Air Force Academy
UNLV
Air Force Outlasts UNLV in 91-87 Victory
2/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2011
USAFA, Colo. - A three-pointer from sophomore Megan Muniz (Rio Rancho, N.M.) with 23.5 seconds left on the clock gave the Falcons the lead for good as the Air Force women's basketball team held on for a 91-87 win over UNLV Wednesday night in Clune Arena.
With the win, the Falcons move to 8-16 overall on the year and 3-8 in the Mountain West Conference. Meanwhile, the Lady Rebels fall to 9-17 overall, 2-10 in the league.
Air Force led by as many as seven points in the second half, before a 10-2 run by UNLV put the Lady Rebels ahead 81-80 with 3:51 left on the clock. The lead kept changing sides over the next few minutes, with UNLV taking an 87-86 lead with 50.6 seconds remaining. While Muniz knocked down the three-point shot on the Falcons' next possession to put Air Force ahead, the Lady Rebels still had an opportunity to score, getting to the free throw line with 6.5 seconds on the clock.
After missing her first foul shot, UNLV's Kelli Thompson attempted an intentional miss of the second shot, but the Lady Rebels were called for a lane violation, giving the ball back to the Falcons. On the other end of the court, Dymond James (So., Brambleton, Va.) was fouled, converting both of her free throws to help Air Force hold on for its third conference win of the year.
The Falcons battled throughout the game, coming back from a nine-point deficit late in the opening half. Trailing 40-31 with just over four minutes remaining, Air Force went on a 12-1 run to take a two-point advantage into the intermission.
Free throws proved to be a big factor in the game, particularly in the second half, with both teams in the double bonus with almost 10 minutes left to play. UNLV knocked down 21-of-34 free throw attempts for the game, while Air Force converted on 25 of their 32 attempts from the line.
The Falcons, scoring a season-high 91 points, shot a season-best 53.8 percent from the field, but the Lady Rebels had a huge advantage on the boards, outrebounding Air Force 44-29.
One of the stars for Air Force was senior captain Raimee Beck (Blackfoot, Idaho), who scored a game-high 25 points. Beck, who matched a career high with six assists, knocked down five three-pointers and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. James added a career-best 18 points to go along with her team-high eight rebounds, while Katie Hilbig (So., Castle Rock, Colo.) pitched in 13 points and a career-high seven assists.
The Lady Rebels finished with five players scoring in double-figures, led by Thompson with 22 points, while Markiell Styles and Sandrine Nzeukou each posted double-doubles.
The Falcons return to action on Saturday, Feb. 19, as they look to complete their season sweep against San Diego State with a road game against the Aztecs.
