Air Force Academy
BYU
Air Force Loses Close One To BYU, 52-47
1/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2008
PROVO, Utah - In the closest game ever in the series, Air Force lost a 52-47 heartbreaker at BYU Wednesday night in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action at the Marriott Center. The Falcons fall to 7-11 overall and 1-5 in MWC play.
The previous closest game ever in the series was a 78-66 Cougar win in 1998.
Trailing 50-47, the Falcons' last two three-point attempts were blocked and BYU (10-8, 4-2). The Cougars sank a pair of three throws with five seconds left to seal the win.
Seniors Jamie Davis and Pamela Findlay, and freshman Raimee Beck reached double-figures in scoring. The trio picked up the slack for the Falcons as leading scorer and rebounder Alecia Steele was limited to seven minutes in the second-half due to a hamstring injury.
Beck led Air Force with 13 points, making three, three-point baskets and dishing out three assists. Findlay scored 12 points, and made 8-of-8 free throws. The senior has not missed a free throw since the Dec. 8 game against Wisconsin. Davis scored 11 points, all in the first-half, making a career-high three, three pointers.
BYU was led by Mallary Carling, who scored 24 points, 16 in the second-half. Lauren Varley added nine points 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Air Force played inspired defense while Davis' hot shooting gave the Falcons a 22-20 lead at the half. BYU went ahead 5-0 to start the game, but AFA responded with a 17-3 run to jump ahead 17-8 with eight minutes left in the first half.
The Cougars were held to one three-point basket over an 11-minute span in the first-half while shooting just 34.6 percent from the field. Davis, meanwhile led the Falcons with 11 points and made all-three three-point attempts. The Falcons shot 31 percent from the field but made 50 percent of her shots.
In the second half, the BYU took the lead two minutes into the period and jumped ahead by five, 30-35, with 12 minutes left in the game. The Falcons were not done however, as they responded with a 9-0 run to go back up 39-35 with ten minutes left.
Carling scored eight of the Cougar's final 17 points to pull out the win for BYU.
Air Force returns to action Saturday, Feb. 2, hosting TCU.
