Air Force hosts Citadel in men's basketball
11/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television:........ MW Network (goairforcefalcons.com)
Vince Greco (play-by-play)
Radio:................... KVOR AM 740
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Matt Pauley (analyst)
The Coaches
Air Force is coached by Dave Pilipovich (Thiel College, 1986), who is in his fourth full season. He has a 50-57 career record.
Citadel is coached by Dugger Baucom (UNC-Charlotte, 1995), who is in his first season. Baucom has a 5-2 record at the school and a 193-180 career record in his 13th season.
THE SERIES
Air Force and Citadel meet for the fifth time overall and first time at the Academy. The series is tied 2-2. Air Force is 1-0 in road games and 1-2 in neutral site games. The Bulldogs won the first two games in the series while Air Force has won the last two. Air Force defeated Citadel, 68-55, last season in the consolation game of the All-Military Classic in West Point, NY. The teams first played Dec. 28, 1971 in Charleston, S.C. The Bulldogs won the game, 61-60.
LAST SEASON VS. CITADEL
Max Yon scored 16 points to lead Air Force past The Citadel, 68-55, in the consolation game of the All-Military Classic in West Point, N.Y.
Air Force used a 14-0 run early in the first half to take a 16-5 lead with 11:46 remaining. Max Yon scored six points, on a pair of three-pointers, to key the run. Yon's first three-pointer gave Air Force its first lead of either game in the All-Military Classic, 7-5, at the 15:08 mark. The Falcons never trailed again in the game. The three-pointer was the first of four straight for the team. Air Force extended its lead to 15 points, 29-14, with 4:10 remaining. The Citadel closed the half with a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 29-24 at the half.
The Falcons were in control the entire second half, opening with a 9-2 spurt to take a 38-26 lead with 16:14 left. The Citadel never got closer than eight points the rest of the game. The last time they cut it to eight was with 2:20 remaining to make it 61-53.
The Falcons shot 55.8 percent from the field, including a nine for 20 effort from three-point range. Air Force also hit 11 of 14 free throws including hitting five of six in the final three minutes. AFA also out-rebounded The Citadel, 34-22, and had 17 assists on 24 field goals.
Kamryn Williams added eight points and seven rebounds while Hayden Graham and Justin Hammonds added nine points each. The Citadel was led by Marshall Harris III, who scored 16 points.
AIR FORCE LAST WEEK
Air Force split a pair of games. The Falcons lost at Colorado, 81-70, Nov. 25 and returned home to defeat New Mexico State, 66-64, in overtime Nov. 28. The Falcons won the Air Force Classic with the New Mexico State win.
LAST TIME OUT
Trevor Lyons hit a driving layup with eight seconds left in overtime to propel Air Force past New Mexico State, 66-64, Nov. 28 in a non-conference game in Clune Arena. The victory gives the Falcons the title of the Air Force Classic with a 4-0 record.
Lyons did it at both ends, as he forced a charge on New Mexico State's next possession with 2.5 seconds left and Air Force leading 65-64. The Aggies fouled Lyons on the inbounds pass and hit one of two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to make up the final margin and seal the win.
Lyons led four Falcons in double figures with a team-high 17 points. Hayden Graham added 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Zach Kocur chipped in with a season-high 15 points and six rebounds. Kyle Broekhuis scored a career-high 11 points in his first-career start.
New Mexico State was led by Pascal Siakam, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Ian Baker added 17 points for the Aggies in the team's first road game of the season. New Mexico State hit 44 percent from the field and out-rebounded Air Force, 46-29. The Falcons forced 19 turnovers while turning it over just seven times, a season low. Air Force shot just 37 percent from the field, but hit 10-12 free throws (83 percent), including seven of eight in the second half and overtime combined.
FALCONS PERFECT AT HOME
Air Force is 4-0 at home this season. Air Force has opened 4-0 at home for the second straight year and third time in four years under head coach Dave Pilipovich. Air Force opened 4-0 at home in 2012-13 and 5-0 at home in 2014-15.
