Air Force Academy
San Diego State
Falcons Clinch First-Ever Conference Title!
3/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2004
History came in and overtook the Air Force men's basketball team at Clune Arena Monday night, which is more than can be said for the other seven teams in the Mountain West Conference.
Nick Welch scored 17 points and Air Force's stifling defense shut down San Diego State 61-49 Monday to complete an undefeated home season and clinch its first-ever conference title. The Falcons (21-5, 11-2 MWC) had never before finished higher than sixth place, when it was in the Western Athletic Conference.
The victory moves Air Force, which was picked to finish last in the MWC preseason poll, closer to its first postseason appearance since the 1962 NCAA Tournament. History is on their side, as the only other outright champion (Wyoming in 2001-02) and all but one of the teams to tie for the championship the other three seasons have advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Air Force played its typical game Monday, which was the final home game for seniors Marcus Jenkins, Joel Gerlach and A.J. Kuhle. They did not disappoint the 5,811 fans that came out on this historic night. Gerlach scored 14 points and tied his season-high with four 3-pointers, while Kuhle scored just two points but dished out a career-high 11 assists, five more than the entire San Diego State team. Welch added a team-high seven rebounds.
The Falcons made a season-high 13 three-pointers and committed just 10 turnovers, nine less than the Aztecs (14-14, 5-8 MWC). Air Force's guard duo of Tim Keller and Antoine Hood scored 12 points apiece.
The nation's leading defense held SDSU's Brandon Heath scoreless and allowed Chris Walton just two points. Heath went into the game averaging 14.5 points and Walton was averaging 8.8. Aerick Sanders led the Aztecs with 15 points, followed by Wesley Stokes with 13.
Air Force, which closes out the 2003-04 regular season this Saturday, March 6 in Laramie against the Wyoming Cowboys, will attempt to post the best regular-season record in the five-year history of the Mountain West Conference. No league team has ever finished 12-2.
