Falcons host Utah State in home finale
2/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 29, 2016
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television..................... ROOT Sports (Drew Goodman, Sed Bonner)
Radio................................ KVOR AM 740 (Jim Arthur, Matt Pauley)
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts Air Force Utah State
Record............................. 14-15............................................................. 14-13
Conf. Record.............. 5-11................................................................ 6-10
Streak............................... L 1.................................................................... W 1
Last Game.................... at Fresno State (2/24)...................... vs. San Jose State (2/27)
Lost 63-64 Won 88-70
Next Game.................. at Colorado State (3/5)................... vs. New Mexico (3/5)
Conference.................. Mountain West..................................... Mountain West
Nickname..................... Falcons......................................................... Aggies
Location......................... Colorado Springs, CO...................... Logan, UT
Website.......................... GoAirForceFalcons.com.................. UtahStateAggies.com
THE COACHES
Head Coach................ Dave Pilipovich..................................... Tim Duryea
Alma Mater................. Thiel College, 1986............................ North Texas, 1988
School Record.......... 60-70 (4th season).............................. 14-13 (1st season)
Career Record........... Same............................................................. Same
THE SERIES
Overall....................... Utah State leads, 13-3
First Meeting...... Feb. 15, 1963 at USAFA (Air Force, 66-65)
Last Meeting....... Jan. 12, 2016 at Utah State (Utah State, 79-60)
Streaks...................... Utah State W 3
THE SERIES
Air Force and Utah State are meeting for the 17th time overall and fifth as conference opponents. Utah State leads the series 13-3 overall, including a 3-1 mark in conference games. The Aggies are 9-0 at home against Air Force. Utah State swept last season's series, winning 71-59 at home and 74-60 at the Academy. The Aggies beat Air Force, 79-60, earlier this season in Logan. The teams first played Feb. 15, 1963 at the Academy. Air Force won the game, 66-65.
EARLIER THIS SEASON
Jan. 12, 2016 - Logan, UT
Jalen Moore scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures as Utah State defeated Air Force, 79-60, in Logan, Utah. Moore added six rebounds and six assists while Chris Smith chipped in with 19 points, Shane Rector 13 and Julion Pearre 12 for the Aggies.
Air Force used a 8-2 spurt to take a 24-19 lead with 7:02 left in the first half. Utah State answered with a 13-0 run to take a 32-24 lead with 3:40 left in the half. The Aggies took a 36-28 halftime lead and opened the second half with an 8-1 spurt to take a 44-29 lead with just over 18 minutes left. The Falcons never got it closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
Utah State hit 46.4 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Falcons, 41-32. Air Force hit just 36.8 percent from the field and 58.8 from the free throw line. Zach Moer led the Falcons with 12 points while Zach Kocur chipped in with 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Freshman Pervis Louder added a career-high 10 points.
THE LAST TIME AT AIR FORCE
Feb. 28, 2015 at USAFA
Julion Pearre scored 21 points to lead four Aggies in double figures as Utah State defeated Air Force, 74-60, in Clune Arena.
Utah State closed the first half with a 9-3 run to take a 30-21 halftime lead. Air Force scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the lead to five points, but the Aggies pushed it back to double digits, 35-25, with 17:38 left. Air Force was only able to cut it below double figures five times after that, the last coming with 5:38 left. The Aggies scored the next seven points after that to put the game away.
Utah State hit 48.0 percent from the field and out-rebounded Air Force, 36-33. Jalen Moore added 10 points and 10 rebounds while Chris Smith had 16 and David Collette 13.
Air Force was led by Hayden Graham, who had team highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Max Yon added 13 points and Zach Kocur 11. The Falcons shot just 40.3 percent from the field, including 19 percent from 3-point range. The team also hit just six of 14 free throws.
FINAL HOME GAME FOR Z-MO
Air Force senior Zach Moer will play in his final home game Tuesday against Utah State. Moer has played in 75 games during his Air Force career. This season he has served as a team captain while playing in 27 games. He leads the team in blocked shots with 22 and is third on the team in scoring with an 8.9 average. He scored a career-high 18 points vs. Colorado State earlier this season. Moer also scored 15 points and had eight rebounds to lead Air Force past Denver this season. Moer is a native of Flower Mound, Texas, and is major in civil engineering. He will be stationed at the Air Force Academy Prep School next year.
AIR FORCE'S LAST GAME
Marvelle Harris scored 20 points and hit two free throws with 4.7 seconds left to lift Fresno State to it's second straight one-point win over Air Force, 64-63, Feb. 24 in Fresno.
Zach Moer hit a layup to give Air Force a 63-54 lead with 2:24 remaining before Fresno State closed the game on a 10-0 run. Harris scored all 10 points in the run. The Falcons led from the 18 minute mark of the first half until the two late free throws from Harris. Karachi Edo added 12 points for the Bulldogs.
Air Force was led by Zach Kocur, who scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Hayden Graham added 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds while Jacob Van chipped in with 11 points. The Falcons lost for just the second time all season when out-rebounding an opponent, holding a 31-28 edge. Air Force hit 47.8 percent from the field and matched a season-high with 10 3-pointers. Fresno State hit 42.0 percent from the field while forcing 16 Air Force turnovers.
