Air Force hosts UNLV in MW action
2/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2017
THE GAME
Air Force hosts UNLV Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. MT in Clune Arena at the Academy. This is the second meeting between the two this season. UNLV defeated Air Force, 87-85, in double overtime Jan. 21 in Las Vegas. The last two meetings between the teams have resulted in five overtimes, as the teams played a triple overtime game in the conference tournament last season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Internet:...... MW Network-Campus Insiders
(Ray Crawford, Jordan Cornette, Stormy Buonantony)
Radio:............ KVOR AM 740 (Jim Arthur, Dan Acheson)
THE BREAKDOWN
Quick Facts Air Force UNLV
Overall Record:... 10-17....................................... 10-17
MW Record:......... 3-11......................................... 3-11
Streak:.................. L 6............................................ L 7
Last Game:........... L 78-83 at San Jose State...... L 64-77 at San Diego State
Next Game:......... at Utah State (2/25)............... vs. Nevada (2-25)
Conference:......... Mountain West ..................... Mountain West
Nickname:............ Falcons.................................... Runnin' Rebels
Location:............... Colorado Springs, CO............ Las Vegas, NV
Website:............... GoAirForceFalcons.com....... UNLVRebels.com
THE COACHES
Category Air Force UNLV
Head Coach.......... Dave Pilipovich...................... Marvin Menzies
Alma Mater.......... Thiel College, 1986............... UCLA, 1987
School Record...... 70-90 (5th season)................ 10-17 (1st season)
Career Record..... Same........................................ 208-128 (10th season)
THE SERIES
Overall.............. UNLV leads 35-12
First Meeting... Jan. 10, 1981 at USAFA (Air Force, 51-50)
Last Meeting... Jan. 21, 2017 at UNLV (UNLV, 87-85 2OT)
Streaks.............. UNLV W 2
THE SERIES
Air Force and UNLV are meeting 48th time overall. The Rebels lead the overall series, 35-12, including a 33-11 mark in conference games. Air Force is 2-24 all-time in Las Vegas and 10-11 at home. UNLV defeated Air Force, 87-85, in double overtime earlier this season in Las Vegas. The teams split last season's regular season meetings, each winning at home. UNLV defeated Air Force, 100-64, Jan. 16, while the Falcons won 79-74 in Clune Arena Feb. 16. Air Force is 4-5 in the last nine regular season meetings in the series dating back to 2013. The teams first played Jan. 10, 1981 at the Academy resulting in a 51-50 Air Force win.
EARLIER THIS SEASON
Jan. 21, 2017 at UNLV
Air Force and UNLV played another classic multiple-overtime game at the Thomas and UMack Center. The Rebels beat Air Force, 87-85, in double overtime Jan. 21.
Jovan Mooring scored a game-high 30 points and sent the game into overtime with a desperation, banked-in 3-pointer as time expired in regulation to tie the game at 58-all. In the second overtime, it was Jacob Van's turn, as he hit a runner from 3-point land to tie the game at 70-all to force a second overtime. In the second extra session, the Rebels hit five straight free throws in the final 17 seconds to hold off Air Force for the win.
Christian Jones added 15 points and six rebounds for the Rebels, while Tyrell Green added 12 points and Uche Ofoegbu had 10 points.
Air Force was led by Hayden Graham, who notched his second double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Van added 17 points, six rebounds and a team-high four assists. Zach Kocur added 16 points and eight rebounds while Frank Toohey chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds. The Falcons hit just 37.5 percent from the field, but held UNLV to just 33.8 percent shooting. Both teams had 56 rebounds and just 10 turnovers.
Post-Game Notes
Team Notes
- The starters for Air Force were Jacob Van, Trevor Lyons, Zach Kocur, Hayden Graham and Frank Toohey. The lineup started for the fourth straight game and 12th time this season. The Falcons have started three different lineups this season.
- Air Force played its first overtime game of the season and second straight vs. UNLV. The last two games between Air Force and UNLV in Las Vegas have featured five overtimes.
- Air Force had four players score in double figures. The Falcons have had at least four in double figures nine times this season.
Individual Notes
- Senior Hayden Graham scored 22 points and grabbed 10 records to record his second double-double this season and 10th of his career. Graham has scored in double figures in five straight games and a team-high 15 times this season. His other double-double this season was vs. Stetson Nov. 22 with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
- Junior Frank Toohey scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Toohey has scored in double figures 13 times this season.
- Senior Zach Kocur scored 16 points to record his 11th double figure scoring game of the season.
- Junior Jacob Van scored 17 points to record his sixth straight game in double figures. Van hit a three at the end of the first overtime to tie the game. Van has scored 54 points his last two games at the Thomas and Mack Center vs. UNLV. He had a career-high 37 points vs. UNLV in the Mountain West Tournament last season.
- Junior Trevor Lyons grabbed a career-best eight rebounds. He also grabbed eight last year in the season opener at Southern Illinois Nov. 13, 2015.
THE LAST TIME AT USAFA
Zach Kocur scored six of his 19 points in the final 1:54, and CJ Siples added 17 points, including two free throws with five seconds left, to help Air Force hold on for a 79-74 win over UNLV Feb. 16 at the Academy.
Jacob Van added 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Frank Toohey had 14 points and nine rebounds for Air Force. A jumper by Siples put the Falcons up 67-56 with six minutes to play.
Jerome Seagears' layup capped an 11-2 run that pulled UNLV within two with 3:37 remaining and his 3-pointer with 53 seconds left trimmed the Runnin' Rebels' deficit to 73-72.
Toohey made a layup 21 seconds later and, after a missed 3 on the other end, two free throws by Kocur made it 77-72 with 19 seconds to go.
UNLV's Dwayne Morgan hit two foul shots 12 seconds later, but Siples' free throws sealed it.
Patrick McCaw and Jalen Poyser scored 15 each for UNLV.
AIR FORCE'S LAST GAME
Brandon Clark scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead San Jose State past Air Force, 83-78, in overtime Saturday afternoon at The Events Center in San Jose, Calif.
The Spartans overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and took its first lead, 70-68, since 2-0 to open the game with a basket and free throw from Brandon Mitchell with 3:18 remaining. Trevor Lyons scored with 2:34 remaining to tie it at 70-all which is where it remained at the end of regulation. Both teams missed opportunities to win it in regulation.
The Falcons scored the first four points in overtime on baskets by Jacob Van and Ryan Manning to take a 74-70 lead with 3:45 left. San Jose State scored the next nine points and took the lead for good, 75-74, on a basket by Clark. The Spartans hit eight of eight free throws in the final 26 seconds to secure the win.
Isaac Thornton scored 17 points and Brandon Mitchell added 12 points for San Jose State. Ryan Wellage chipped in with 10 points. San Jose State shot 45.9 percent from the field, including 24.1 percent from three. The Spartans missed their first 12 threes in the game finishing the first half 0-12. They hit seven in the second half. San Jose State out-rebounded the Falcons, 33-27, and forced 18 turnovers.
Ryan Manning, who got his first start of the season, scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Falcons. Jacob Van added 12 points, five rebounds and a team-best four assists. Freshman Lavelle Scottie added a career-high-tying 11 points. Trevor Lyons chipped in with eight points, three assists and a career-high four steals.
Air Force hit a season-road-best 52.3 percent from the field on 31-of-59 shooting. The Falcons hit 78.6 percent from the free throw line and had 11 steals.
