Falcons Host Utah on Saturday
1/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Utah vs. Air Force
Saturday, Jan. 23
Tipoff: 2 p.m.
Location: USAF Academy, Colo.
Arena: Clune Arena
Capacity: 5,939
Series: Utah leads, 27-0
Last Meeting: Utah won, 57-32, 2/14/09
Internet radio/stats: goAirForceFalcons.com
Local Radio: The Sports Animal AM 1300
Radio Talent: Jay Ritchie
Falcons Host Utah on Saturday
The Air Force women's basketball team plays host to Utah this Saturday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. Live internet radio and stats will be available for the game.
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 62-42 contest at New Mexico on Jan. 20. Freshman forward Dymond James led Air Force with 10 points. Fellow freshmen Katie Hilbig, Alicia Leipprandt and Desiree Wilson followed with seven points each.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force is 3-14 on the season. Junior guard Raimee Beck leads the team offensively, scoring 13.9 points per game to go with 6.9 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Anna Gault ranks third in the confernce, averaging 5.1 assists per game. Air Force is averaging 55.0 points per game and allowing 67.4.
Scouting Utah
Utah is 10-7 on the season after falling at San Diego State, 51-42, last Wednesday. Senior forward Kalee Whipple leads the team offensively, scoring 15.6 points per game to go with 5.6 rebounds. The Utes are averaging 56.6 points per game and allowing 54.9.
Series History/Notes
- Air Force and Utah have met 27 times with the Utes winning all 27.
- 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.
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.
- Utah freshman forward Diana Rolniak is a native of Denver and attended Regis Jesuit high school.
Last Meeting
The Air Force women's basketball team dropped a 57-32 game to Utah on Saturday afternoon at Husky Gym, home of the USAFA Preparatory School on the Academy grounds. The game, originally slated to be played at Clune Arena, was moved to Huskey Gym due to intermittent power outages throughout the grounds on the Northern part of the Academy caused by freezing temperatures in the region. Utah was led by Kalee Whipple and Morgan Warburton, whom combined for 40 points. Whipple led all scorers with 23 points and Warburton added 17 points. Katie King added nine points and 11 rebounds for the Utes. Air Force was led by senior center Kim Kreke, who scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds. Sophomore Raimee Beck added nine points and Steve Puentes came off the bench to chip in with seven points.
New Mexico Game Recap
The Air Force women's basketball team lost to New Mexico, 62-42, Wednesday night at the Pit.
New Mexico started the game off on a 14-0 run and never looked back. Against a stifling Lobo defense and faced with a significant height disadvantage, the Falcons trailed 33-12 at the half. Fourteen of New Mexico's 16 first-half baskets were in the paint. For the game, New Mexico out-rebounded Air Force 48-30 and won the points in the paint battle 42-18.
Air Force played much better in the second half, out-scoring New Mexico 30-29. The Falcons held the Lobos without a score for the first 5:30 of the second half and more than doubled their scoring.
Sara Halasz led New Mexico with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jessica Kielpinski added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Air Force's top four scorers were freshmen, led by forward Dymond James' 10 points and 12 trips to the free throw line. Fellow frosh Katie Hilbig, Alicia Leipprandt and Desiree Wilson added seven points.
Leipprandt and Wilson got the lion's share of the minutes at the point with sophomore guard Anna Gault out due to an ankle injury. Gault had started 45 consecutive games before the UNM game. Leipprandt made her first-career start for the Falcons and Wilson logged a career-high 25 minutes, recording a game-high four steals and hitting her first-career three.
Hilbig also hit her first-career three for the Falcons and added a team-high six rebounds.
Injury Bug Hits Falcons
Air Force had two players unavailable to play vs. New Mexico due to injury. Sophomore guard Anna Gault (ankle) and junior forward Candice Chase (head) did not make the trip to Albuquerque. A third Falcon, junior guard Raimee Beck, is playing with a mask due to a broken nose suffered in late December. Gault's injury snapped a 45 game streak of consecutive starts.
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 11 times and rebounding 12 times. She amongst the MWC top 10 in several categories.
Scoring/7th/13.9 ppg
Rebounding/9th/6.9 rpg
Minutes per game/1st/36.8 mpg
3 PT FG per game/6th/2.0
Gault Amongst MWC Leaders In Assists
Sophomore point guard Anna Gault ranks second in the MWC in assists averaging 5.1 per game. Gault is already fifth all-time (Div. I era) in assists at Air Force.
Her current 5.1 apg puts her on pace for 148 assists in 29 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. Third on team in scoring, averaging 7.3 ppg. Also second with 13 three's.
Dymond James - forward cracked starting lineup four games ago. Leads team with .440 field goal percentage, 9.0 PPG in conference and 55 trips to free throw line.
Alicia Leipprandt - gaurd is scoring 7.6 ppg in 14.4 mpg. Third on team in field goal pct (.402) and free throw attempts (41) and second in three point pct. (.333).
Katie Hilbig - forward is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Second on team with 45 trips to the free throw line.
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 hosts UNLV on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be televised nationally on the Mtn.