Post-Game Notes
Team Notes
- The lineup of CJ Siples (G), Zach Kocur (G), Jacob Van (G), Hayden Graham (F) and Frank Toohey (C) started for the fourth straight game. The lineup is the 12th used by the Falcons this season.
- Air Force took an 11-point lead, 22-11, in the first half to mark its biggest lead in a Mountain West road game this season. The previous high was five points at Utah State.
- Air Force led at the half (41-33) for the first time this season in a Mountain West road game. The halftime lead was the first in any road game this season since UC Davis (32-27) on Dec. 19, 2015.
- Air Force matched a season high with 10 3-pointers. The team also hit 10 at Colorado (11-25) and at New Mexico (1-27).
- Air Force out-rebounded Fresno State, 31-28. The Falcons are 10-2 this season when out-rebounding an opponent.
Individual Notes
- Junior Zach Kocur scored a season-high 19 points to record his third straight game in double figures. Kocur has scored in double figures 11 times this season and 24 times in his career. Kocur also hit a season-high three 3-pointers.
- Sophomore Jacob Van scored 11 points to mark his fourth straight double-figure scoring game. Van also hit a career-best three 3-pointers.
- Junior Hayden Graham scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Graham has scored in double figures a team-best 20 times this season and 32 times in his career.
AIR FORCE'S FOUR-GAME HOME STREAK
Air Force has won four straight home games, defeating Wyoming (70-62), Boise State (61-53), UNLV (79-74) and New Mexico (76-72). The Falcons have averaged 71.5 points per game and shot 45.6 percent from the field, including a 35.1 clip from 3-point range. Air Force has held opponents to 65.2 points per game and 41.0 percent shooting overall, including 32.4 percent from three. The Falcons have a 6.3 scoring margin and 4.3 rebounding margin, out-rebounding all four opponents. Air Force has out-shot three of the four, including a season-best for a MW game 52.3 percent vs. Wyoming.
The team has four players averaging in double figures during the stretch. CJ Siples leds the way at 16.0, followed by Hayden Graham at 14.0, Jacob Van at 11.3 and Zach Kocur at 10.3. Graham and Kocur have led the team in rebounding with a 6.5 average while Frank Toohey has chipped in with 6.0 rebounds and 9.8 points per game.
Air Force streak comparison
Category Streak Season* Diff.
Scoring 71.5 67.6 +3.9
FG Pct. 45.6 41.7 +3.9
FG Pcf. Def. 41.0 42.8 +1.8
3-Pt FG Pct. 35.1 33.2 +1.9
3-Ptr Made 6.8 5.9 +1.0
FT Pct. 69.5 67.8 +1.3
Rebs 36.8 35.2 +1.6
Margin 4.3 -3.0 +7.3
Steals 7.0 6.0 +1.0
Blocks 2.3 1.7 +0.6
* - Stats are for all games prior to the streak starting.
HOME SUCCESS
Air Force is 12-4 at home this season. The team's 12 home wins is tied for third in the Mountain West. Fresno State leads the conference with 15, while Boise State is second with 13. San Diego State and New Mexico are tied with the Falcons with 12 each.
Air Force's 12 home wins is the most since 2012-13 when Air Force posted 13.
Air Force is 5-3 in conference home games and has clinched a home winning record. Head Coach Dave Pilipovich has led the Falcons to a three winning home records in conference play, the most of any coach in school history.
AIR FORCE IS.....
- 7-2 when leading at the half
- 10-2 when leading with 10:00 left
- 10-2 when leading with 5:00 left
- 10-2 when out-rebounding opponent
- 9-6 when out-shooting opponent
- 10-3 when holding opponents under 70 points
10-4 IN CLOSE GAMES
Air Force is 10-4 overall in games decided by eight points or less this season. The Falcons had a six-game winning streak snapped by falling to Colorado State, 83-79, Jan. 20. Fresno State defeated the Falcons, 56-55, Jan. 23 and 64-63 Feb. 24. The second FSU win snapped a four-game winning streak. Air Force's only other loss came in the season opener at Southern Illinois, 77-75.
HITTING THE BOARDS
Air Force is 10-2 this season when out-rebounding an opponent. The Falcons are averaging 34.9 rebounds per game this season. Air Force's losses came at home to Colorado State, 83-79, and at Frenso State, 64-63. The Falcons out-rebounded the Rams, 37-28, and Fresno State, 31-28. Air Force has out-rebounded four straight opponents at home, winning all four games. The team held a 29-28 edge over Wyoming, 39-33 advantage over Boise State, a 40-33 lead over UNLV and out-rebounded New Mexico, 39-36.
FREE THROW SHOOTING UP AND DOWN
Air Force is shooting 68.0 percent from the free throw line this season.
The Falcons have hit over 80 percent six times while shooting under a 60 percent eight times.
