Falcons Travel To Utah
1/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Air Force vs. Utah
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Tipoff: 7 p.m. (Mtn.)
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Arena: Huntsman Center
Capacity: 15,000
Series: Utah leads, 25-0
Live Stats/Internet Radio/Video Streaming:www.utahutes.com
Falcons Travel To Utah
The Air Force women's basketball team travels to Salt Lake City, Utah to take on Utah on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Tip off is at 7 p.m. MST. Internet radio, live stats and internet video will be available for the game.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force is 4-11 on the season after falling at home to New Mexico, 73-39, on Saturday. Sophomore guard Raimee Beck leads the team offensively, scoring 13.3 points per game to go with 6.4 rebounds per game. Senior Kim Kreke is the top rebounder in the conference, averaging 10.1 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 Utah
Utah is 9-6 on the season after defeating San Diego State, 58-52, on Sunday. The Utes are led offensively by senior guard Morgan Warburton, who is averaging 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Series History/Notes
- Air Force and Utah have met 25 times with the Utes winning all 25 games.
- The two teams first met in 1998 as conference foes in the Western Athletic Conference. The Utes won both games that year and the first one on Jan. 22, 97-54.
- Air Force's closest game against Utah was a 50-53 loss at the 2001 MWC Championships when the 8th-seeded Falcons nearly upset the top-seeded Utes.
Last Meeting
The Air Force women's basketball team lost to #20/23 Utah, 71-52, in Mountain West Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Huntsman Center. Junior Brooke Cultra led the Falcons with 13 points.
Utah's Leilani Mitchell recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists. The Utes scored 24 points off turnovers while the Falcons scored just two. Jessica Perry added 12 points and Morgan Warburton 11 for Utah.
Cultra was 6-for-8 from the field, to go with four rebounds and two assists. Freshman Raimee Beck was the other Falcon in double-digits, scoring 12 points and leading the team with five rebounds.
Kim Kreke recorded three blocked shots and scored five points.
Utah raced out to a 40-25 lead at halftime. The Utes shot 59.3 percent from the field in the opening stanza. The Falcons committed nine turnovers while Utah had three and shot 40.9 percent from the field.
Air Force senior Alecia Steele did not score for the first time in 58 games and just the second time in 104 career games, both coming against Utah.
Air Force-Utah Connections
Air Force head coach Ardie McInelly and Utah head coach Elaine Elliott are both Boise State graduates. McInelly graduated in 1982 and Elliott in 1977.
AF vs. Utah History
1-22-98 Salt Lake City, UT^ L 54-972-21-98 USAFA, CO^ L 39-1002-5-00 USAFA, CO* L 49-843-4-00 Salt Lake City, UT* L 42-923-8-00 Las Vegas, NV** L 29-652-5-01 USAFA, CO* L 29-593-1-01 Salt Lake City, UT* L 33-803-7-01 Las Vegas, NV** L 50-531-17-02 USAFA, CO* L 39-672-16-02 Salt Lake City, UT* L 53-712-6-03 Salt Lake City, UT* L 39-683-8-03 USAFA, CO* L 42-673-12-03 Las Vegas, NV** L 46-831-22-04 Salt Lake City, UT* L 42-822-21-04 USAFA, CO* L 65-731-20-05 USAFA, CO* L 47-972-19-05 Salt Lake City, UT* L 45-743-9-05 Denver, CO** L 42-631-18-06 Salt Lake City, UT* L 45-902-18-06 USAFA, CO* L 53-793-8-06 Denver, CO** L 47-671-20-07 Salt Lake City, UT* L 59-802-22-07 USAFA, CO* L 52-601-9-08 USAFA* L 50-602-9-08 Salt Lake City, UT* L 52-71*MWC game**MWC Championships
Third In Free Throw Shooting In The Nation
Air Force is the third-best free throw shooting team in the nation, making 82.7 percent of its attempts from the line. The Falcons trail Drexel, who leads the nation making 83.3 percent from the line, and Murray State.
The Falcons boast seven players making 81 percent or better from the line. The Falcons have been perfect at the line in four games this year.
Air Force is currently ahead of the 2001-02 team's school record 76.5 percent free throw percentage. Air Force shot 71.4 percent from the line last year.
Four of the top 15 free throw shooting teams hail from the Mountain West Conference.
