Falcons Head to Vegas to Battle UNLV
1/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2014
GAME #13
Air Force Falcons vs. UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014
7 p.m. (PT) at Las Vegas, Nev.
SITE
Location | Las Vegas, Nev.
Arena | Thomas & Mack Center
Capacity | 18,500
RADIO
Network | Air Force / IMG Radio Network
Station | AM 740 KVOR, Colo. Spgs.
Play-by-Play | Jim Arthur
Analyst | Matt Pauley
TELEVISION
Network | COX 96 Las Vegas
Live Streaming | Mountain West Network
Play-by-Play | Josh Suchon
Analyst | Brad Holland
LIVE STATS
Gametracker | goairforcefalcons.com
COACHES
Dave Pilipovich (Thiel College, 1986)
Air Force | 27-25, Third Season
Overall | Same
Dave Rice (UNLV, 1991)
UNLV | 61-23, Third Season
Overall | Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Overall | UNLV leads 30-9
at Las Vegas | UNLV leads 20-1
First Game | Jan. 10, 1981
Result | Air Force won 51-50
Last Game | Mar. 13, 2013
Result | UNLV won 72-56
Current Streak | UNLV - 1
Falcons Head to Vegas to Battle UNLV
The Air Force men's basketball team plays its first Mountain West road game of the season on Saturday, Jan. 4 in Las Vegas against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Tip-off at the Thomas & Mack Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PT). Air Force is 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the league after rallying to defeat Utah State 73-72 on Wednesday at Clune Arena, while UNLV is 10-4 and 1-0 after downing Fresno State 75-62 in Fresno on Wednesday. The Rebels currently have a seven-game winning streak.
Falcons Win Fourth Straight Conference Opener
The Falcons are now 10-24 all-time in conference openers after their 73-72 victory over Utah State on Wednesday. They were 2-17 in conference openers in their 19 years in the Western Athletic Conference, with the two victories coming against San Diego State (86-75) in 1986-87 and Colorado State (69-58) in 1992-93. Air Force is 8-7 in conference openers since the Mountain West began play in 1999. The Falcons have won four straight league openers.
Air Force's Mountain West Openers:
Date Opponent Result
1/15/00 UNLV (H) L, 98-73
1/8/01 UNLV (A) L, 65-54
1/7/02 UNLV (H) L, 66-54
1/11/03 San Diego St. (H) L, 63-48
1/12/04 Colo. State (A) W, 65-57
1/8/05 Colo. State (H) W, 58-53
1/5/06 BYU (H) W, 75-59
1/3/07 Colo. State (A) W, 81-75
1/5/08 Utah (A) L, 58-36
1/3/09 San Diego St. (H) L, 44-61
1/6/10 TCU (A) L, 50-59
1/6/11 Utah (H) W, 77-69
1/14/12 Boise State (A) W, 74-59
1/9/13 Nevada (H) W, 78-65
1/1/14 Utah State (H) W, 73-72
Up Next
The Falcons play at Fresno State on Wednesday, Jan. 8, beginning at 7:05 p.m. (PT).
Third Straight Year Opening with a Newcomer
For the third consecutive season, Air Force opened Mountain West play against a league newcomer. Two years ago, the Falcons defeated Boise State 74-59 in Boise and last year Air Force defeated Nevada 78-65 at Clune Arena.
All-Time Series vs. UNLV
UNLV holds a 30-9 advantage, including a 20-1 mark in Las Vegas, against Air Force. The Rebels won two of the three meetings last season, winning 76-71 in overtime on Jan. 12 and 72-56 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Championships on March 13, both in Las Vegas. Air Force won the meeting at the Academy, 71-56, on Feb. 13. Air Force's only win in the series at the Thomas & Mack Center was a 52-50 victory on Jan. 25, 2006.
Home Sweet Home - In League Play
With its 73-72 victory over Utah State on Wednesday, Air Force has now won eight of its last nine Mountain West games at Clune Arena. The Falcons went 7-1 at home in league play last season, the only loss coming to Colorado Stae (89-86). The last four MW games at Clune have been decided by a total of 11 points and the last two by one point apiece (AFA beat New Mexico 89-88 in last season's finale).
Coggins Scores Most Points by a Sophomore Since `57
Tre' Coggins' career-high 35 points on Nov. 14 against Jackson State were the fourth-most in one game by an Air Force sophomore in school history. The top three marks were set by Bob Beckel during the program's first season in 1956-57. Beckel had games of 48, 47 and 46 that season.
Coggins' 35 points tied for No. 18 on Air Force's single-game scoring list, equalling point-totals by Otis Jones vs. Doane on Dec. 3, 1994 and Raymond Dudley vs. San Diego State on Feb. 4, 1989.
