Air Force Academy
UNLV
Air Force Holds Off UNLV, 76-75
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2015
Marek Olesinski scored 19 points, including two free throws with 10 seconds remaining, and Matt Mooney added 12 points and two free throws with four seconds remaining to lead Air Force past UNLV, 76-75, Saturday afternoon in a Mountain West game in Clune Arena.
The Falcons hit five of six free throws in the final 17 seconds to hold off the Rebels and win for the third straight time at home and fourth time in the last six games overall. Freshman Trevor Lyons tied the score at 60-all with a pair of free throws with 5:05 remaining in the game, then gave the team a two point advantage with a driving layup with 4:44 left. Following a basket by Christian Wood to tie the game at 62-all, Zach Kocur hit a 3-pointer with 3:34 left to give the Falcons the lead for good, 65-62. Kocur two more threes, one to put Air Force up 68-64 with 2:05 left and another to push the lead to 71-66 with 44 seconds to play. Mooney responded from a pair of missed free throws with 26 second left to hit the game-clinchers in the final seconds to give Air Force a 76-72 lead. Wood hit a 3-pointer as the horn sounded to make up the final margin.
Air Force won for the first time this season while trailing at the half. The Falcons trailed 26-25 at the half, but opened the second half on a 8-0 run to take a five-point lead, 33-28. The second half featured nine lead changes and four ties alone.
Kocur scored 18 points and hit a career-high six 3-pointers. Kocur was five-of-seven from long range in the second half after a one-of-five effort in the first. Lyons finished with 10 points and a career-best-tying five rebounds. Hayden Graham added eight points and a team-best six rebounds while Mooney added five rebounds and five assists.
Air Force shot 42.4 percent from the field. The Falcons hit 69.2 percent from 3-point range in the second half and 48.0 percent for the game, hitting 12-of-25. The Falcons had 24 assists and 25 field goals and had just five turnovers.
UNLV shot 50.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded Air Force, 40-27. The Rebels had 16 turnovers. Wood led the Rebels with 31 points and nine rebounds. Patrick McCaw added 20 points, all in the second half, and Goodluck Okonoboh added 10 points.
Air Force improves to 12-13 overall and 5-9 in conference play. The Rebels fell to 14-11 overall and 5-6 in the conference.
