Saturday, February 25
USAFA, CO
1:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
76
vs
66
Nevada
Women’s Basketball Honors 2023 Graduates With 76-66 Win Over Nevada
2/25/2023 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Postgame Interviews | Box Score
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – On a day when the Air Force women's basketball team was celebrating its graduating class and with seeding implications on the line in the upcoming 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Falcons took an early lead over Nevada and never looked back, downing the Wolf Pack 76-66 in Clune Arena on Saturday.
Five Falcons posted double-digit scoring, with sophomore Madison Smith leading the way; Smith ended with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists behind an eight-point offensive in the third quarter.
Senior Nikki McDonald closed her final game in Clune with 15 points on 7-10 shooting; Kayla Pilson, Milahnie Perry and freshman Faith Shelton each closed with ten apiece.
Nevada (9-19, 6-11 MW) opened up an early lead and managed to hold the Falcons out front, as Air Force scoring settled into the game. After McDonald started off her day with a pair of open-lane layups to start the day, Nevada landed a pair of three-pointers to keep the Wolf Pack out to a slight lead through the majority of the first quarter before missing their next seven attempts from distance, allowing Air Force to gain the foothold it needed to take control.
At the 47 second mark in the quarter with the game tied at 14-all, Pilson took the ball the length of the court, answering with an unassisted layup of her own to keep the game tied, before freshman Faith Shelton claimed the lead for Air Force on a jumper on the proceeding final possession – A lead which the Falcons would retain for the remainder of the game.
After settling in, the Air Force (13-16, 8-9 MW) offense showed out in the second quarter, shooting 59 percent from the field, while going 2-2 from three-point range along the way.
It was the honored seniors who led the Falcons through the opening minutes of the second frame, as Heath and McDonald both put up a rapid four points, leading off on a 5-7 showing in the first three and a half minutes of the quarter. On the opposite end, Nevada shot 56 percent on the quarter to answer, bringing the game back to a tie off a turnaround jumper for Audrey Roden. Down the final two minutes, Air Force managed ten points, largely produced off the shoulders of Shelton.
A driving layup for Smith and a last-second jumper near the right wing for Nevada's Gabby Jones closed the half with Air Force leading 39-33.
The Falcons' scoring uptick in the second quarter carried into the third, as the Falcons shot 62 percent from the floor, outscoring Nevada 20-10 and leading by as much as 14. An eight-point quarter for Smith, going 3-5 on the floor and 2-3 at the free throw line forced the Falcons out to a double-digit lead, punctuated by Perry beating the third quarter buzzer on a jumper at the top of the key to give Air Force a 59-43 lead heading into the final quarter.
Nevada made a concerted effort in the final quarter to even the contest, taking advantage of an 0-5 start by the Falcons and taking off on a 9-0 run bringing the Wolf Pack within seven at 59-52 with nearly seven minutes remaining.
A the four minute mark, with the Falcons still white-knuckling a seven-point lead, McDonald, with four fouls, essentially put the game on ice, going on a solo 7-0 run within a minute and a half of play, pushing the Falcons back out to a 14-point lead with 2:32 to go before fouling out with 1:03 remaining in regulation.
Free throw opportunities for Nevada brought them back within single digits inside of the final minute, but the damage had already been done, as Air Force closed on a ten-point win and snapping a five-game losing streak in the Falcons' home finale.
Air Force women's basketball closes regular season competition on Tuesday night at San Diego State, tipping off in Viejas Arena at 7 p.m.
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – On a day when the Air Force women's basketball team was celebrating its graduating class and with seeding implications on the line in the upcoming 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Falcons took an early lead over Nevada and never looked back, downing the Wolf Pack 76-66 in Clune Arena on Saturday.
Five Falcons posted double-digit scoring, with sophomore Madison Smith leading the way; Smith ended with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists behind an eight-point offensive in the third quarter.
Senior Nikki McDonald closed her final game in Clune with 15 points on 7-10 shooting; Kayla Pilson, Milahnie Perry and freshman Faith Shelton each closed with ten apiece.
Nevada (9-19, 6-11 MW) opened up an early lead and managed to hold the Falcons out front, as Air Force scoring settled into the game. After McDonald started off her day with a pair of open-lane layups to start the day, Nevada landed a pair of three-pointers to keep the Wolf Pack out to a slight lead through the majority of the first quarter before missing their next seven attempts from distance, allowing Air Force to gain the foothold it needed to take control.
At the 47 second mark in the quarter with the game tied at 14-all, Pilson took the ball the length of the court, answering with an unassisted layup of her own to keep the game tied, before freshman Faith Shelton claimed the lead for Air Force on a jumper on the proceeding final possession – A lead which the Falcons would retain for the remainder of the game.
After settling in, the Air Force (13-16, 8-9 MW) offense showed out in the second quarter, shooting 59 percent from the field, while going 2-2 from three-point range along the way.
It was the honored seniors who led the Falcons through the opening minutes of the second frame, as Heath and McDonald both put up a rapid four points, leading off on a 5-7 showing in the first three and a half minutes of the quarter. On the opposite end, Nevada shot 56 percent on the quarter to answer, bringing the game back to a tie off a turnaround jumper for Audrey Roden. Down the final two minutes, Air Force managed ten points, largely produced off the shoulders of Shelton.
A driving layup for Smith and a last-second jumper near the right wing for Nevada's Gabby Jones closed the half with Air Force leading 39-33.
The Falcons' scoring uptick in the second quarter carried into the third, as the Falcons shot 62 percent from the floor, outscoring Nevada 20-10 and leading by as much as 14. An eight-point quarter for Smith, going 3-5 on the floor and 2-3 at the free throw line forced the Falcons out to a double-digit lead, punctuated by Perry beating the third quarter buzzer on a jumper at the top of the key to give Air Force a 59-43 lead heading into the final quarter.
Nevada made a concerted effort in the final quarter to even the contest, taking advantage of an 0-5 start by the Falcons and taking off on a 9-0 run bringing the Wolf Pack within seven at 59-52 with nearly seven minutes remaining.
A the four minute mark, with the Falcons still white-knuckling a seven-point lead, McDonald, with four fouls, essentially put the game on ice, going on a solo 7-0 run within a minute and a half of play, pushing the Falcons back out to a 14-point lead with 2:32 to go before fouling out with 1:03 remaining in regulation.
Free throw opportunities for Nevada brought them back within single digits inside of the final minute, but the damage had already been done, as Air Force closed on a ten-point win and snapping a five-game losing streak in the Falcons' home finale.
Air Force women's basketball closes regular season competition on Tuesday night at San Diego State, tipping off in Viejas Arena at 7 p.m.