Air Force Academy
Wyoming
Falcons Suffer Heartbreaking 70-66 Loss to Wyoming
1/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2002
USAF, Colo. - (Jan. 31) The Air Force women's basketball team suffered a disappointing 70-66 loss to Wyoming, narrowly missing an opportunity for the first conference win of the season. The Falcons had a chance to tie with four seconds remaining, but a three-point attempt was off the mark, and Wyoming secured the victory.
"That's the best game we've played all year," said head coach Ardie McInelly. "We competed for 40 minutes. We didn't disappear."
Latoya Howell scored 25 points in the loss, the most scored by a player this season and the most scored by any Air Force player in a Mountain West game. She also had six steals, breaking the Air Force Division I single-season steals record. Her total for the season is now 61, breaking the old record of 60 set last year by ShaNekia Peebles.
Amoy Jackson took over in the second half, scoring 10 consecutive points for the Falcons to give the team a 49-46 lead at the 11:12 mark. The game would then turn into a see-saw battle, with the lead changing hands several times. Wyoming took a six-point lead with 3:02 remaining in the game, but the Falcons came back, tying the score at 63-63 apiece when Shawn Neff nailed a jumper just inside the arc.
Ann McColl, who finished the game with a team-high 24 points for Wyoming, scored the next four points to give Wyoming a 67-63 lead. With 20 seconds remaining, Howell had a steal on an inbounds pass. Rozalyn Russ made a lay up to close the gap to two points. After a missed free throw, the Falcons had a chance to tie the game but missed a three-point attempt in the waning seconds.
Amoy Jackson scored 14 points, all in the second half. Samantha Clifton and Jackson each had five rebounds, and Howell had six assists. The Falcons shot a season-high .482 percent (27-of-56) from the floor. They forced 30 Wyoming turnovers and grabbed 16 steals.
Three Wyoming players finished the game in double figures in scoring. Carrie Bacon had 15 points, while Carly Stucky added 12 points. McColl just missed getting the double-double, scoring 24 and grabbing nine rebounds. Wyoming did a solid job on the boards, out-rebounding Air Force 35-22 in the game and 19-6 in the first half.
Air Force (4-15, 0-6 MWC) will look for its first conference win of the season when it hosts Colorado State on Feb. 2.
