Davis brings in new players, Lanae Billy moving forward
Lauren Davis speaks with one of the players at the Northwest University game. Davis was announced as the new Fort Lewis girls basketball coach in April. (Courtesy of Lauren Davis)
Rebecca Brandts
A few years ago, there was an offseason for college basketball. Not so much now. With the transfer portal and unlimited transfers for college players without being sidelined, the college basketball offseason is more vibrant than ever. Most rosters have not been decided. Especially at the Division II level, players are constantly moving from one location to the next in search of better opportunities.
The Fort Lewis girls basketball team is no exception. New head coach Lauren Davis is in her first season as the women's basketball head coach and is looking to bring her competitive edge right away.
Davis and the Skyhawks announced on May 9th Darla Hernandez and Livia Knapp as two additions to the FLC roster for next season.
Hernandez, a native of Worland, Wyoming, played All-American at Northwest University in Davis and averaged 16.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting as a 5-foot-11 center in the 2022-2023 season. Hernandez then attended MSU Denver last season, where he averaged 3.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15 minutes per game in 22 games. Hernandez has one year of eligibility remaining.
Davis said of Hernandez, “She's just a super blue-collar kid who does the little things the right way.” “She's a really good rebounder, very athletic and plays great defense. For us at Northwest, she was a big key to what we do. She plays four or five. But she can stretch the floor… She's a winner. People love her. She's quiet and a little shy, but she's like her alter ego.”
Knapp spent his freshman season at Central Wyoming University, averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 RPG, and 3.3 assists per game in 27 games. The 5-6 guard then committed to the University of Southern Idaho for the 2022-2023 season, where he averaged 26.9 mpg, 9.3 ppg, and 3.9 apg.
Last season, Knapp committed to Division I Utah State and averaged 18.2 mpg, 2.7 ppg, and 1.0 apg. She has one year of eligibility left.
Davis said he tried to recruit Knapp to Northwest University, but Knapp went to the University of Southern Idaho, and he joked to Knapp this offseason that it would be rude to say no twice. Told.
“She's going to be a fan favorite, too,” Davis said of Knapp. “She's really tough. With the motor, she can go. You could have her play 40 minutes and she'd barely break a sweat. She could play point guard. But she can score. She's a pest on defense.”
Davis will have his hands full taking over production from FLC sophomore star Ranae Billy. Billy, who was FLC's leading scorer with 16 points last season, announced his intention to transfer on Instagram on April 30th after spending two seasons with Fort Lewis. Billy took official visits to Division I schools New Orleans and Weber State.
Fort Lewis College's Ranae Billy tries to prepare to play on January 19, 2024 while playing against Chadron State University in FLC. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
jerry mcbride
“I'm so excited for Ranae,” Davis said. “She's a really great basketball player, she's a really great person, and she's going to be able to make a difference on the team wherever she goes. I'm really excited for her in that sense. I've gotten to know her. I've had the pleasure of getting to know her in the three weeks since, and it's been amazing and I can see why everyone in the community loves her so much.”
Davis said he wants to replace Billy with a pure shooter who has good range and can get to the free-throw line.
The Skyhawks lost Ember Cervantes and Kelsey Sorenson to graduation. Junior guard Sadie Meisner also graduated and decided not to use her extra year of eligibility.
However, the good news for Skyhawks fans is that FLC returns seven players from last year's team. Forward Sara Chick and guards Natalie Guanella and Trista Hubler return as sophomores. Forward Kate Gallery returns for her junior season, and Sydney Bebbington also returns for her redshirt junior season. Guard Avery Evans and forward Samantha Watawa return for their senior seasons.
“I will give a lot of credit to Fort Lewis College and Durango,” Davis said. “I would say that's a big part of why they want to stay. They love Travis, they love the other athletes. In that sense, that was a big part of why they didn't want to transfer. Then, I think as we got to know each other, they probably realized that my style of play and the way I handled things matched up with what they were looking for in a program and a coach if they were to leave. .”
Davis is excited that the seven returners, who contributed to 51 percent of the Skyhawks' points last season, will help lay the foundation for a culture and new standards going forward.
bkelly@durangoherald.com