Air Force Academy
Oakland
Falcons Drop Decision To Oakland, 57-53
12/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 8, 2001
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Oakland University used its defense to stifle Air Force's shooters Saturday as the Golden Grizzlies earned a 57-53 win over the Falcons.
"We didn't want them to get comfortable shooting the ball," Oakland coach Greg Kampe said. "We wanted to trap everything and run around and make them catch and shoot in a hurry."
Harried by the trap, Air Force (4-4) missed its first six field goal attempts, while the Golden Grizzlies jumped up 10-1 with 13:42 left in the first half.
Sophomore guard Mike Helms led Oakland with 19 points in the game.
The Falcons adjusted later in the half and rattled off an 18-5 run to take a 26-21 lead 2:12 before halftime.
Helms rallied the Golden Grizzlies with two field goals and a free throw to tie it at 28 at the break.
The teams changed leads six times in the second half and were tied five times, with neither team able to pull out to more than a four-point advantage.
A layup by Air Force's Robert Todd with four minutes left put the Falcons up 47-44. Todd and Tom Bellairs led Air Force with 12 points each.
Oakland's Brad Buddenborg answered with a 3-pointer to tie it seconds later.
"So you work all that time," Air Force coach Joe Scott said. "And play as valiantly as we played so that you have a three-point lead, then you give them a three-point shot in less than nine seconds."
Leading 52-51 with two minutes left, Oakland hit five of six free throws to seal the win.
