Falcons Host UMKC
12/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
UMKC vs. Air Force
Monday, Dec. 22 - Noon
USAF Academy, Colo. - Clune Arena
Series: UMKC leads, 1-0
Live Stats: www.goairforcefalcons.com
Radio: 1300 AM in Colorado Springs
Internet Radio: www.goairforcefalcons.com
Radio Talent: Jay Ritchie
Falcons Host UMKC
The Air Force women's basketball team plays host to UMKC this Monday, Dec. 22. The game, which tips off at noon, can be listened to locally on 1300 AM and worldwide online at goairforcefalcons.com.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force is 3-6 on the season after dropping a 84-42 game at Denver. Sophomore guard Raimee Beck leads the team offensively, scoring 15.4 points per game to go with 6.7 rebounds per game. Senior Kim Kreke is the top rebounder in the conference averaging 10.4 boards per game.
Air Force In 2007-08
Air Force went 10-19 in 2007-09. The Falcons were 4-12 in Mountain West Conference play, finishing in seventh place. The four conference wins and seventh place finish were all-time bests in MWC play for Air Force. Senior forward Alecia Steele led Air Force in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Steele was also named team MVP. Steele and senior guard Pamela Findlay earned all-MWC honors.
Scouting UMKC
UMKC is 4-7 on the season after falling at Northern Arizona and Colorado last week. UMKC, located in Kansas City, Mo. and member of the Summitt League, are led offensively by junior guard Chaszy Morris, who is averaging 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Series History
Air Force played UMKC for the first time ever last year on Nov. 11, a 65-59 Kangaroo win in Kansas City.
Last Meeting
Air Force lost a 65-59 contest at UMKC in women's basketball action Nov. 11, 2007, at the Swinney Recreation Center.
Senior forward Alecia Steele led the Falcons with 18 points and 12 rebounds to record her 16th career double-double.
Air Force, who ended up trailing the entire game, started the game off sluggish, struggling early-on with UMKC's full-court press. The Falcons committed 14 turnovers in the first half, 19 for the game, to trail 35-31 at the break. The Falcons never got in-sync offensively, as the Kangaroos answered back after seemingly every Air Force basket. Air Force pulled to within one point of UMKC ten different times, but could never take the lead.
The Falcons had pulled to within one point, again, midway through the second half, but the Kangaroos took control of the game with a ten point run to lead, 58-47, with eight minutes left.
Air Force also had a difficult time defending the inside. UMKC outscored AFA, 36-16, in the paint and won the rebound battle, 45-39.
The Kangaroos' top scorer was center Alysa Klein, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Air Force's second-leading scorer was junior Brooke Cultra with 12 points. Senior Pamela Findlay added 11 points and seven rebounds. Air Force shot 34 percent from the field and 76 percent (19-of-25) from the free throw line.
Air Force-UMKC Connections
- Air Force senior forward Dana Loveless is a native of St. Louis, Mo., and attended Metro Academy High School.
Beck Leading Falcons In Scoring
Air Force guard Raimee Beck has become one of the Mountain West Conference's top scorers. The sophomore leads the team and ranks seventh in the MWC averaging 15.4 points per game. Beck was recently named MWC Player of the Week on Dec. 8 after averaging 25.3 points and 7.3 rebounds during that previous week.
Here are some of Beck's highlights so far this year:
- Scored a career-high 30 points against North Carolina Central, becoming the first Falcon to reach 30 points in a game since 2002.
- Was 8-for-8 from three-point range vs. NCCU, tying a school record for three's in a game and shattering the previous school mark of 4-for-4 for perfect three's in a game. The 8-for-8 on three' was also a new MWC record and one shy of tying the NCAA record.
- At one point, made 12-consecutive three-point baskets over the three games, two off the NCAA record of 14.
- Scored 21 points vs. Barry and 25 vs. Miami (Ohio).
- Named to Air Force Classic All-Tournament Team.
