Air Force travels to Wyoming for MW showdown
1/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television:.................... None
Video Stream:............ MW Network
Radio:............................... KVOR AM 740...Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Matt Pauley (analyst)
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts Air Force Wyoming
Record:..................... 10-4............................................................ 7-8
Conf. Record:...... 1-0............................................................... 0-2
Streak:........................ W 4............................................................. L 2
Last Game:............. vs. San Jose State (1/2)............... at Nevada (1/2)
W 64-57 L 68-71
Next Game:........... vs. Nevada (1/9)................................ vs. UNLV (1/9)
Conference:.......... Mountain West................................. Mountain West
Nickname:............. Falcons..................................................... Cowboys
Location:................. Colorado Springs, CO.................. Laramie, WY
Website:................... GoAirForceFalcons.com.............. GoWyo.com
THE COACHES
Head Coach:......... Dave Pilipovich................................. Larry Shyatt
Alma Mater:......... Thiel College, 1986........................ College of Wooster, 1973
School Record:... 56-59 (4th season).......................... 110-68 (6th year)
Career Record:.... Same......................................................... 180-151 (11th year)
THE SERIES
Overall:..................... Wyoming leads 74-35
First Meeting:..... Jan. 25, 1958 at Laramie (Air Force 78-73)
Last Meeting:...... Feb. 7, 2015 at USAFA (Air Force 73-50)
Streaks...................... Air Force W 2
THE SERIES
Air Force and Wyoming are meeting for the 110th time. Wyoming leads the series, 74-35. The Cowboys are 32-20 at the Academy, 36-14 at home and 6-1 in neutral site games. Air Force has won two straight and five of the last six meetings overall. The Falcons have won three straight in Laramie dating back to 2012. The teams first played on Jan. 25, 1958 in Laramie. Air Force won the game, 78-73.
LAST SEASON VS. WYOMING
Feb. 7, 2015 at USAFA
Zach Kocur did not miss a shot on his way to 14 points and Air Force knocked off Mountain West Conference leader Wyoming 73-50 Feb. 7. in Clune Arena.
Kocur was 6-of-6 from the field and Hayden Graham scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Air Force, which shot 57 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range. Marek Olesinski had 14 points and Matt Mooney chipped in 12.
The Falcons built a 33-28 halftime lead, opened the second half on a 15-3 run and rolled from there.
Josh Adams scored 11 points and Jason McManamen had 10 for Wyoming. The Cowboys played without leading scorer Larry Nance Jr., who was out due to illness.
AN AIR FORCE WIN WOULD....
- The Falcons would improve to 11-4 overall, the best start through 15 games since the 2011-12 team started 11-4. The last time an Air Force team started better than 11-4 was a 14-1 start in 2006-07.
- Air Force would improve to 2-0 in the Mountain West, marking the team's first 2-0 start since 2013-14. The 2-0 start would be the second under head coach Dave Pilipovich.
- Air Force would win its fourth straight in Laramie dating back to 2012.
- Air Force would improve to 6-1 in its last seven games vs. Wyoming.
AIR FORCE'S LAST GAME
Trevor Lyons matched his career high with 22 points, including 18 in the second half, and Hayden Graham added 15 points as Air Force defeated San Jose State, 64-57, in its Mountain West conference opener Jan. 2 in Clune Arena.
Air Force took control of the game midway through the first half, but had to hang down the stretch to win its conference opener for the fourth time in five seasons. Air Force out-scored San Jose State, 17-5, over the last 9:49 of the first half to take a 28-19 halftime lead. Six different Falcons scored during the run, led by Joe Tuss and Graham with four points each. The Falcons held San Jose State to just two-of-17 shooting over the stretch. The Spartans hit just 24 percent overall in the first half. Air Force forced 11 San Jose State turnovers in the first half while turning it over just four times.
The Falcons extended the lead to 15 points, 37-22, with a 9-2 spurt to open the second half. San Jose State cut the lead to nine, 41-32, with 13:20 to play, before Air Force used a 15-3 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 56-35, with 7:13 remaining. San Jose State responded with a 13-0 run to cut the lead to eight, 56-58, with 3:25 remaining. The Spartans got as close as five, 60-55, with 23 seconds left, but the Falcons put the game away hitting four straight free throws.
Air Force hit 83.3 percent from the line in the game on 25-of-30 shooting, including hitting 14 of its last 16 and six of the last eight in the final 3:17 of the game. Air Force also out-rebounded San Jose State, 37-35, and forced 20 turnovers. Air Force finished the game hitting 34.7 percent from the field while holding San Jose State to just 36.7 percent.
