Air Force Academy
UNLV
Falcons Notch Thrilling Victory Over UNLV, 73-72
1/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2003
The Air Force women's basketball team notched a thrilling one-point victory over conference opponent UNLV. Shawna Neff made a lay up with 11 seconds remaining in the game to give the Falcons the 73-72 victory. It was the first Mountain West win of the year for Air Force and the first ever for head coach Ardie McInelly.
"It was a total team effort," McInelly said. "We played solid defense and executed well on offense. We beat a very good team tonight and I am very proud of our players."
The Falcons got off to a slow start, falling behind early. With less than seven minutes remaining in the first half, Air Force trailed by 12 points. But the team mounted a furious comeback, going on a 15-4 run to close out the half. Jennifer Roesch nailed back-to-back three pointers to give the Falcons a one-point halftime lead (41-40).
"We fell behind but we continued to battle," McInelly said. "We had a great run at the end of the half. Roesch's three-pointers were huge. We had all the momentum going into the break."
The second half was a see-saw battle, with the teams constantly exchanging leads. The Falcons led by three points on two occasions - their largest lead of the game. The Rebels pulled ahead by as much as seven points, but the Falcons refused to quit.
Trailing 69-65 with less than three minutes remaining, Alison Butler hit a jumper to cut the lead to two points. Constance Jinks would score on the next possession to give the Rebels the four-point cushion. LaToya Howell would make a lay up, followed by a great defensive stop by the Falcons. Neff would tie the score at 71 apiece on a jumper in the key. After a Rebel free throw, Neff would then hit the game winner. Jinks' three-point attempt with three seconds remaining clanked off the rim, and Butler would secure the rebound.
The Falcons finished the game shooting a season-best 54.9 percent (28-of-51) from the floor. Roesch and Neff each had 17 points to pace the team in scoring. Emily Gross chipped in 11 points. Howell finished the game with nine points and 15 assists. The 15 assists set a new Air Force Division I single game record, and was one assist shy of tying the all-time record. Howell has 115 assists on the season - a new Falcon single season record. Butler finished the game with a career-high nine rebounds, including an offensive board on a missed free throw with two seconds left in the game to clinch the victory.
Jinks led all scorers with 22 points. Sherry McCracklin notched a double-double for the Rebels, scoring 20 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. The Rebels were 29-of-68 (42.6 percent) from the field.
The victory snaps a 41-game conference losing streak for the Falcons and an 11-game losing streak versus the Rebels. It is just the second league victory since the team joined the Mountain West in 1999. Next up for the Falcons is San Diego State on Feb. 1st in Clune Arena. Tip off is 2 p.m. Admission is free for all women and girls.
