Wednesday, January 22
USAFA, CO
6:30 PM MT
Air Force Academy
4-15,2-6Mountain West
52
vs
53
Utah State
6-13,1-7Mountain West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah St. | 17 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 53 |
| Air Force | 12 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 52 |
Photo by: U.S. Air Force photo / Trang Le
Air Force Rally Short by a Point, Falls to Utah State, 53-52
1/22/2020 9:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Freshman Allyah Marlett had a career-high 15 points to lead Air Force women’s basketball in scoring
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - A fourth-quarter Air Force rally came up short by a point as the Falcons fell to Utah State, 53-52, in Mountain West Conference action, Wednesday evening in Clune Arena. The Falcons, who downed the Aggies earlier this season in Utah, drop to 4-15 with a 2-6 mark in the league, while Utah State improved to 6-13 overall and their first MW win this season (1-7).
Air Force was led by freshman guard Allyah Marlett who scored a career-best 15 points, shooting 60-percent from the field and 66-percent from deep. Air Force ignited behind Marlett in the fourth quarter as she scored six points of Air Force's 11-0 scoring run to open the final quarter. The native of Aurora, Colorado, was instrumental in the Falcons' rally, draining a three-ball late in the third quarter and another during the fourth quarter scoring run, tallying a career-best two three-balls on the night. Marlett also added two boards and a steal to her final stat line.
Junior co-team captain Kaelin Immel dropped 15 points for her fifth-straight double-figure scoring performance, 15th of the season. Immel collected four rebounds, picked off two steals and dished an assist to round out her stats on the night.
Air Force's third double-figure scoring performance came from sophomore point guard, Briana Autrey-Thompson, who tallied 10 points, three assists and three of the Falcons' 13 steals. Emily Conroe and Haley Jones were working hard down low as two of the Mountain West's top-10 rebounders, snagging six boards apiece.
Utah State was led by Steph Gorman and Hailey Bassett who scored 14 and 13, respectively. Gorman drained a game-high four three-pointers, helping the Aggies to an 80-percent three-point percentage (4-5) in the third quarter. Basset collected a game-high nine rebounds and shot over 60-percent on the night.
The Falcons and Aggies opened the game with four-point swings until Air Force hit a lull in shooting from the field, going on a five minute field-goal drought while Utah State built a five-point lead. Allyah Marlett dropped a pair of buckets in succession to cut the Aggies' lead to one point, but Utah State responded with a 5-0 scoring run on a three-pointer and bucket in the paint to slow the Falcons. Riley Snyder drained a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the quarter to bring Air Force within five points, 17-12. Junior co-team captains Kaelin Immel and Emily Conore had a point between the two of the in the opening 10 minutes.
Utah State carried the momentum into second quarter with a 6-0 scoring run in response to an AF bucket out of the gate. Air Force's defense was on par for disruptive, forcing 13 USU turnovers in the first half, highlighted by 10 steals. Although the Falcons' defense wan on target, Air Force shots were not, as the Falcons closed the half on a 3:30 scoring drought and shooting just 30-percent from the field in the first half. Utah State, shooting 50-percent from the field, led Air Force, 29-21, at the halftime horn.
The shooting of both teams improved in the third quarter as the Falcons and Aggies exchanged bucket-for-bucket and three-for-three, putting up five points apiece in the first minute of action in the half. Eventually, Air Force's shots began to fall off the mark and Utah State's were still dropping, helping the Aggies to a 41-30 lead at the media timeout (4:16). Out of the short break, both teams struggled with two-minute scoring droughts until a three-ball fell for Utah State, giving the Aggies their largest lead of the game, 44-32. Marlett ignited the Falcons with a three-ball but Utah State was quick to respond with another three-pointer to maintain the 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 47-35.
Air Force lit the fires in the fourth quarter, hustling out to an 11-0 scoring run behind the lead of Marlett who scored six of the 11 points, cutting the Aggies' lead to just one, 47-46. Utah State scored their first points of the quarter at the 4:51 mark, giving the Aggies a three-point cushion, 49-46, at the media timeout (4:32). The momentum seemed to slip from the Falcons after the timeout with both teams going on two-minute scoring droughts.
Utah State killed its scoring drought with a field goal, rebuilding a five-point lead, 51-46. Immel regained the momentum for Air Force with a three-pointer to bring the Falcons back within two points. Autrey-Thompson followed up with a hard-take to rack to tie the game at 51.
Following an Air Force foul in the bonus, the Aggies knocked down two points from the free throw line to rebuild a 53-51 lead. Soon thereafter, Immel was fouled in the bonus on Air Force's side of the court where she went to the line for two and a chance to knot the game. She made the first but missed the second; however, Nikki McDonald rebounded down low and dished to an open Conroe for three, but the three-point attempt rolled in-and-out of the rim.
The game came down to the final two-seconds after Utah State's Brantley was unable to put the Falcons away with a missed pair of free-throws. Air Force's first inbound was deflected out, reducing the clock to 1.3-seconds remaining. The second inbound found its way into Autrey-Thompson's hands who then took a jumper in the paint, but just narrowly missed the mark, finalizing the score at 53-52.
