Sunday, December 2
Minneapolis, MN
2:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
4-4
50
at
67
Minnesota
7-0
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
11
5
16
18
50
Minnesota
11
19
12
25
67
Photo by: Darcie Ibidapo
Air Force Falls to No. 20 Minnesota, 50-67
12/2/2018 4:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Air Force women’s basketball played competitively but ultimately succumbed to self-inflicted errors
Minneapolis, Minn. - Air Force closed the game on a 7-0 run but came up short of a comeback, falling to No. 20 Minnesota, 50-67, in Minneapolis, Sunday afternoon. The Falcons equal out at 4-4 on the season while the Gophers remain undefeated at 7-0.
Air Force was led by Kaelin Immel who scored 16 points and collected eight rebounds. She shot 50-percent from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Freshman teammate Briana Autrey finished the game with 13 points and the Falcons' highest field goal percentage (.429) on the game.
Haley Jones, who logged the most minutes on the court (31), wrangled in eight boards and four steals. Senior team captain Venessannah Itugbu also recorded four steals while shooting 1-1.
Air Force shot 29.5-percent from the field while Minnesota shot 39-percent. Kenisha Bell, who leads Minnesota in scoring, dropped 27 points and recorded six steals. Air Force outshot Minnesota from down range, hitting 4-17 opposed to Minnesota's, 1-10.
Both teams struggled with turnovers as Air Force had 20 to Minnesota's 18. Rebounding appeared to be the deciding factor. The Gophers out-rebounded the Falcons, 54-38, scoring 40 points from within the paint. Taiye Bello was the x-factor for Minnesota, recording 18 rebounds, many of which yielded fast-break and second-chance points to her teammates as a result. Bello finished with four points, two steals and a block.
The Falcons showed that they could compete with explosive teams, but will have to improve on turnovers and second-chance scoring opportunities.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter: Minnesota 11, Air Force 11
Starters: Venessannah Itugbu, Riley Snyder, Alexis Springfield, Kaelin Immel, Kassady Huffman
-Minnesota jumped out to a 6-0 lead but it was hard earned.
-Minnesota's Taiye Bello had 10 rebounds in the first quarter.
-Kaelin Immel got Air Force back into the game with a big three-pointer with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Alexis Springfield took it a step further with a stolen inbound that was dished to Riley Snyder for a bucket.
-The teams closed the first quarter tied at 11.
Second Quarter: Minnesota, 30, Air Force 16
-Minnesota outscored Air Force, 19-5, in the second quarter.
-Air Force was hampered by missed shots from the field (1-17), adding only three free throws and a bucket from Snyder in the quarter.
-Minnesota was hampered by missed free throws (7-15), but built a 14-point lead from the field.
-Air Force scoring leader Kaelin Immel caught an elbow to the eye while boxing out at the free throw line, spending the second half of the quarter receiving treatment.
-The five-point scoring performance in the second quarter tied a season-low for Air Force.
-Minnesota's leading scorer Kenisha Bell scored 18 points in the first half, while teammate Taiye Bello had 11 first half rebounds.
- Immel led the team with seven points in the first half while Haley Jones led with five boards.
Third Quarter: Minnesota 42, Air Force 32
-Immel returned to the game in the third quarter, swollen, but with good visibility.
-Air Force made dramatic improvements in the third quarter, shooting 54.5 pct. (6-11) from the field and 57.1 pct. (4-7) from the free throw line.
-Minnesota shot 4-10 from the field and 4-12 from the free throw line.
-Air Force knocked Minnesota's lead down to as little as six points in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Minnesota 67, Air Force 50
-Snyder opened the quarter with her first three-pointer of the game to bring Air Force within seven.
-Audrey Gadison followed up with first career three-pointer to bring Air Force within three.
-Kenisha Bell turned up the heat, going on a 6-0 run to extend Minnesota's lead by nine points.
-Minnesota continued to extend the lead with ensuing points from the field and beyond the arc.
-Air Force responded to Minnesota's 11-0 run with a 7-0 run to end the game.