Beck Season Stats after last week After First 5 games After 9 games.PPG 10.8 15.4FG% .279 .4073PT% .200 .431Assist PG 2.2 2.4
Second In The Nation in Free-Throw Percentage
Air Force is currently second in the nation in team free throw percentage, making 83.7 percent from the line. Murray State is currently the top free throw shooting team in the nation, making 83.9 percent from the line. Senior Brooke Cultra is 10th in the nation, making 93.1 percent of her free throws.
Falcons At or Near Top In Several MWC Categories
Air Force is the Mountain West Conference's top free throw shooting team and ranks second in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage. The Falcons are allowing the opposition to score 58.8 points per game and shoot 36.3 percent from the field. The team is making 83.7 percent of their free throw attempts, which also ranks.
The Falcons also rank fourth in rebounding, pulling down 39.4 rebounds per game. The Falcons allowed 64.5 points per game, shot 71.4 percent from the line and averaged 35.7 rebounds per game in 2007-08.
MWC Team Defense1. New Mexico 55.92. Air Force 58.83. Utah 60.14. Wyoming 61.7
MWC Team Free Throw Percentage1. Air Force 83.72. Utah 82.53. TCU 80.14. New Mexico 76.5
MWC Team Rebounding1. New Mexico 43.22. Colorado State 41.43. UNLV 40.24. Air Force 39.4
Defense on Record Pace
Air Force is allowing 58.8 points per game. That total is nearly five points per game fewer than the all-time Div. I era school record of 64.1 ppg by the 2004-05 team. The Falcons have held six of their nine opponents to 57 or fewer points.
Kreke MWC's Top Rebounder
Kim Kreke leads the Mountain West Conference with 10.4 rebounds per game. The next closest player is UNLV's Shamela Hampton with 9.0 rebounds per game. Kreke averaged 4.6 rebounds per game as a junior. She has at least 11 rebounds in five of nine games this year.
MWC Individual Rebounding 1. Kim Kreke, Air Force 10.4 2. Shamela Hampton, UNLV 9.1 3. Paris Johnson, SDSU 8.1 4. Jaime Smith, UNLV 7.9
Kreke Sets Academy Div. I Rebounding Mark
Kim Kreke recorded 19 rebounds against Milwaukee. That total is an Air Force Div. I record, eclipsing the previous mark of 16 set by Mollie Peters vs. Texas-Pan American on Nov. 23, 1997. The 19 rebounds ties for the fourth-most in Air Force history, the seventh-highest mark in Mountain West Conference history and the second-highest total by a senior in MWC history.
Most Rebounds In A Game By Air Force31 Mary Jo Wier vs. New Mexico Highlands, 2/11/7726 Mary Manning vs. Northern Colorado, 3/11/8224 Mary Jo Wier vs. Colorado Mines, 2/1/7719 Kim Kreke vs. Milwaukee, 11/22/0819 Mary Manning vs. Northern Colorado, 1/29/8517 Theresa Blad vs. Abilene Christian, 3/8/8517 Melissa Standley vs. Mesa State, 11/17/8916 Mollie Peters vs. Texas Pan-American, 11/23/97
Kreke Becomes Div. I Era Shot Block Leader
Senior Kim Kreke currently has 63 blocks for her career. That total is the most Air Force in the Div. I era, surpassing Ellen Jaeschke. Kreke currently ranks 56th all-time in shot blocks.
Most Blocks Career1. 122, Mary Manning 1981-852. 88, Chris Clausnitzer 1988-923. 79, Leigh Wilbanks 1988-914. 70, Carrie Carrow 1993, 95-965. 66, Kim Kreke* 2005-pr.6. 64, Stacy Goss 1983-867. 56, Ellen Jaeschke* 2004-058. 52, Pamela Findlay* 2004-089. 51, Brooke Cultra* 2005-pr.10. 41, Mollie Peters* 1996-00*Div. I era
Beck & Cultra Also Amongst MWC Leaders
Raimee Beck and Brooke Cultra rank in the MWC top 10 in several categories.
