Falcons Head To BYU Wednesday
1/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Air Force vs. BYU
Saturday, Jan. 13
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
Location: Provo, Utah
Arena: Marriott Center
Capacity: 22,400
Series: BYU leads, 22-1
Last Meeting: BYU won, 42-31, on March 7, 2009.
Live Stats/Internet Radio: www.byucougars.com
TV: BYU TV (Live).
Play-by-Play - Jarom Jordan, Color - Kristen Kozlowski
Re-Broadcast on The Mtn.
(Thurs., Jan. 14, at 3 p.m. MST).
Falcons Head To BYU Wednesday
The Air Force women's basketball hits the road for its first Mountain West Conference road game at BYU this Wednesday, Jan. 13. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on BYU TV and rebroadcast on the Mtn. on Thursday afternoon.
2009-10 Falcons
Air Force returns six letterwinners and three starters from last years team. Junior guard Raimee Beck is the Falcons' top returning scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game as a sophomore. Junior center Liz Dunsworth and sophomore point guard Anna Gault also started last year. Air Force welcomes nine freshmen to the team, the largest freshman class in school history.
Last Outing
Air Force dropped a 74-68 contest against Colorado State on Jan. 9. Freshman forward Kelsey Berger led the Falcons with a career-high 23 points. Sophomore guard Anna Gault also had 12 assists in the game, the second most in a game in the Div. I ear for Air Force.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force is 3-12 on the season. Junior guard Raimee Beck leads the team offensively, scoring 14.8 points per game to go with 7.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Anna Gault ranks third in the confernce, averaging 5.2 assists per game. Air Force is averaging 56.5 points per game and allowing 67.1.
Scouting BYU
BYU is 10-3 on the season after defeating UNLV, 71-61, last Wednesday. Junior guard Mindy Bonham (formely Nielsen) leads the team offensively, scoring 12.0 points per game to go with 4.3 rebounds. The Cougars are averaging 69.5 points per game and allowing 55.5.
Series History/Notes
- Air Force and BYU have met 22 times with the Cougars having won 21 of 22.
- The two teams first met on Jan. 24, 1998, a 103-60 BYU win in Provo.
- In the last meeting at the Academy, Air Force defeated BYU for the first time ever, 54-49, on March 3, 2008.
Last Meeting
The Air Force women's basketball team dropped a 42-31 Mountain West Conference game to BYU March 7, 2009, at Clune Arena. The 73 total points was the lowest combined-scoring total in a game for Air Force this season. With tough defense being played on both ends, BYU shot 29.9 percent from the field while Air Force was 26.5 percent. Cassie King led the Cougars with 15 points and five rebounds. Mindy Nielson added 11 points and four steals and Kristen Riley chipped in with three blocked shots. Raimee Beck led Air Force with 14 points, hitting four three-point baskets. Kim Kreke added six points and 12 rebounds and Liz Dunsworth scored six and grabbed three boards. By taking 13 more shots than the Falcons, BYU jumped out to a 25-16 halftime lead. Air Force hung around in the second-half, getting to within six points with 3:49 left in the game at 37-31. The Cougars went on to score the final five points the rest of the way to close out the game. This was the final home game for Kreke and fellow senior Brooke Cultra. Cultra scored two points, grabbed seven rebounds and led the team with three assists. Prior to tipoff, Cultra, Kreke and fellow injured senior Dana Loveless were honored for their four years of contribution to Falcon women's hoops.
Opponent Connections
- BYU junior guard Mindy Bonham (Nielson) is a native of Centennial, Colo., and attended Regis Jesuit High School.
Colorado State Game Recap
The Air Force women's basketball team lost to Colorado State, 74-68, Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena.
Despite shooting 66.7 percent from three-point range and 53.3 percent from the field, the Falcons could not get past Colorado State. Air Force also out-rebounded Colorado State 36-22.
The Rams were able to win the game by taking advantage of 25 Air Force turnovers, which led to 29 points. The game was also plagued by 43 combined fouls, which led to 50 free throw shots. Colorado State was 22-of-30 from the line and Air Force went 12-of-20.
Four Rams reached double-figures in scoring. Kim Mestdagh scored 20 points, Chatilla van Grinsven scored 17, Bonnie Barbee 11 and Meghan Heimstra 10.
