Falcons Face Utah At 2010 Conoco MWC Championships
3/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Tournament Bracket in PDF Format
#9 Air Force vs. #4 Utah
Conoco 2010 MWC Championships
Tuesday, March 9
Tipoff: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Arena: Thomas & Mack Center
Capacity: 18,500
Series: Utah leads, 29-0
Live Stats/Internet Radio: www.goairforcefalcons.com
Local Radio: Sports Animal AM 1300
Radio Talent: Jim Arthur
Falcons Face Utah At MWC Championships
The Air Force women's basketball team looks to play the role of spoiler as it heads to the 2010 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Championships, March 9-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The ninth-seeded Falcons open against fourth-seeded Utah on Tuesday, March 9. Tipoff for the game is at 2 p.m. PST. Internet radio and live stats will be available for every Air Force 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 87-52 contest vs. San Diego State on Saturday. Junior guard Raimee Beck led the Falcons with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Freshman forward Kelsey Berger added nine points.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force is 3-26 on the season. Junior guard Raimee Beck leads the team offensively, scoring 13.6 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Anna Gault ranks fifth in the conference, averaging 4.2 assists per game. Air Force is averaging 53.4 points per game and allowing 71.4.
Scouting Utah
Utah is 19-10 on the season after defeating Colorado State, 64-52, last Sunday. Senior forward Kalee Whipple leads the conference offensively, scoring 17.2 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds. The Utes are averaging 58.7 points per game and allowing 55.4.
Series History/Notes
- Air Force has lost all 29 meetings with Utah.
- 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 is 0-5 vs. Utah in the MWC Championships.
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 73-48 game at Utah Wednesday night at the Huntsman Center. Kalee Whipple scored 17 points to lead Utah, which shot 58.3 percent from the field. Janita Badon and Taryn Wicijowski added 11 points. Junior guard Raimee Beck led Air Force with 16 points and six rebounds. The 16 points gave Beck 989 for her career, moving her into third place in the Div. I era at Air Force. Freshman guard Alicia Leipprandt followed with 13 points and five rebounds. After a close first-half, Utah pulled away in the second half. The Utes led 37-30 at the half and then went on to out-score the Falcons 36-18 in the second half. Utah dominated the boards out-rebounding Air Force 37-23. The Falcons played one of its best first-half's in conference play, committing just four turnovers and shooting 46.4 percent from the field. Despite allowing the Utes to shoot 64 percent from the field, the Falcons trailed by just seven 37-30. The Falcons continued to show improvement in taking care of the ball, trying a season low--for the second consecutive game--with just nine turnovers. Senior forward Kathleen Schjodt also played well for the Falcons, with nine points. Sophomore guard Anna Gault led Air Force with four assists and three steals.
Falcons At MWC Tournament
- The Air Force women's basketball team is 1-10 all time at the MWC Championships.
- The Falcons won their first-ever tournament game in 2007, defeating Colorado State 47-46 in the 8/9 play-in game.
- Air Force lost to New Mexico last year in the #4 vs. #9 Seed game, 84-41, on March 10, 2009.
Year Seed/Opponent Score Top Scorer Top Rebounder2000 #8 Air Force vs. #1 Utah L, 29-65 Mollie Peters 14 Samantha Clifton 62001 #8 Air Force vs. #1 Utah L, 50-53 Shawna Neff 15 Brooke Bauer 72002 #8 Air Force vs. #1 Colo. State L, 68-79 13 three players Amoy Jackson 82003 #8 Air Force vs. #1 Utah L, 46-83 Gwen Grove 13 Briana Thomas 82004 #8 Air Force vs. #1 New Mexico L, 50-63 Letricia Castillo 12 Neff, Thomas 72005 #7 Air Force vs. #2 Utah L, 42-63 Lauren Henderson 14 Jacki Novak 102006 #7 Air Force vs. #2 Utah L, 47-67 Ellen Jaeschke 20 Lauren Henderson 62007 #9 Air Force vs. #8 Colo. State W, 47-46 Alecia Steele 17 Alecia Steele 102007 #9 Air Force vs. #1 BYU L, 40-72 Alecia Steele 12 Brooke Cultra 82008 #7 Air Force vs. #4 TCU L, 47-60 Jamie Davis 14 Dana Loveless 62009 #9 Air Force vs. #4 New Mexico L, 84-41 Dunsworth 12 Beck, Kreke 5
Last year at MWC Tournament
The Air Force women's basketball team was eliminated from the 2009 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Championships with an 84-41 loss to New Mexico Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center. Air Force jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with a three from Kim Kreke and a layup by Liz Dunsworth. It was New Mexico's ballgame from there on out as a 15-1 run put the Lobos ahead 15-6 six minutes into the game. With 16 first-half points by Amy Beggin, UNM extended their lead to 20 points, taking a 43-23 lead into halftime. Beggin led all scorers with 18 points, making four three-point baskets. The Falcons struggled to get any offense going in the second-half, shooting just 23 percent from the field in the latter half. The Falcons ended up shooting 31.7 percent from the field for the game. New Mexico owned the boards, out-rebounding AFA 38-24. Sixteen offensive rebounds by UNM, led to a 21-6 advantage in second chance points. Sophomore Liz Dunsworth tied a career-high with a team-leading 12 points for Air Force. Senior Kim Kreke added nine points and five rebounds for the Falcons. Sophomore Raimee Beck, Air Force's leading scorer this year, had a tough night getting shots off, scoring just two points on 1-of-11 shooting from the field. Beck did have a good night passing the ball however, leading the Falcons with five assists. Freshman Anna Gault had three assists, giving her 99 on the season, the most by a MWC freshman this year. Junior Kathleen Schjodt led all Falcon reserves with six points off the bench. Sophomore Stevie Puentes added two points, an assist and a rebound. Senior Brooke Cultra scored five points and grabbed three rebounds as well. Freshman Jamela Satterfield pulled down three rebounds and freshman Amber Wilmore saw five minutes off the bench. It was the final games for Cultra and Kreke. Cultra played in 112 career games for the Falcons, ranking tied for third all-time at Air Force. Kreke finished with 95 career blocked shots, ranking second all-time and first by 39 blocks in the Div. I era.
