Air Force Visits Minnesota in Non-Conference Match-Up
12/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2011
This week, the Air Force women's basketball team plays its last game before taking a break for finals, as the Falcons visit Big Ten opponent Minnesota on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7:00 p.m. (CT).
GAME INFORMATION
Live Stats/Video/Audio: gophersports.com
Series History: Minnesota leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, Minnesota earned an 88-75 victory over Air Force on Nov. 30, 2002, in Colorado.
LAST TIME OUT...
The Falcons posted a 1-1 record during the Air Force Classic, defeating Jackson State, 64-51, while coming up short against Big East foe USF, 73-70.
In the win over Jackson State, junior Katie Hilbig registered her first career double-double to lead the Falcons, finishing with 16 points and a career-best 11 rebounds, while Alicia Leipprandt and Dymond James added 16 and 12 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Leipprandt, who was named to the all-tournament team, scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Air Force against USF. In addition, sophomore Megan O'Neil posted her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against the Bulls.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS...
Air Force enters this week's game with a 4-5 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in road contests.
Junior Alicia Leipprandt is the Falcons' leading scorer on the season, averaging 18.6 points per game, while classmate Dymond James is also averaging in double figures scoring with 11.4 points per contest. James is also the team's leading rebounder with 7.1 boards per game.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS...
Minnesota currently holds a 4-5 record after the season after dropping an 89-60 contest to top-ranked Baylor in the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge on Sunday. The leading scorer for the Gophers is Kiara Buford with 13.5 points per game, followed by Rachel Banham with 12.4 ppg. Meanwhile, Katie Loberg adds 10.0 points per contest and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per game.
RANKED SCORER...
With 18.6 points per game, junior Alicia Leipprandt currently ranks first in the Mountain West in scoring average. Leipprandt, who has scored in double figures in seven of nine games this season, also ranks 42nd nationally in scoring average.
ANOTHER 30 FOR ALICIA...
Junior Alicia Leipprandt registered a career-best 32 points against USF on Saturday, marking her second 30+ point game of the season and her career.
Earlier this year, Leipprandt scored 30 points in a win over Texas State, becoming just the fourth Air Force player at the Division I level to reach at least 30 points in a game.
Megan Thiedeman and Latoya Howell share the Falcons' Division I record of 38 points in a game, while Howell and Raimee Beck each scored 30 points in a game as well.
TOO MANY TURNOVERS...
The Falcons have been turnover-prone in their past two games, committing a combined 65 turnovers against Jackson State and USF. After recording a then-season-high 29 turnovers against Jackson State, the Falcons had 36 turnovers versus USF.
Air Force's 36 turnovers against the Bulls were the most for the Falcons since committing 38 turnovers in a 2008 loss to San Diego State.
KATIE ON THE ASSIST...
A day after leading the Falcons in points and rebounds against Jackson State, junior Katie Hilbig paced Air Force in assists versus USF. Hilbig dished out a season-best six assists against the Bulls, the highest total for a Falcon this season.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES ALL-AROUND...
Three different Falcons notched double-doubles during the Air Force Classic this past weekend, including two players who notched the first double-doubles of their respective careers.
Against Jackson State on Friday, junior Katie Hilbig registered the first double-double of her career, finishing with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Junior Alicia Leipprandt tallied her second double-double of the year with a career-high 32 points and 10 rebounds against USF, while sophomore Megan O'Neil posted her first career double-double with 13 points and a personal-best 11 rebounds versus the Bulls.
CRASHING THE BOARDS...
Air Force dominated the boards in its last two games, recording a combined 32 more rebounds than its opponents. The Falcons outrebounded Jackson State, 47-35, while holding a 54-33 advantage against USF. Air Force's 54 rebounds against the Bulls were a season high, while USF's 33 rebounds were a season low for the Falcons' opponents.
FALCONS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE...
Air Force shot a season-best 87.5 percent from the free throw line against Jackson State on Friday, knocking down 28-of-32 foul shots. The Falcons' 28 made free throws were also a season high.
AIR FORCE CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM...
Junior Alicia Leipprandt was named to the Air Force Classic all-tournament team after averaging 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games for the Falcons.
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 have nearly two weeks off before their next game, as they travel to California for a pair of contests before the holiday break. Air Force will visit San Jose State on Monday, Dec. 19, while facing Pacific on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