The Falcons return home to the Academy to take on service academy rivals, Navy, Dec. 7. Tip off in Clune Arena is slated for 4:30 p.m. MT. The Falcons and Mids will be meeting for the 15th time with Navy leading the all-time series, 11-3.
Air Force was led by Kaelin Immel who scored 16 points and collected eight rebounds. She shot 50-percent from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Freshman teammate Briana Autrey finished the game with 13 points and the Falcons' highest field goal percentage (.429) on the game.
Haley Jones, who logged the most minutes on the court (31), wrangled in eight boards and four steals. Senior team captain Venessannah Itugbu also recorded four steals while shooting 1-1.
Air Force shot 29.5-percent from the field while Minnesota shot 39-percent. Kenisha Bell, who leads Minnesota in scoring, dropped 27 points and recorded six steals. Air Force outshot Minnesota from down range, hitting 4-17 opposed to Minnesota's, 1-10.
Both teams struggled with turnovers as Air Force had 20 to Minnesota's 18. Rebounding appeared to be the deciding factor. The Gophers out-rebounded the Falcons, 54-38, scoring 40 points from within the paint. Taiye Bello was the x-factor for Minnesota, recording 18 rebounds, many of which yielded fast-break and second-chance points to her teammates as a result. Bello finished with four points, two steals and a block.
The Falcons showed that they could compete with explosive teams, but will have to improve on turnovers and second-chance scoring opportunities.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter: Minnesota 11, Air Force 11
Starters: Venessannah Itugbu, Riley Snyder, Alexis Springfield, Kaelin Immel, Kassady Huffman
-Minnesota jumped out to a 6-0 lead but it was hard earned.
-Minnesota's Taiye Bello had 10 rebounds in the first quarter.
-Kaelin Immel got Air Force back into the game with a big three-pointer with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Alexis Springfield took it a step further with a stolen inbound that was dished to Riley Snyder for a bucket.
-The teams closed the first quarter tied at 11.
Second Quarter: Minnesota, 30, Air Force 16
-Minnesota outscored Air Force, 19-5, in the second quarter.
-Air Force was hampered by missed shots from the field (1-17), adding only three free throws and a bucket from Snyder in the quarter.
-Minnesota was hampered by missed free throws (7-15), but built a 14-point lead from the field.
-Air Force scoring leader Kaelin Immel caught an elbow to the eye while boxing out at the free throw line, spending the second half of the quarter receiving treatment.
-The five-point scoring performance in the second quarter tied a season-low for Air Force.
-Minnesota's leading scorer Kenisha Bell scored 18 points in the first half, while teammate Taiye Bello had 11 first half rebounds.
- Immel led the team with seven points in the first half while Haley Jones led with five boards.
Third Quarter: Minnesota 42, Air Force 32
-Immel returned to the game in the third quarter, swollen, but with good visibility.
-Air Force made dramatic improvements in the third quarter, shooting 54.5 pct. (6-11) from the field and 57.1 pct. (4-7) from the free throw line.
-Minnesota shot 4-10 from the field and 4-12 from the free throw line.
-Air Force knocked Minnesota's lead down to as little as six points in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Minnesota 67, Air Force 50
-Snyder opened the quarter with her first three-pointer of the game to bring Air Force within seven.
-Audrey Gadison followed up with first career three-pointer to bring Air Force within three.
-Kenisha Bell turned up the heat, going on a 6-0 run to extend Minnesota's lead by nine points.
-Minnesota continued to extend the lead with ensuing points from the field and beyond the arc.
-Air Force responded to Minnesota's 11-0 run with a 7-0 run to end the game.
The Falcons return home to the Academy to take on service academy rivals, Navy, Dec. 7. Tip off in Clune Arena is slated for 4:30 p.m. MT. The Falcons and Mids will be meeting for the 15th time with Navy leading the all-time series, 11-3.
Team Stats
AF
UM
FG%
.295
.390
3FG%
.235
.100
FT%
.588
.513
RB
38
54
TO
20
17
STL
9
13
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
5
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
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