Falcons travel to New Mexico State
11/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television:........ None
Radio:................... KVOR AM 740 (Jim Arthur, Dan Acheson)
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts Air Force New Mexico State
Record:............................ 5-2................................................................... 5-2
Streak:.............................. L 2.................................................................... W 3
Last Game:................... L 63-70 vs. ECU..................................... W 56-51 at San Diego
Conference:................ Mountain West .................................... WAC
Nickname:.................... Falcons......................................................... Aggies
Location:....................... Colorado Springs, CO...................... Las Cruces, NM
Website:......................... GoAirForceFalcons.com.................. nmstatesports.com
THE COACHES
Category Air Force New Mexico State
Head Coach................ Dave Pilipovich..................................... Paul Weir
Alma Mater................. Thiel College, 1986............................ York, 2004
School Record.......... 65-75 (5th season).............................. 5-2 (1st season)
Career Record........... Same............................................................. Same
THE SERIES
Overall....................... Air Force leads 4-2
First Meeting...... Jan. 15, 1964 @USAFA (Air Force, 82-36)
Last Meeting....... Nov. 28, 2015 @USAFA (Air Force, 66-64 OT)
Streaks...................... Air Force W1
NOTES
- Air Force is playing its first true road game this season at New Mexico State. The Falcons opened with five straight home games, followed by a pair of neutral site games. The Falcons play two of the next three games on the road. Following this week's game vs. Missouri State, Air Force travels to Army Dec. 7.
- Air Force and New Mexico State are meeting for the seventh time overall and second time in the last two years. Prior to last year, the team's had not played since 1970. Air Force leads the overall series 4-2, including a 3-1 mark at home and 1-1 mark on the road. The Falcons won last year's game, 66-64, in overtime at the Academy.
THE SERIES
Air Force and New Mexico State are meeting for the seventh time overall and second time in the last two years. Prior to last year, the teams had not played since 1970. Air Force leads the overall series 4-2, including a 3-1 mark at home and 1-1 mark on the road. The Falcons won last year's game, 66-64, in overtime at the Academy. The teams first played Jan. 15, 1964 in Colorado Springs. Air Force won the game, 82-36.
Air Force - New Mexico State series
11/28/15 Air Force 66, NM State 64 OT (H)
2/14/70 NM State 99, Air Force 81 (A)
3/1/69 NM State 74, Air Force 63 (H)
2/5/66 Air Force 109, NM State 60 (H)
1/18/65 Air Force 77, NM State 59 (A)
1/15/64 Air Force 82, NM State 36 (H)
FIRST TRUE ROAD GAME
Air Force plays at New Mexico State Wednesday in the first true road game of the season. The Falcons are 0-2 this season away from home after two neutral site games last week.
LAST WEEK
Air Force went 1-2 in three games last week. The Falcons beat Stetson, 85-72, at home before traveling to Savannah, Ga., for the final two games of the Savannah Invitational. The Falcons lost to Akron, 84-75, in the semifinals Nov. 25 and to East Carolina, 70-63, in the consolation game Nov. 26.
LAST TIME OUT
Trevor Lyons led Air Force with 13 points and seven rebounds in a 70-63 loss to East Carolina in the third place game of the Savannah Invitational Nov. 26.
B.J. Tyson had 18 points and Caleb White added 15 for East Carolina. Tyson made 7 of 14 field goal attempts and White nailed 3 of 6 from long range.
The Pirates were ahead 33-31 at the break and pushed that to 65-46 with 4:49 left in the game. Air Force's Ryan Manning nailed a 3-point jumper to close to 67-60 with 1:19 left. Tyson and Kentrell Barkley answered with three free throws to seal the win.
East Carolina (5-2) shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half, going 25 of 57 for the game, while limiting Air Force to 21-of-62 shooting.
SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL
Air Force finished 2-2 in the Savannah Invitational. The Falcons lost to eventual champion, Akron, 84-75, in the semifinals and to East Carolina, 70-63, in the consolation game.
Savannah Invitational
11-20 vs. Florida A&M W 87-62
11-22 vs. Stetson W 85-72
11-25 vs. Akron* L 75-84
11-26 vs. East Carolina* L 63-70
*-Games in Savannah, GA
FALCONS IN THE MW
Air Force leads the conference in five categories and ranks among the top three in four others. The Falcons lead the Mountain West in scoring (84.1), scoring margin (14.3), 3-point field goal percentage (40.5), assist-to-turnover margin (1.7) and 3-point field goals made (8.9).
The Falcons are third in free throw percentage (75.1), third in rebounding margin (5.3) and second in assists (16.7) and turnover margin (2.9).
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
The Falcons have only played seven games, but they have posted the best free throw percentage since 2007. Air Force is shooting 75.1 percent from the line which is third in the Mountain West and best since 2007 when the team hit 75.5. Air Force has hit 70 percent of better in six of seven games and 80 percent or better three times. Air Force hit 83.3 percent (32-36) in the two games last week away from home.
SECOND BEST START EVER
Air Force's 5-0 start is the second-best ever at the Academy and best since opening 6-0 in 1982-83. This is the second time the Falcons have opened 5-0 under head coach Dave Pilipovich. The Falcons opened 2012-13 5-0 in Pilipovich's first full season.
THIS AND THAT
- Air Force defeated McPherson, 88-71, to open the season and improved to 29-32 all-time in season openers.
- Air Force won its 10th straight season opener at home dating back to a 73-68 loss to Valparaiso Nov. 23 to open 1991-92.
- Air Force head coach Dave Pilipovich improved to 3-2 in season openers.
- Air Force defeated Johnson & Wales, 105-62, Nov. 15 to record its first 100-plus outing since last season's Mountain West Tournament loss to UNLV, 108-102, March 9, 2016. The 105 points are the most since scoring 111 vs. Denver Feb. 16, 1999.
- Air Force scored 53 points in the first half vs. Johnson & Wales, its highest scoring half of the season. Air Force's 53 points is the most in a half since scoring 59 vs. Colorado State on Jan. 10, 2015. The Falcons added its second-highest scoring half of the season in the second half with 52 points.
SCORING NOTES
- Air Force has had at least three players score in double figures in each game this season. The Falcons have had four in double figures twice, vs. Jacksonville and Stetson.
- Air Force has had five different leading scorers in seven games this season. Hayden Graham led the team with 16 points vs. McPherson while Jacob Van led the Falcons with 23 points vs. Jacksonville. Ryan Manning scored a career-best 21 points to lead Air Force past Johnson & Wales. Van scored 17 points to lead Air Force past Florida A&M to become the first player to lead the team twice. Frank Toohey scored a career-high 22 points vs. Stetson to lead the team. Toohey and Van each had 17 to lead the Falcons against Akron while Trevor Lyons scored 13 to lead the team vs. East Carolina.
- Air Force has four players averaging in double figures this season. Frank Toohey leads the team at 12.6 and is followed by Jacob Van (12.3), Hayden Graham (12.0) and Zach Kocur (10.4). Two other Falcons are close to double figures in Trevor Lyons (9.1) and Ryan Manning (8.7).