NCAA Team Free Throw Percentage1. Drexel 83.32. Murray State 82.93. Air Force 82.34. Utah 79.85. Marist 79.2
MWC Team Free Throw Percentage1. Air Force 82.32. Utah 79.83. TCU 76.54. New Mexico 76.3
Defense on Record Pace
Air Force is allowing 63.5 points per game. That total is 0.6 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 14 opponents to 57 or fewer points.
Kreke MWC's Top Rebounder
Kim Kreke leads the Mountain West Conference with 10.1 rebounds per game. The next closest player is UNLV's Shamela Hampton with 9.7 rebounds per game. Kreke averaged 4.6 rebounds per game as a junior. She has 10+ rebounds in eight games this year.
MWC Individual Rebounding 1. Kim Kreke, Air Force 10.1 2. Shamela Hampton, UNLV 9.7 3. Halie Sawyer, Utah 8.9 4. Paris Johnson, SDSU 8.4
Beck A Scoring Machine
Air Force guard Raimee Beck has become one of the Mountain West Conference's top scorers. The sophomore leads the team and is ninth in the MWC, averaging 13.3 points per game. Beck was named MWC Player of the Week on Dec. 8 after averaging 25.3 points and 7.3 rebounds during that 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 Averages Over 20 When Reaching Double-Figures
Although Raimee Beck leads the team with a 13.8 scoring average, that total increases significantly when the sophomore guard reaches double figures in a game. In her seven games reaching double-figures in scoring, Beck has averaged 22.3 points in those games. Air Force is 4-3 when Beck reaches double-figures in scoring.
Kreke Sets Academy Div. I Rebounding Mark; Twice
Kim Kreke had pulled down 19 rebounds in a game twice this season, setting a Air Force Div. I record in the process. Kreke first recorded 19 rebounds against Milwaukee. That total eclipsed the previous mark of 16 set by Mollie Peters vs. Texas-Pan American on Nov. 23, 1997. Kreke grabbed 19 rebounds again vs. UMKC on Dec 22. 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. UMKC, 12/22/0819 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
Falcon Trio Amongst MWC Leaders
Air Force seniors Brooke Cultra and Kim Kreke and sophomore Raimee Beck are amongst the MWC leaders in several categories.
Three-Point Baskets Per Game Beck 2nd/2.53 Blocked Shots Kreke 3rd/21 Scoring Beck 9th/13.3 Cultra 10th/13.1 Kreke 23rd/9.5 Rebounding Kreke 1st/10.1 Beck 13th/6.4 Cultra 13th/6.4 Free Throw Pct. Cultra 4th/88.5 Kreke 8th/81.6
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 13.3 RPG 3.7 6.4 3 PT% .343 .413 Dunsworth GP-GS 16-0 15-10 MPG 3.7 19.6 PPG 0.6 2.7 RPG 0.6 3.9 Puentes GP-GS 6-0 15-1 MPG 4.2 18.9 PPG 1.7 3.7 APG 0.2 1.7
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 four games and has been Air Force's top reserve. Schjodt is averaging 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, both top numbers for the Falcon reserves.
Schjodt GP-GS 3-0 15-4 MPG 5.0 23.6 PPG 2.3 6.1 RPG 1.0 3.3
Gault Turning Into Top Distributor
Point guard Anna Gault is quickly picking up the pace of Div. I basketball. Gault had a career-high 10 assists against North Carolina Central and has 5+ assists in four games. It was the first 10 assist game by a Falcons since 2002. Gault is currently averaging 3.3 assists per game, ranking eighth in the MWC.
Kreke Becomes Div. I Era Shot Block Leader
Senior Kim Kreke currently has 73 blocks for her career. That total is the most Air Force in the Div. I era, surpassing Ellen Jaeschke. Kreke currently ranks 4th all-time in shot blocks.
Most Blocks Career1. 122, Mary Manning 1981-852. 88, Chris Clausnitzer 1988-923. 79, Leigh Wilbanks 1988-914. 73, Kim Kreke* 2005-pr.5. 70, Carrie Carrow 1993, 95-966. 64, Stacy Goss 1983-867. 56, Ellen Jaeschke* 2004-058. 54, Brooke Cultra* 2005-pr.9. 52, Pamela Findlay* 2004-0810. 41, Mollie Peters* 1996-00*Div. I era
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.
Up Next
Air Force travels to Fort Worth, Texas to take on TCU on Saturday, Jan. 17.
