Air Force Academy
TCU
Falcons Fall 62-50 at TCU
2/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2009
The TCU men's basketball team used a game-high 20 points from Zvonko Buljan to collect a 62-50 victory over the Air Force Academy in Mountain West Conference action Wednesday night at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
The Frogs, who snapped a six-game losing streak, improved to 14-12 overall and 5-7 in conference action while the Falcons dropped their 13th straight game and fell to 9-16 overall and 0-12 in league play.
Air Force took its biggest lead of the game, a 17-12 advantage, following a three-pointer by Evan Washington, his first in MWC play this season, with 7:49 remaining before intermission. The Frogs were able to regain the lead at 18-17 at the 2:59 mark after a lay-in by Edvinas Ruzgas.
A pair of three-pointers by Grant Parker and Andrew Henke allowed the Falcons to take a one-point advantage at intermission by a 23-22 count. It was the third consecutive game Air Force led at the break.
In the second half, Buljan connected on back-to-back three-pointers to give the Frogs a five-point lead at 28-23 at the 18:59 mark. Buljan was 6-of-9 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers and 6-of-6 from the free throw line, to go along with eight rebounds and a career-high five steals.
The Falcons battled back to within three points at 40-37 at the 8:10 mark following a lay-in by Henke, but the Frogs went on a 16-2 run over the next six minutes to take a commanding 56-39 lead with 2:16 left on a three-pointer by Keion Mitchem.
Mitchem scored all 12 of his points in the final 7:36 of the game by connecting on 3-of-6 field goal attempts, including 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Henke led the Falcons with 13 points, while Anwar Johnson and Washington notched 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Air Force returns to Clune Arena to take on Colorado State on Saturday, Feb. 21 beginning at 4 p.m.
Air Force Post-Game Notes
-- Air Force is 0-12 in conference play for the first time since the 1993-94 season
-- AFA's 13-game losing streak is the longest since losing the last 13 games of the 1995-96 season and the first three of the '96-97 season (16 overall)
-- Air Force is 0-13 when scoring 59 points or less this season
-- The Falcons' bench scored 30 points or more for the third straight game
-- Air Force outrebounded its oppponent for just the fourth time in 12 league games
-- Junior Mike McLain grabbed a career-high six rebounds
-- Freshman Brandon Provost scored the first points of his career