Lyons hit a career-high 11 free throws in 12 attempts, including four-of-four in the final 30 seconds. Kyle Broekhuis hit four-of-four, including the final two with just nine seconds left. He added nine points and a career-high seven rebounds. Zach Moer chipped in with eight points and three rebounds.
San Jose State was led by Princeton Onwas, who scored 19 points. Jaycee Hillsman added 11 and Frank Rogers 10. Ryan Welage added a team-high nine rebounds.
Post-Game Notes
Team Notes
- Air Force's starting lineup of Trevor Lyons (G), Zach Kocur (G), Kyle Broekhuis (F), Hayden Graham (F), Zach Moer (C) started for the sixth time this season, the most of any lineup. The Falcons have used seven different starting lineups this season.
- Air Force trailed in a game for the first time since the UC Davis game on Dec. 19. San Jose State took a 6-4 lead with 16:24 left in the first half. The streak covered 122:36 minutes of play over three games.
- Air Force improved to 9-8 all-time in Mountain West openers. The Falcons are 6-4 at home and have won four straight conference home openers dating back to 2009. Air Force has won five of its last six MW openers overall.
- Air Force won its fourth straight game overall, a season-high winning streak.
Individual Notes
- Sophomore Trevor Lyons matched his career high with 22 points. Lyons matched a career high with three 3-pointers and scored in double figures for a team-best 12th time this season. Lyons hit a career-best 11 free throws (in 12 attempts). His previous high for made free throws was 10 vs. Mississippi Valley State (11-19) earlier this season.
- Junior Hayden Graham scored 15 points to mark the 11th time this season he's scored in double figures. Graham hit one of two 3-pointers and has hit 10 of his last 13 from 3-point range over the last four games.
- Junior Kyle Broekhuis scored nine points and matched his career high with seven rebounds.
10 WINS TIES FOR MOST IN MW
Air Force's 10 overall wins this season and .714 winning percentage are tied for the best in the Mountain West. The team's current four-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak trailing only Boise State's seven games. Air Force is 7-3 over the last 10 games which is second to Boise State's 8-2 mark. Air Force's eight home wins (8-1) is tied with Boise State and Fresno State for the most in the conference. Air Force's 10-4 start to the season is the best since the 2011-12 team started 10-4. The last time an Air Force team started better than 10-4 in 14 games was a school-record 13-1 start in 2006-07.
FALCONS 8-1 AT HOME
Air Force is 8-1 at home this season. The last time Air Force opened better than 8-1 was 2006-07 when the team opened 13-0 at home.
TAKING THE LEAD
Air Force has played with a lead for all but 11:40 over the last four games. The Falcons never trailed vs. Western State Dec. 29 and
Johnson & Wales Dec. 22. The Falcons led for 35:40 at UC Davis Dec. 19. When San Jose State took a 6-4 lead with 16:24 remaining in the first half last Saturday it snapped a streak of 122:36 of game action that Air Force never trailed. Air Force led for 32:40 vs. San Jose State.
Opponent Time Leading
San Jose State 32:40
Western State 40:00
Johnson & Wales 40:00
UC Davis 35:40
Total 148:20
Total Game Time 160:00
AIR FORCE IS.....
- 6-1 when leading at the half
- 8-1 when leading with 10:00 left
- 6-0 when out-rebounding opponent
- 6-2 when out-shooting opponent
- 8-0 when holding opponents under 70 points
6-1 IN CLOSE GAMES
Air Force is 6-1 overall and has won six straight games decided by seven points or less. The team's loss came in the season opener at Southern Illinois, 77-75.
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
- Air Force finished the non-conference season with a 9-4 record.
- The team's nine wins are the most in the Dave Pilipovich area and most since 2011-12 when the team won 10.
- Air Force finished the non-conference slate with an RPI of 107, the fourth-best in the conference.
- The Falcons were one of three MW teams to win two non-conference road games.
- Air Force's four non-conference losses came to teams with a combined 40-12 record (.769). A breakdown follows:
Team Record
Southern Illinois 12-2
Colorado 11-2
Ohio State 8-5
Army 9-3
Totals 40-12 (.769)
HITTING THE BOARDS
Air Force has out rebounded five opponents and tied one in the last eight games. Air Force out-rebounded Citadel, 47-33, and Denver, 37-22, before matching Ohio State with 35. Army out-rebound Air Force, 41-38, and UC Davis held a 37-30 edge. The Falcons out-rebounded UC Davis, 20-14, in the second half. Air Force out-rebounded Johnson & Wales, 42-33, Western State, 38-37, and San Jose State, 37-35.
Air Force has a 304-273 rebounding edge (3.9 per game) over the eight games overall. The Falcons are 6-0 this season when out-rebounding an opponent. Air Force also held the edge against Robert Morris (47-36).