Scoring Beck 7th/15.4 Cultra 10th/14.1 Rebounding Cultra 10th/6.8 Beck 11th/6.7 Free Throw Pct. Cultra 3rd/93.1 Beck 9th/85.7 Three-Point Baskets Per Game Beck 2nd/2.78
Sophomore Class Emerging
Several Air Force sophomores have shown improvement since their freshmen campaigns. Guard Stevie Puentes and center Liz Dunsworth have already surpassed their point and minutes played totals as freshmen and guard Raimee Beck has improved her scoring and rebounding averages.
Beck 2007-08 2008-09 PPG 9.0 15.4 RPG 3.7 6.7 Dunsworth GP-GS 16-0 9-5 MPG 3.7 20.0 PPG 0.6 2.6 RPG 0.6 5.3 Puentes GP-GS 6-0 9-1 MPG 4.2 18.0 PPG 1.7 3.8 APG 0.2 1.3
Schjodt A Pleasant Surprise
Kathleen Schjodt, the lone junior on the team, has also provided solid minutes this year. After seeing limited minutes as a freshman and even less time as a sophomore due to injury, the junior has started three games and has already surpassed her minutes played the first two years combined.
Schjodt GP-GS 3-0 9-3 MPG 5.0 22.9 PPG 2.3 5.7 RPG 1.0 3.6
Gault Turning Into Top Distributor
Point guard Anna Gault is quickly picking up the pace of Div. I basketball, as the freshman had some solid games last week. After dishing out six assists against Barry on Monday, Gault had a career-high 10 assists against North Carolina Central. It was the first 10 assist game by a Falcons since 2002. Gault is currently averaging 3.7 assists per game, ranking eighth in the MWC.
Injury Sidelines Loveless For Remainder Of Season
Senior power forward Dana Loveless will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season after suffering a sprained ankle and torn left ACL in the season-opener against Northern Colorado. Both injuries happened on the same play just eight minutes into the game.
Falcons Picked To Finish Ninth In MWC
In the preseason conference poll released in October, Air Force was chosen by the coaches and select media to finish ninth in the Mountain West.
1. Utah (16) 2062. San Diego State (6) 1843. TCU (2) 1614. New Mexico (2) 1485. BYU 1176. Wyoming 1137. UNLV 808. Colorado State 449. Air Force 36(First Place Votes)
Seven Regular Season Games on TV
A record seven Air Force women's basketball regular season games will be televised. The Falcons will have four games on the Mountain West Sports Network (Mtn.) and games on CBS College Sports (CBS C), Fox Rocky Mountain (Fox RM) and BYU TV. Air Force could also have games televised at the MWC Championships.
Air Force WBB TV ScheduleNov. 29 Army Mtn.Dec. 10 at Denver Fox RMJan. 3 Navy Mtn.Jan. 7 at San Diego St. CBS CJan. 20 Colorado St. Mtn.Feb. 4 at BYU BYU TVFeb. 21 at Colorado St. Mtn.M 10-14 MWC Tourney Mtn./CBS C/VERSUS
Team Captains
Seniors Brooke Cultra and Kim Kreke have been named team co-captains for the 2008-09 season. Cultra is a three-year letterwinner and returning starter at shooting guard. Kreke is also a three-year letterwinner and returning starter at center.
Nine Letterwinners and Three Starters Return
Nine letterwinners and three starters return for the Falcons.
Sophomore Raimee Beck, senior Brooke Cultra and senior Kim Kreke are Air Forces returning starters.
Senior Dana Loveless, junior Kathleen Schjodt and sophomores Jenny Bandi, Candice Chase, Liz Dunsworth and Stevie Puentes round out the other returners.
Falcons Welcome Five Newcomers
Air Force welcomes five freshmen in 2008-09.
G Ariane Brown - Colorado Springs, CO (Palmer HS)
G Anna Gault - Aurora, IL (Waubonsie Valley HS)
G Kira Gonzalez - Olathe, KS (DeSoto HS)
G Jamela Satterfield - Sacramento, CA (Sheldon HS)
F Amber Wilmore - Colorado Springs, CO (Falcon HS)
Up Next
Air Force hits the road for a pair of road games in Illinois. The Falcons take on Bradley on Dec. 28 and Chicago State on Dec. 30.
