Falcons Fall to Wagner, 72-61, at Cable Car Classic

Dec. 29, 2011

Box Score | Updated Stats | AFA Game Notes vs. Eastern Michigan

Latif Rivers scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as Wagner beat Air Force 72-61 in a first-round game of the Cable Car Classic on Thursday night in Santa Clara, Calif. Rivers connected on 5-of-9 three-point attempts and the Seahawks (9-3) were 10-of-29 as a team beyond the arc.

Wagner blew open a close game in the second half, holding Air Force to just seven field goals in the final 20 minutes. After leading 29-28 at the break, the Seahawks opened the second half with a 13-4 run, capped by a three-pointer by Rivers to give Wagner a 42-32 lead.

The Falcons scored the next four points on a pair of free throws from Chris Carter and Mike Fitzgerald to cut the lead to 42-36, but got no closer as Wagner then produced a 15-6 run to give the Seahawks their biggest lead at 57-40. The Falcons gave up 16 offensive rebounds, including 10 in the second half, leading to 17 second chance points for Wagner.

"This was a frustrating game for us," said Air Force head coach Jeff Reynolds. "They got some putbacks and we turned the ball over at inopportune times. They wanted us to attack the basket and we missed some layups and they blocked some shots early."

Fitzgerald scored 13 points to lead the Falcons (6-4), who lost their second straight after winning three in a row. Carter, a freshman, started his first career game for Air Force, which played without leading scorer Michael Lyons, who suffered a high ankle sprain last week at Gonzaga. Freshman Kamryn Williams added a career-high 11 points and Taylor Stewart chipped in with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The Falcons will face Eastern Michigan in the consolation game on Friday at 6 p.m. (PT).

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