Freshman guard Kelsey Berger led Air Force with a career-high 23 points. Berger was 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range. Senior forward Kathleen Schjodt scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Junior guard Raimee Beck overcame a slow start to finish with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Air Force also got a stellar effort at the point by sophomore Anna Gault. Gault finished with a career-high 12 assists, which is second-highest single-game assist total at Air Force in the Div. I era, and the most since Latoya Howell had 15 assists vs. UNLV on Jan. 30, 2003.
Freshman forward Dymond James also played well for the Falcons, but was limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble. James finished with seven points and eight rebounds before fouling out.
The Falcons started the game by scoring the first seven points to lead early. Colorado State steadily chipped away at the AFA lead and wound up ahead 26-23 at the half.
In the second half, the Rams got up by as many as 18 points, before the Falcons mounted a furious late rally. Trailing 55-37 with 8:17 left, the Falcons got the game to as close as four points, out-scoring CSU 31-18 over the remainder of the game. Air Force hit five of six three attempts over that span.
Colorado State was able to close out the game by hitting eight-of-nine free throws in the last 1:14 of the game.
Beck Leading The Way For Falcons
Junior guard Raimee Beck is off to a strong start so far in 2009-10. Beck had led Air Force in scoring and rebounding nine times. She amongst the MWC top 10 in several categories.
Scoring-4th/14.8 ppg
Rebounding-7th/7.2 rpg
Free throw Pct.-1st/.850
Minutes per game-1st/36.6 mpg
3 PT FG per game-3rd/2.1
Gault Amongst MWC Leaders In Assists
Sophomore point guard Anna Gault ranks second in the MWC in assists averaging 5.2 per game. Gault is already fifth all-time (Div. I era) in assists at Air Force.
Her current 5.2 apg puts her on pace for 156 assists in 30 games, which would shatter the Div. I record of 119 set by Latoya Howell in 2002-03.
Gault Dishes Out 12 vs. Colorado State
Sophomore point guard Anna Gault dished out a career-high 12 assists against Colorado State on Jan. 9. The 12 assists is the second highest total in Div. I history at Air Force. It was Gault's third double-digit assist game in her AFA career.
Freshmen Make Immediate Impact
Four Falcon freshmen are already already making immediate impacts for the Falcons. Four of Air Force's top six scorers are freshmen. Rookies Alicia Leipprandt, Kelsey Berger, Katie Hilbig and Dymond James, rank second-through-sixth in scoring for the Falcons.
Kelsey Berger - forward has started every game for the Falcons. Coming off a career-high 23 points against Colorado State. Second on team in scoring, averaging 7.8 ppg. Also second with 13 three's.
Dymond James - forward cracked starting lineup two games ago. Averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game so far in 2010.
Alicia Leipprandt - gaurd is scoring 7.6 ppg in 14 mpg. Second on team in field goal pct (.430), three point pct. (.371) and free throw attempts (41).
Katie Hilbig - forward is averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Leads team with 43 trips to the free throw line.
Falcons Shakeup Lineup
After starting the same lineup for the first 13 games of the year, the Falcons went with a new lineup vs. TCU and Colorado State last week. Freshman forward Dymond James and sophomore guard Jamela Satterfield have started in place of senior forward Kathleen Schjodt and junior center Liz Dunsworth. Junior guard Raimee Beck, sophomore point guard Anna Gault and freshman forward Kelsey Berger have started every game for the Falcons.
Team Captains
Senior Kathleen Schjodt and junior Raimee Beck have been named team co-captains for the 2009-10 season. Schjodt is a three-year letterwinner at forward. Beck is a two-year letterwinner and returning starter at guard.
Six Letterwinners and Three Starters Return Six letterwinners and three starters return for the Falcons. Juniors Raimee Beck and Liz Dunsworth and sophomore Anna Gault are Air Forces returning starters. Senior Kathleen Schjodt, junior Candice Chase and sophomore Jamela Satterfield round out the other returners. In addition, sophomore Kira Gonzalez, who did not play in any game as a freshman, also returns.
Falcons Welcome Nine Newcomers
Air Force welcomes nine freshmen in 2009-10, its largest rookie class in school history.
F Kelsey Berger (Mentor, Ohio)
G Bethany Gross (Alexandria, S.D.)
F Katie Hilbig (Castle Rock, Colo.)
F Dymond James (Brambleton, Va.)
G Alicia Leipprandt (Ubly, Mich.)
G Megan Muñiz (Rio Rancho, N.M.)
G Danielle Sorrera (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
G Austyn Wilson (Dallas, Texas)
G Desiree Wilson (Morrow, Ga.)
Up Next
Air Force travels to New Mexico, next Wed., Jan. 20. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