PILIPOVICH WINS 50TH
Dave Pilipovich won his 50th game as Air Force head coach when the Falcons beat New Mexico State, 66-64, Nov. 28 in Clune Arena. Pilipovich is 50-57 in his fourth full season at the Academy. He took over during the 2011-12 season. His first game was at home against Boise State on Feb. 11. His first win came in his second game, a 58-53 win at Wyoming. He later led the Falcons to a 58-56 win over 13th-ranked San Diego State in his third game. Pilipovich has led the Falcons to two of its three wins over ranked teams, as Air Force beat #22 San Diego State, 70-67, in 2013.
FALCONS WIN AIR FORCE CLASSIC
Air Force won the Air Force Classic with a perfect 4-0 record. The Air Force Classic was an exempt event that included Tennessee Tech, Mississippi Valley State, Robert Morris and New Mexico State. The five teams all play each other as part of the classic. All four of Air Force's games were at home. Air Force's games in the classic follow.
Air Force in the Air Force Classic
Nov. 16...... vs. Tennessee Tech (W 80-70)
Nov. 19...... vs. Mississippi Valley State (W 65-64)
Nov. 22...... vs. Robert Morris (W 64-52)
Nov. 28...... vs. New Mexico State (W 66-64 OT)
RANKINGS IN THE MW
Air Force ranks seventh in the Mountain West in assists with a 14.8 average. The Falcons are fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense with a 31.9 mark. The team is third in turnover margin with a 2.8 mark and in assists to turnover ratio with at 1.3.
UP AND DOWN AT LINE CONTINUES
Air Force is shooting 66.9 percent from the free throw line this season. The Falcons have been up and down at the line so far. The team opened the season hitting 81.8 percent at Southern Illinois, but hit just 58.3 percent (35-60) the next two games. The Falcons bounced back to hit a season-high 84.6 percent (11-13) vs. Robert Morris, but shot a season-worst 44.4 percent (8-18) at Colorado. Air Force again bounced back and hit 83.3 percent (10-12) against New Mexico State. The team hit seven of eight in the second half and overtime to seal the win.
FIELD GOAL SHOOTING
Air Force is shooting 42.2 percent from the field. The Falcons have out-shot three opponent and hit over 50 percent once.
The Falcons shot just 43.1 percent at Southern Illinois, but bounced back with a season-high 59.2 percent effort vs. Tennessee Tech, including a 66.7 mark in the second half.
Air Force hit 47.4 percent from the field last season to lead the conference. The Falcons out-shot 16 opponents last season.
LYONS DOES IT AGAIN
Sophomore guard Trevor Lyons has hit the game winner twice this season. Lyons scored a career-high 19 points against Mississippi Valley State, including a driving layup with one second left to win the game. Lyons did it at both ends against New Mexico State. He hit the game-winning layup with eight seconds left, then forced a charge on New Mexico's State's next possession with 2.5 seconds left and Air Force leading 65-64. The Aggies fouled Lyons on the inbounds pass and hit one of two free throws with 1.3 seconds to seal the win.
Lyons is second on the team in scoring with a 15.0 average and has scored in double figures in five of six games. He is second in the conference in steals at 2.8 per game and fifth in minutes played at 35.0.
GRAHAM AMONG LEADERS
Junior Hayden Graham is off to a great start this season. He leads the team in scoring (15.2), rebounding (8.8) and assists (3.5). He ranks 12th, tied for third and tied for ninth, respectively, in the conference in those categories. Graham is also tied for second in the MW in minutes played at 37.2. He has led the team in rebounding in five of six games.
Graham has two double-doubles this season and five in his career. He came remarkably close to the first triple-double in school history in Air Force's win over Robert Morris, collecting 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Graham averaged 15 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists a three-game stretch earlier this season.