San Diego State Game Recap
The Air Force women's basketball team dropped a 87-52 game at San Diego State Saturday afternoon in Viejas Arena. The loss dropped the Falcons to 3-26, 0-16 on the season and lifted the Aztecs to 18-10, 10-6. San Diego State, which shot 56.9 percent from the floor, was led by Quenese Davis, with a game high 23 points. Jenée Morris scored 17 and Paris Johnson 13 for the Aztecs. Air Force junior guard Raimee Beck led Air Force with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Beck also broke the school Div. I era record for most points in a season with 395. She surpassed the previous record of 386, held by herself (2008-09) and by Mollie Peters (1999-00). Freshman forward Kelsey Berger added nine points and four rebounds. Freshman guard Alicia Leipprandt followed with six points. San Diego State raced out to a 46-26 lead at the break. The Aztecs shot 60.6 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Falcons 18-7. Air Force shot 47.7 percent from the field, but got out-rebounded 32-19.
Beck Becomes 12th Falcon To Score 1,000 Points
With 17 points against UNLV, junior guard Raimee Beck surpassed the 1,000 point mark, becoming the 12 player in school history, and the third in the Division I era to do so. With 1,034 career points, Beck is the first junior to reach the 1,000 point march since Melissa Standley did so in 1989.
Beck's current 11.9 point per game average is on pace to eclipse the all-time Div. I record of 1,237 career points scored by Alecia Steele (2004-08).
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 17 times and rebounding 19 times. She amongst the MWC top 15 in several categories.
Scoring/8th/13.6 ppg
Rebounding/9th/6.5 rpg
Minutes per game/3rd/36.0 mpg
3 PT FG per game/7th/1.8
Beck Becomes Div. I Single-Season Record Holder
Junior Raimee Beck became Air Force single-season leading point scorer in DIv. I history with her 14 points vs. San Diego State. Beck has 395 points on the season, surpassing the former mark of 386 set by herself in 2008-09 and by Mollie Peters in 1999-00.
Beck Closing In Air Force Three-Point Record
With 171 career three-point baskets, junior guard Raimee Beck is three three-pointers shy of the school record. Megan Theidemann is the the current school record holder with 173 three's.
Gault Amongst MWC Leaders In Assists
Sophomore point guard Anna Gault ranks fifth in the MWC in assists averaging 4.2 per game. Gault is already third all-time (Div. I era) in assists at Air Force.
Gault Surpasses 100 Assist Mark
Sophomore point guard Anna Gault surpassed the 100 assist mark with six assists vs. UNLV. She currently has 104 assists on the season. She becomes the fourth player in Div. I history to do so. Her 203 career assists ranks third in Div. I history.
Earlier this season, 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.
One Of Youngest Teams In The Nation
With Nine freshmen, Air Force has one of the youngest teams in the nation. The Falcons are getting significant contributions from the freshmen, ranking top ten nationally in both minutes played and percentage of points scored. (Information provided by Aaron Blau of Iowa Sports Information Office).
Pct. of Total Minutes By Freshmen
1. George Washington - 55.3
2. UAB - 49.0
3. Maryland - 48.3
4. Iowa - 47.5
5. Oral Roberts - 47.0
6. Baylor - 43.0
7. Air Force - 41.0
Pct. of Total Scoring
1. Oral Roberts - 61.0
2. Delaware - 58.9
3. UAB - 53.0
4. Baylor - 51.4
5. Air Force - 48.0
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. Scored a career-high 23 points against Colorado State. Third on team in scoring, averaging 7.7 ppg. Also second with 27 three's.
Dymond James - forward cracked starting lineup and started four consecutive games. Leads team with .440 field goal percentage to go with 9.0 PPG in conference and 55 trips to free throw line.
Alicia Leipprandt - Second in scoring, averaging 7.8 ppg in 15.7 mpg. Third on team in field goal pct (.381) and third in free throw attempts (60) and third with 18 three point baskets.
Katie Hilbig - forward is averaging 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Second team with 65 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.)
