, Fort Lewis will appear in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament after receiving the RMAC’s automatic bid to the prestigious tournament. However, both teams will find out their NCAA Tournament fate tomorrow with the 2024 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Selection Show on Sunday, Mar. 10. The selection show can be viewed on NCAA.com and will start at 9 p.m. MT.