Air Force hit a season-high 85.0 percent (17-20) at San Jose State Jan. 30. The Falcons hit just 62.2 percent (23-37) percent the previous two games. Air Force has hit big free throws in the final minutes in two of the last four homes games. The team shot just 66.7 percent against Wyoming Feb. 2, but hit 11 of the last 14, including 7-10 in the final two minutes. The Falcons added a 79.3 percent effort against UNLV, including six straight in the final two minutes.
VAN STEPS UP
Sophomore Jacob Van has started the last four games for Air Force and has responded with four double-digure scoring games and led the Falcons in scoring three times.
Van has averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists the last four games. He has hit 54.0 percent (27-50) from the field and 58.8 percent (10-17) of his 3-pointers.
He recorded career highs of 17 points and four assists in 32 minutes at San Diego State Feb. 13. His double figure scoring effort was the first of his career.
He one-upped himself in Air Force's win over UNLV, recording a then-career-high 21 points to lead Air Force. Van set a new career-high with 22 points and matched his career high with three 3-pointers to lead Air Force past New Mexico. He hit 7-14 field goals and had a career-high five rebounds in 37 minutes.
Van scored 11 points and had three rebounds and three assists in a career-high 39 minutes at Fresno State.
He joins Hayden Graham as the only Falcons with back-to-back 20-plus-point efforts this season. He is the fourth Falcon overall to score 20-plus this season, joining Graham (7), Trevor Lyons (2) and CJ Siples (1).
Van earned Madness Mountain West Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his exceptional performance during action vs. UNLV and New Mexico. College Sports Madness identifies the players who have had the greatest impact to their team from each conference and on a national basis each Monday.
GRAHAM AMONG MW LEADERS
Junior Hayden Graham is 10th in the MW in scoring (14.1) and ninth in rebounding (6.5). He is also third in field goal percentage (49.4) and minutes played (35.6). Graham has been big on the board the last five games, averaging 9.2 per game.
Graham scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds and had three assists in 40 minutes against Colorado State Jan. 20. He hit 9-13 from the field, including 4-6 from 3-point range. His 25 points tie as the most by a Falcon this season. Graham led the Falcons with 23 points, five assists and two steals vs. Wyoming. He hit 9-14 field goals, including a half-court shot to end the first half.
Graham scored just four points against UNLV, but grabbed eight rebounds and had a steal in 28 minutes. He added his fifth double-double of the season and first in conference play with 21 points and 11 rebounds against New Mexico. Graham had all 21 points and nine rebounds in the second half. Hed scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds at Fresno State.
KOCUR PROVIDES LIFT
Junior Zach Kocur has averaged 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game the three games. He has hit 51.5 percent (17-33) from the field, 41.2 percent (7-17) from three and 100 percent (10-10) from the line.
He scored a season-high 19 points and had six rebounds and two steals to help Air Force beat UNLV. He matched his season high with three 3-pointers, going 3-6. Kocur scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, had three assists and two steals in 38 minutes vs. New Mexico. He matched his season high with 19 points and had eight rebounds at Fresno State. He also matched his season high with three 3-pointers.
Kocur is third on the team in scoring with a 9.3 average and is second in rebounding with a 5.3 norm. He ranks seventh in the MW in defensive rebounds with a 4.7 average. He has scored in double figures 11 times this season and 24 times in his career.
SIPLES STEPS UP
Sophomore CJ Siples has stepped up big-time since becoming the team's starting point guard the last seven games after the injury to Trevor Lyons. He has helped lead the Falcons to four wins and scored in double figures in three. Siples has averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game. He has shot 51.0 percent (26-51) from the field, 52.6 percent (10-19) from 3-point territory and 74.2 percent (23-31) from the line.
Siples was named Mountain West player of the week and Madness Mountain West player of the week for his efforts in Air Force's two wins over Wyoming and Boise State. He averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He hit 64.7 percent (11-17) from the field, 57.1 percent (4-7) of his 3-pointers and 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line.
Siples scored a career-high 25 points, which ties as the most by a Falcon this season, against Boise State. Siples eclipsed his previous high in the first half with 15 points. Siples also had career highs of four 3-pointers, seven rebounds and three steals.
He scored 13 points, had four rebounds, three assists and two steals without any turnovers in a career-high 36 minutes vs. Wyoming.
Siples had 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and a key blocked shot late in the game in Air Force's win over UNLV.
TOOHEY PRODUCING
Sophomore Frank Toohey has averaged 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds the last eight games. He has hit 47.5 percent (19-40) from the field, 37.5 percent (3-8) from 3-point territory and 78.4 percent (29-37) from the three throw line.
Toohey recorded a career-high 17 points and seven rebounds and 29 minutes at San Jose State Jan. 30. Toohey led the Falcons in scoring for the first time in his career and in rebounding for the second time. He hit five of nine field goals, including a 3-pointer, and all six of his free throws. Five of his seven rebounds were offensive. Toohey made the first start of his career against Wyoming and responded with 13 points and six rebounds to record back-to-back double figure scoring games for the first time in his career. Toohey scored 14 points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in a career-high 30 minutes against UNLV. He also tied a school record for best free throw percentage in a conference game, going 10-of-10. He is the fifth player to hit 10-10 or better and first since Anwar Johnson hit 10-10 vs. Colorado State Jan. 22, 2008.
