Wednesday, November 25
USAFA, CO
5 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Denver
Photo by: Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos
Women's Hoops Hosts Denver in Season Opener
11/24/2020 1:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Air Force women's basketball team tips off against the Pios at 5 p.m., in Clune Arena
GAME 01: AIR FORCE (0-0) vs. DENVER (0-0)
5 p.m. MT, Wednesday, Nov. 25
Clune Arena, USAFA, CO
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | AF GAME NOTES | DU GAME NOTES | MW NOTES
LET'S PLAY
The Falcons open the 2020-21 campaign against the University of Denver Pioneers, in a Wednesday evening meeting in Clune Arena, at 5 p.m. MT. Due to the ongoing pandemic, fans and cadets will not be allowed access for viewing. Fans are encouraged to tune into the live stream provided by Falcon Vision on the Mountain West Network.
THE SERIES AGAINST DENVER
Air Force and Denver are meeting for the 62nd time in program history. The Pios lead the all-time series, 39-22. The last time the Falcons beat Denver was November 16, 2007. Air Force is 15-14 against DU when playing at USAFA.
WELCOME BACK
The Falcons return all five starters and 12 letter winners from the 2019-2020 campaign, highlighted by leading scorers Kaelin Immel (14.5 career ppg) and Riley Snyder (12.2 career ppg), and leading rebounders Emily Conroe (6.3 career rpg) and Haley Jones (5.5 career rpg).
Chris Gobrecht will begin her sixth season as the head women's basketball coach at the Air Force Academy in the 2020-2021 season. With a track record of 40 years of head coaching experience, Gobrecht has continued to guide the Falcons to new heights, highlighted by a program-high seven Mountain West Conference (MWC) wins in the 2019-20 campaign. In just five seasons, Gobrecht has led Air Force to 19 MWC wins, equaling the number of Air Force's total number of MWC wins for the 16 seasons prior to her arrival.
NEW ADDITIONS
Air Force has announced the addition of seven freshmen to the 2020-2021 roster. The class of 2024 will join 12 returners, five starters, for the winter campaign.
Taylor Britt, Guard, 5'7"
USAFA Prep
Columbia, SC (Spring Valley HS)
Jordan Goodwin, Guard, 5'6"
Antelope, CA (Antelope HS)
Dasha Macmillan, Forward, 6'0"
Colleyville, TX (Grapevine HS)
Kam Jones, Forward, 5'11"
USAFA Prep
Portland, OR (Westview)
Kayla Pilson, Guard/Forward, 5'10"
USAFA Prep
Houston, TX (Westside HS)
Tatyana Siler, Forward, 5'11"
USAFA Prep
Troy, AL (Charles Henderson HS)
Shadiya Thomas, Guard, 5'8"
Cypress, TX (Cypress Ranch HS)
"This is a class with some true talent to add to a veteran group that should be the best team Air Force Women's Basketball has ever put on the floor," Gobrecht said. "So much of their ability to contribute will depend on how fast they learn and how well they handle the challenges of being a freshman at the Academy. We expect big things of this class down the road."
Capt Rachel E. Smith joins the Air Force women's basketball staff for her first season as an assistant coach in the 2020-21 season, replacing Major Brooke Cultra. Capt. Smith is a 2014 Academy graduate and four-year letter winner in both indoor and outdoor track and field. Prior to joining the hoops staff, Capt Smith served as the Air Terminal Operations Center Flight Commander, 305th Aerial Port Squadron, Joint Base (JB) McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
UP NEXT
Air Force travels north to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the CU Buffs at 2 p.m., Saturday, November 28, in the CU Events Center. Entry is not permitted however; a live stream and radio broadcast will be provided.
LAST TIME AGAINST DU
Three-pointers were the name of the game for Denver as the Pioneers shot 55-percent from the arc, outscoring the Falcons, 92-66, in a Veteran's Day (Nov. 11, 2018) match-up, in Hamilton Gymnasium, Denver, Colorado.
The Falcons were led by their young veterans Emily Conroe and Kassady Huffman. Conroe recorded a season-high 13 points while Huffman registered Air Force's first double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 11 boards. The 6-2 forward out of Colorado Springs also led the team with four blocks. Conroe was the only Falcon to hit from beyond the arc (2-5). Then-sophomore team captain, Kaelin Immel tallied seven points and five boards on the day.
Air Force out-rebounded Denver, 52-42, and had more than twice their steals (13-6). In summation, the game boiled down to shots from the field. The Pioneers shot well over their season averages while the Falcons shot well below. The Pios' Lauren Loven was x-factor as she recorded a game-high 25 points, going 7-9 from down range, while continually deflating Air Force scoring runs.
PUTTING IN THE TIME
Kaelin Immel and Emily Conroe started every game last season. Immel has 89 career starts in 91 career appearances, starting in every game played during her freshman and junior seasons and only missing one game and two starts due to injury in her sophomore season. Conroe has played in 92 straight games, that is every game Air Force has had scheduled since she arrived in the 2017-18 campaign.
CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME LADDER
Immel became the 16th all-time Falcon to achieve 1,000 career points at Air Force. Immel, who now has 1,321 career points, is the sixth all-time leading scorer in program history and second-leading scorer in the Division I era.
Junior teammate Emily Conroe is following Immel's lead in the all-time points pursuit with 915 career points, a mark that ranks her 10th in the Div. I era, recently surpassing Elycia Hall (1995-99) who had 854 career points.
