Air Force Academy
Wyoming
Falcons Drop Eighth-Straight To Cowboys
2/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb 18, 2003
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Jay Straight had 27 points and hit all five of his 3-point attempts as Wyoming held on to beat Air Force 64-57 Monday night.
Wyoming (18-6, 6-3 Mountain West Conference) has won eight straight and 26 of 27 over Air Force. The Cowboys shot 50 percent or better for the fourth time in six games and were 9-for-14 from 3-point range after hitting a school-record 11 against New Mexico Saturday.
Air Force (11-11, 2-7) overcame a slow start to shoot 52 percent, but didn't have anything left down the stretch and lost for the fourth time in five games.
Tim Keller led Air Force with 24 points but made just three of five free throws in the final 1:52.
Air Force trailed by as much as 11 in the first half but took a 47-45 lead with 3:32 left on a 3-pointer by Tom Bellairs.
Straight closed out any chance the Falcons had of completing the comeback, hitting long 3-pointers on the next two possessions. His first was from about five feet behind the line and his second, from about two feet closer, put the Cowboys up 51-47 with 2:10 left.
Keller hit one of two free throws on the other end, but it was as close as the Falcons would get.
Straight finished 9-for-10 from the field. Donta Richardson added 17 points.
Both teams were coming off hot-shooting games, but only Wyoming was able to keep it going at the start.
The Cowboys, who set a school record with 11 3-pointers against New Mexico on Saturday, made six of their first nine shots - three from long range - to open with a 15-4 lead.
Air Force set a school record by hitting 71 percent of its shots in a win over Colorado State on Saturday, but struggled against Wyoming's aggressive man defense in the early going.
Joel Gerlach and Keller each scored on driving layups to open the game, but the Falcons missed their next eight shots - many with the shot clock winding down.
Air Force recovered to shoot 44 percent by the end of the half, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Cowboys.
Wyoming consistently found gaps in Air Force's zone, making 8-of-15 shots to take a 25-19 lead. The Cowboys were 5-for-9 from 3-point range, with Straight making both of his attempts to finish the half with 10 points.