FREE THROW SHOOTING IMPROVED
Air Force is shooting 68.9 percent from the free throw line this season. Air Force has hit 81.0 percent (68-84) the last three games, including an 83.3 clip (25-30) vs. San Jose State.
The Falcons struggled earlier this season, shooting over 80 percent five times while shooting under a 60 percent four times.
Air Force's season high is 84.6 percent vs. Robert Morris while the season low is 44.4 percent at Colorado.
SEVEN LINEUPS IN 14 GAMES
Air Force has used seven different starting lineups in 14 games this season. The current lineup of Trevor Lyons (G), Zach Kocur (G), Hayden Graham (F), Kyle Broekhuis (F) and Zach Moer (C) has started six times, the most of any lineup and posted a 5-1 record.
Three Falcons have made the first start of their careers this season: Zach Moer, Joe Tuss and Kyle Broekhuis. Two other Falcons have started every game this season: Zach Kocur and Trevor Lyons. Moer and Graham have started all 13 games they have played this season, but each missed one game due to injury.
FALCONS LEAD MW IN 3FG PCT
Air Force leads the Mountain West in 3-point field goal percentage defense, allowing 31.5 percent. The Falcons are third in overall field goal percentage defense with a 40.5 mark.
Air Force has not allowed a team to shoot 50 percent or better in nine straight games. The Falcons have held four straight opponents under 40 percent shooting. Air Force has allowed only two opponents (Colorado, Army) to shoot 40 percent or better from 3-point range this season.
FIELD GOAL SHOOTING
Air Force is shooting 43.9 percent from the field this season. The Falcons have out-shot eight opponents and are 6-2 when doing so. The team has hit over 50 percent four times, winning each game.
The Falcons shot a season-high 59.2 percent effort vs. Tennessee Tech and hit 55.2 percent against Citadel. Air Force hit 50 percent against UC Davis which is the best in a road game this season. The Falcons hit 53.8 percent vs. Western State the last game.
50 percent games
Opponent FG Pct.
Tennessee Tech (W) 59.2
Citadel (W) 55.2
UC Davis (W) 50.0
Western State (W) 53.8
GRAHAM DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior forward Hayden Graham has recorded four double-doubles this season which is the most in a season by an Air Force player since Tom Bellairs had eight in 1999-2000. Graham has seven career double-doubles. He nearly had the first triple-double in school history against Robert Morris with 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Graham career double-doubles
Opponent Date Pts-Rebs
2015-16
Army 12/12/15 21-12
Citadel 12/2/15 20-10
Robert Morris 11/22/15 16-12
Southern Illinois 11/13/15 19-10
2014-15
Utah State 2/28/15 16-12
Nevada 2/25/15 12-10
Wyoming 2/7/15 10-11
GRAHAM ONE OF THREE IN MW
Junior Hayden Graham is one of three players in the conference to lead his team in scoring and rebounding. Graham leads the Falcons with averages of 15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. Frank Rogers of San Jose State and Josh Adams of Wyoming are the other two. Rogers is averaging 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds while Adams has norms of 26.1 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Graham has hit the 20-point mark three times this season. Graham is seventh in the MW in scoring and fourth in rebounding. He is also third in field goal percentage (54.1) and second in minutes played (35.7). He ranks in the top 10 in seven categories overall. Graham has averaged 18.8 points over the last four games while topping the 20-point mark twice. He has hit 76.9 percent (10-13) of his 3-pointers, including a career-best five-of-five vs. Western State. His effort is the best in terms of percentage in the conference this season.
LYONS LEADS TEAM IN ASSISTS, STEALS
Sophomore guard Trevor Lyons leads the team in assists with a 3.6 average and steals with a 2.0 norm. He is second on the team in scoring at 14.9 per game and fourth in rebounding with a 4.2 average.
Lyons is 10th in the Mountain West in scoring. He also ranks 10th in the MW in assists, second in steals and fifth in minutes played (33.6).
Lyons matched his career high with 22 points and hit a career-best 11 free throws (12 attempts) vs. San Jose State. He also matched his career high with three 3-pointers and grabbed six rebounds and had three assists.
Lyons has hit the game-winner twice this season. Lyons scored 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 he hit one of two free throws with 1.3 seconds to seal the win.
KOCUR AMONG BEST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Junior Zach Kocur ranks among the best 3-point shooters in school history. Kocur is fifth in career 3-point field goal percentage with a mark of 40.9 percent. Kocur posted one of the best individual seasons in school history last year, hitting 47.5 percent overall and 46.3 percent in conference games. His overall and conference percentages are both fifth-best in school history.
