Air Force Opens Home Slate Against Denver
11/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2011
The Air Force women's basketball team opens its 2011-12 home slate this Thursday, Nov. 17, as it hosts in-state rival Denver in a 7:00 p.m. contest.
GAME INFORMATION
Live Stats/Video: GoAirForceFalcons.com
Radio: The Sports Animal 1300 AM
Series History: Denver leads, 31-22
Last Meeting: Denver picked up a 73-62 victory over Air Force on Dec. 8, 2010, in Denver.
Promotions:
• Canned Food Drive - With donation of a non-perishable food item, fans will receive a voucher for free admission to the Northern Colorado game on Nov. 25.
• Giveaway - First 150 fans will receive a free long-sleeved Air Force T-shirt.
LAST TIME OUT...
Air Force committed 27 turnovers en route to an 84-60 road loss to UT Martin on Sunday afternoon. Leading the Falcons against the Skyhawks was junior Alicia Leipprandt with 16 points, while classmate Katie Hilbig was the top rebounder for Air Force, pulling down nine boards.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS...
Air Force enters this week's contest with a 1-1 overall record following its loss to UT Martin on Sunday.
Junior Alicia Leipprandt is the Falcons' leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points in the first two contests of the season. Meanwhile, junior forward Katie Hilbig leads Air Force in rebounds per game, with 9.5 rebounds per contest to start the year.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS...
Denver enters Thursday's game with a 2-0 record, notching wins over Loyola Marymount and Wyoming to start the season. The Pioneers notched a 74-49 home victory over the Cowgirls on Monday evening.
Denver's leading scorer through the first two games of the season is senior Kaetlyn Murdoch, who is averaging 24.5 points per contest. Meanwhile, Maiya Michel is averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game.
HOW WE RATE...
In the latest conference statistics, Air Force ranks second in the Mountain West in three-point field goal percentage (.417) and is third in steals per game (10.5), turnover margin (-1.0) and defensive rebounding percentage (.696).
HOME SWEET HOME...
Despite its struggles on the road last season, Air Force did see some success in Clune Arena in 2010-11, compiling an 8-8 record at home. The Falcons won three of their first four home games last year, including the home opener versus Lipscomb.
Air Force has won three of its last four home openers, including a 65-56 victory over Denver in 2007.
MEGAN CRASHES THE BOARDS...
Sophomore Megan O'Neil had the best rebounding performance of her career against UT Martin, grabbing seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of action. O'Neil's previous career high was five rebounds in a single game.
A STEADY SCORER...
Junior Alicia Leipprandt has had a solid start to the season offensively, averaging 16.5 points in the first two games of the year.
Leipprandt, who ranks 10th in the Academy's Division I era with a career scoring average of 8.5 ppg, began to emerge as a greater offensive threat at the end of the 2010-11 season. Over her last five games (dating back to the regular season finale versus New Mexico, Leipprandt has averaged 18.4 points per contest.
PROTECTING THE BALL...
One of Air Force's biggest problems in its loss to UT Martin on Sunday was its inability to hold on to the ball. The Falcons committed 27 turnovers in the contest, matching its season high from 2010-11.
WE'LL TAKE THAT...
While the Falcons have had problems keeping the ball, they have done a good job of taking it away from opponents. Air Force is averaging 10.5 steals in its first two games; Katie Hilbig led the Falcons with four steals versus Lipscomb, while Cherae Medina had a team-best three steals against UT Martin.
RECORD WATCH...
Air Force junior Dymond James already appears in the Falcons' single-season record books and now has moved onto one of Air Force's career lists. Her current career scoring average of 9.8 ppg ranks as the fourth-highest in the Falcons' Division I era.
Meanwhile, James needs seven more made field goals to qualify for the Falcons' career field goal percentage list. Her career mark of .431 would rank first in the Academy's Division I era (the current record is held by Pamela Findlay with a career field goal percentage of .423).
RECORD WATCH--THE BLOCK PARTY...
Air Force sophomore Megan O'Neil has already recorded two blocks early this season and needs just three more blocked shots to move into the Academy's top-10 career list (Division I era).
ROAD WARRIORS...
The Falcons are spending much of their non-conference slate on the road, with nine contests away from home in the first two months of the season and just four games in Clune Arena.
Air Force will play in a total of seven states (Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, Maryland, Minnesota, California and Alabama) and four time zones in the months of November and December before wrapping up their non-conference slate with a pair of home games Jan. 5 and Jan. 7.
NEXT UP...
The Falcons are on the road again for their next two games, traveling to the Lone Star State for a pair of non-conference contests. Air Force will visit Texas Southern on Saturday, Nov. 19, while taking on Texas State on Monday, Nov. 21.
