Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Falcons Clipped By New Mexico, 50-47
1/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2002
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Patrick Dennehy scored a career-high 17 points and his back-to-back baskets sparked a late New Mexico rally in a 50-47 win over Air Force Monday night.
New Mexico (11-4, 1-0 Mountain West) has never lost to Air Force in The Pit - a period of 36 years - but the Falcons nearly pulled it off this time.
The Falcons (6-9, 0-2 MWC) parlayed seven straight New Mexico turnovers into a 42-35 lead with 5:34 left. The Lobos, who finished with 17 turnovers, made up for their problems handling the ball by outrebounding the shorter Falcons by a margin of 36-14.
Freshman Tim Keller led the Air Force with 13 points and A.J. Kuhle added 11.
A steal and layup by Senque Carey got the Lobos' rally going. New Mexico reeled off a 13-2 run to take a 48-44 lead with 1:10 left.
Air Force cut the deficit to a point when Vernard Jenkins connected on a 3-pointer with 48.4 seconds left. Carey answered with a bankshot with 19.4 seconds left.
Keller put up a pair of off-balance 3-pointers in the final 6 seconds, but neither came close.
Carey, who got the start at point guard in place of Marlon Parmer, had a solid debut with 10 points and just one turnover in 35 minutes.
Parmer, who had a career-high 30 points in a loss to Gonzaga last week, is being disciplined by coach Fran Fraschilla.