Falcons Split Pair of Games at All-Military Classic
The Air Force men's basketball team opened its 2013-14 season with a 1-1 record at the the third annual All-Military Classic last weekend at VMI in Lexington, Va. The Falcons rallied for a 79-68 victory over Army in the first round, then suffered their first-ever loss in the tournament to VMI, 71-63, in the championship game.
Air Force sophomore Tre' Coggins was named to the all-
tournament team after scoring 34 points in the two games, including a career-high 20 vs. Army. Junior co-captain Kamryn Williams posted the third double-double of his career with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Army, while fellow junior Marek Olesinski notched career highs of 23 points and nine rebounds against VMI.
This is the third of the four-year deal for the tournament, with each school hosting once. Air Force hosted the first tournament in 2011 and The Citadel hosted last season. Army will host next year. The tournament is played each year during Veteran's Day weekend.
All-Military Classic Results
Friday, Nov. 8
Air Force 79, Army 68
VMI 82, Citadel 71
Saturday, Nov. 9
Army 84, The Citadel 69 (Third-Place Game)
VMI 71, Air Force 63 (Championship Game)
Yon Nets Career-High 24 vs. South Dakota
Junior Max Yon scored a career-high 24 points against South Dakota on Dec. 5. He was 8-of-18 from the field and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line against the Coyotes. It was Yon's second 20-point effort this season as he notched 22, all in the second half, against Jackson State on Nov. 14. He made a career-best six 3-pointers against JSU.
Hammonds Posts First Double-Double vs. Western State
Junior forward Justin Hammonds posted the first double-double of his career on Dec. 9 with 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds vs. Western State. Hammonds, who made his season debut on Nov. 14 against Jackson State after leaving the team over the summer to concentrate on academics, also tied his career high with four assists against the Mountaineers. Hammonds returned to the team on Nov. 12 and played 19 minutes vs. Jackson State. He then started the following game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 17.
Most Points in a Half Since `99
Air Force's 62 points in the second half against South Dakota on Dec. 5 were the most in a half by a Falcon team since scoring 65 in the second half vs. Denver on Feb. 16, 1999.
Tale of Two Halves
Despite leading at halftime in its last four games, Air Force has scored 144 more points in the second half than the first half this season. The Falcons, who have trailed at halftime in seven of their 12 games this season, have scored 370 points in the first half and 513 in the second half so far this year.
Darrius Parker Makes First Career Start Count
Freshman Darrius Parker made his first career start on Nov. 20 against Colorado Christian and scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He also pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists against the Cougars
70 Points Seems to be the Key
Air Force is 5-2 this season when it scored 70 points or more and 2-3 when scoring less than 70. Defensively speaking, the Falcons are 5-0 when allowing 70 points or less and 2-5 when allowing more than 70. The two victories when giving up more than 70 were against South Dakota (94-86) and Utah State (73-72).
Lots of Free Shots vs. South Dakota
The Falcons went 31-of-39 from the free-throw line on Dec. 5 against South Dakota, the most makes and attempts by an Air Force team since going 41-of-56 from the line against Navy on Nov. 28, 1998.
5 in Double Figures for First Time in Three Years
Five Falcons scored in double figures against South Dakota on Dec. 5, the first time that has happened since Nov. 20, 2010 against Tennessee State. It also happened the next game against Western State on Dec. 9, marking the first time AFA had five players in double figures in consecutive games since the first two games of the `98-99 season.
Several Career Highs vs. Western State
Freshmen Zach Kocur (15) and Hayden Graham (13) and junior Ethan Michael (5) each posted a career high for points on Dec. 9 against Western State. Additionally, juniors Justin Hammonds (10), Max Yon (9), Kocur (4), sophomore Zach Moer (3) and junior Scott Adler (2) had career-high rebound totals.
Williams Posts Career-high Baords vs. Utah State
Junior Kamryn Williams pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds on Wednesday against Utah State, the most boards in one game by a Falson since Taylor Broekhuis had 12 against VMI on Nov. 12, 2011. It was Williams' second double digit rebounding game of the season as he had 10 in the season opener against Army.
Two Times 20 ... Times Two
Air Force has had two players score at least 20 points in each of its last two games, the first time that has happened in consecutive games since Jan. 2 and 6, 2000 against Dartmouth and Denver.
Big Personnel Losses
Air Force entered the 2013-14 campaign without its top seven scorers (five players graduated, one left the program and junior DeLovell Earls was injured) and its top five rebounders (including Earls) from last season. Only 22.4 percent of the team's scoring and 40 percent of the rebounding returned this season. Air Force's starting lineup in the season opener vs. Army started zero games and averaged 12.7 points per game last season. In fact, the current Air Force roster entered this season with just 39 career starts (DeLovell Earls 22, Kamryn Williams 14, Justin Hammonds 3).
