Little Fort Lewis College in Durango hasn’t been so little in women’s college basketball the last three seasons.
Records of 26-4 in 2007-08, 28-4 in 2008-09 and 35-3 this season should make it clear that coach Mark Kellogg’s teams know what they’re doing on the hardwood.
If the Skyhawks defeat Emporia (Kan.) State (29-5) tonight in the final of the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament, there won’t be any doubt. A victory not only would send a spotlight to the Four Corners area, it would bring the first women’s national basketball title to the school and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
“We’re ready for the challenge in front of us and excited about the position we’re in,” Kellogg said Thursday from St. Joseph’s, Mo., where the tournament is being played.
The citizens of Durango also are ready to add their support. Kellogg said the town would be decked out in the Fort Lewis colors of blue and gold in anticipation of the game.
“I don’t know right now how to express what it would mean to all of us, the town and the conference if we win,” Kellogg said. “But the impact would be big.”
Kellogg saw this super year coming and not just because of the impressive records the two years before.
“This is as close-knit a group as I’ve been around,” Kellogg said. “You have to have a special quality to do what they have done, and this team has it. These players have taken me on a ride, and we’re living for the moment.”
Kellogg starts four seniors — Allison Rosel of Colorado Springs, Laura Haugen of Fort Collins, Katie Mackey of Eaton and Audrey George of Longmont — and all four have scored more than 1,000 career points.
“We have a ton of balance offensively,” Kellogg said. “We’re unique on defense. We press a little bit, we play man and we play some zone. A lot of teams don’t see that type of defensive play during the season.”
Rosel, the leading scorer this season at 14.7 points per game, credits the experience gained from being together for four years and a lot of hard work.
“The hard work has paid off,” she said. “We didn’t know much about each other when we got here. If we win it, it will be amazing for us seniors and a great accomplishment for all of us.
“Fort Lewis is a pretty well-kept secret in the state,” she added. “We’re becoming a little more well-known.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