Next up, the Falcons host San Jose State at 2 p.m. MT, Saturday (Jan. 25), in Clune Arena. The Falcons split last season with the Spartans, winning at home but falling in San Jose. The Spartans are currently sitting second in the Mountain West Conference.
Air Force was led by freshman guard Allyah Marlett who scored a career-best 15 points, shooting 60-percent from the field and 66-percent from deep. Air Force ignited behind Marlett in the fourth quarter as she scored six points of Air Force's 11-0 scoring run to open the final quarter. The native of Aurora, Colorado, was instrumental in the Falcons' rally, draining a three-ball late in the third quarter and another during the fourth quarter scoring run, tallying a career-best two three-balls on the night. Marlett also added two boards and a steal to her final stat line.
Junior co-team captain Kaelin Immel dropped 15 points for her fifth-straight double-figure scoring performance, 15th of the season. Immel collected four rebounds, picked off two steals and dished an assist to round out her stats on the night.
Air Force's third double-figure scoring performance came from sophomore point guard, Briana Autrey-Thompson, who tallied 10 points, three assists and three of the Falcons' 13 steals. Emily Conroe and Haley Jones were working hard down low as two of the Mountain West's top-10 rebounders, snagging six boards apiece.
Utah State was led by Steph Gorman and Hailey Bassett who scored 14 and 13, respectively. Gorman drained a game-high four three-pointers, helping the Aggies to an 80-percent three-point percentage (4-5) in the third quarter. Basset collected a game-high nine rebounds and shot over 60-percent on the night.
The Falcons and Aggies opened the game with four-point swings until Air Force hit a lull in shooting from the field, going on a five minute field-goal drought while Utah State built a five-point lead. Allyah Marlett dropped a pair of buckets in succession to cut the Aggies' lead to one point, but Utah State responded with a 5-0 scoring run on a three-pointer and bucket in the paint to slow the Falcons. Riley Snyder drained a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the quarter to bring Air Force within five points, 17-12. Junior co-team captains Kaelin Immel and Emily Conore had a point between the two of the in the opening 10 minutes.
Utah State carried the momentum into second quarter with a 6-0 scoring run in response to an AF bucket out of the gate. Air Force's defense was on par for disruptive, forcing 13 USU turnovers in the first half, highlighted by 10 steals. Although the Falcons' defense wan on target, Air Force shots were not, as the Falcons closed the half on a 3:30 scoring drought and shooting just 30-percent from the field in the first half. Utah State, shooting 50-percent from the field, led Air Force, 29-21, at the halftime horn.
The shooting of both teams improved in the third quarter as the Falcons and Aggies exchanged bucket-for-bucket and three-for-three, putting up five points apiece in the first minute of action in the half. Eventually, Air Force's shots began to fall off the mark and Utah State's were still dropping, helping the Aggies to a 41-30 lead at the media timeout (4:16). Out of the short break, both teams struggled with two-minute scoring droughts until a three-ball fell for Utah State, giving the Aggies their largest lead of the game, 44-32. Marlett ignited the Falcons with a three-ball but Utah State was quick to respond with another three-pointer to maintain the 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 47-35.
Air Force lit the fires in the fourth quarter, hustling out to an 11-0 scoring run behind the lead of Marlett who scored six of the 11 points, cutting the Aggies' lead to just one, 47-46. Utah State scored their first points of the quarter at the 4:51 mark, giving the Aggies a three-point cushion, 49-46, at the media timeout (4:32). The momentum seemed to slip from the Falcons after the timeout with both teams going on two-minute scoring droughts.
Utah State killed its scoring drought with a field goal, rebuilding a five-point lead, 51-46. Immel regained the momentum for Air Force with a three-pointer to bring the Falcons back within two points. Autrey-Thompson followed up with a hard-take to rack to tie the game at 51.
Following an Air Force foul in the bonus, the Aggies knocked down two points from the free throw line to rebuild a 53-51 lead. Soon thereafter, Immel was fouled in the bonus on Air Force's side of the court where she went to the line for two and a chance to knot the game. She made the first but missed the second; however, Nikki McDonald rebounded down low and dished to an open Conroe for three, but the three-point attempt rolled in-and-out of the rim.
The game came down to the final two-seconds after Utah State's Brantley was unable to put the Falcons away with a missed pair of free-throws. Air Force's first inbound was deflected out, reducing the clock to 1.3-seconds remaining. The second inbound found its way into Autrey-Thompson's hands who then took a jumper in the paint, but just narrowly missed the mark, finalizing the score at 53-52.
Next up, the Falcons host San Jose State at 2 p.m. MT, Saturday (Jan. 25), in Clune Arena. The Falcons split last season with the Spartans, winning at home but falling in San Jose. The Spartans are currently sitting second in the Mountain West Conference.
Team Stats
USU
USAFA
FG%
.467
.364
3FG%
.438
.278
FT%
.444
.583
RB
34
28
TO
23
16
STL
9
13
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
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