Riley Snyder is trending upwards on the career points ladder with 730 to date, a mark that ranks her 17th in the Division I era. Her 427 points last season is the third most single-season points in the Division I era, behind two of Immel's single-season marks [(2017-18, 464, 1st) (2019-20, 445 pts, 2nd)].
Emily Conroe picked up her 500th career rebound at San Diego State (Feb. 8). She now has 575 career rebounds, 405 are defensive, and 170 are offensive. Conroe is the sixth Falcon in Div. I history to achieve the feat. She is currently third in the Div. I career-rebounding record book.
MW TAKES HEALTH PRECAUTIONS WITH REVAMPED SCHEDULE
The Mountain West announced changes to the 2020-21 men's and women's basketball formats on Monday afternoon which emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff while significantly reducing travel. The Conference will move to a 20-game schedule under a modified format that will play out over 11 weeks within the context of state, county and local guidelines.
In the new format, MW teams will face each other in a two-game series in the same week with a one-day break between contests. Each institution will have five home and five road series, reducing the regular travel schedule by four weeks to help mitigate potential virus exposures.
League play will begin in December and conclude the last week of February. The format adjustments create flexibility throughout the season to potentially reschedule games which may need to be postponed as the schedule plays out. This is a one-year model adopted specifically to address the unique challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
AROUND THE MW
Fresno State has been predicted to win the 2020-21 Mountain West women's basketball regular-season title as voted on by the Conference head coaches and selected media.
After a 16-2 mark in league play last year, Fresno State returns all five starters who helped the Bulldogs claim the 2020 MW regular-season title. Among the returners are the 2020 Mountain West Player of the Year Maddi Utti and 2020 MW Freshman of the Year Haley Cavinder. Fresno State received 22 first-place votes out of a possible 26, earning 266 points.
Following the Bulldogs in second place is San José State with two first-place votes and a total of 239 points. Boise State is third with a first-place vote and 221 points, while San Diego State was picked fourth with the final first-place vote and 185 points.
Wyoming was selected to finish fifth with 173 points, New Mexico in sixth in 145 points, Air Force in seventh with 120 points, Colorado State in eighth with 117 points, UNLV in ninth with 111 points, Nevada in 10th with 95 points and Utah State in 11th with 44 points.
2019-20 RECAP
Air Force women's basketball finalized the 2019-2020 campaign with a 10-21 overall record, marking head coach Chris Gobrecht's most single-season wins since taking the helm in 2015-16. Air Force's seven Mountain West wins marks a program-high in Mountain West league play. The Falcons' seventh-place finish in the league ties its best-ever finish in the MWC, and is the best-ever finish since the MWC became and 11-team league.
5 p.m. MT, Wednesday, Nov. 25
Clune Arena, USAFA, CO
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | AF GAME NOTES | DU GAME NOTES | MW NOTES
LET'S PLAY
The Falcons open the 2020-21 campaign against the University of Denver Pioneers, in a Wednesday evening meeting in Clune Arena, at 5 p.m. MT. Due to the ongoing pandemic, fans and cadets will not be allowed access for viewing. Fans are encouraged to tune into the live stream provided by Falcon Vision on the Mountain West Network.
THE SERIES AGAINST DENVER
Air Force and Denver are meeting for the 62nd time in program history. The Pios lead the all-time series, 39-22. The last time the Falcons beat Denver was November 16, 2007. Air Force is 15-14 against DU when playing at USAFA.
WELCOME BACK
The Falcons return all five starters and 12 letter winners from the 2019-2020 campaign, highlighted by leading scorers Kaelin Immel (14.5 career ppg) and Riley Snyder (12.2 career ppg), and leading rebounders Emily Conroe (6.3 career rpg) and Haley Jones (5.5 career rpg).
Chris Gobrecht will begin her sixth season as the head women's basketball coach at the Air Force Academy in the 2020-2021 season. With a track record of 40 years of head coaching experience, Gobrecht has continued to guide the Falcons to new heights, highlighted by a program-high seven Mountain West Conference (MWC) wins in the 2019-20 campaign. In just five seasons, Gobrecht has led Air Force to 19 MWC wins, equaling the number of Air Force's total number of MWC wins for the 16 seasons prior to her arrival.
NEW ADDITIONS
Air Force has announced the addition of seven freshmen to the 2020-2021 roster. The class of 2024 will join 12 returners, five starters, for the winter campaign.
Taylor Britt, Guard, 5'7"
USAFA Prep
Columbia, SC (Spring Valley HS)
Jordan Goodwin, Guard, 5'6"
Antelope, CA (Antelope HS)
Dasha Macmillan, Forward, 6'0"
Colleyville, TX (Grapevine HS)
Kam Jones, Forward, 5'11"
USAFA Prep
Portland, OR (Westview)
Kayla Pilson, Guard/Forward, 5'10"
USAFA Prep
Houston, TX (Westside HS)
Tatyana Siler, Forward, 5'11"
USAFA Prep
Troy, AL (Charles Henderson HS)
Shadiya Thomas, Guard, 5'8"
Cypress, TX (Cypress Ranch HS)
"This is a class with some true talent to add to a veteran group that should be the best team Air Force Women's Basketball has ever put on the floor," Gobrecht said. "So much of their ability to contribute will depend on how fast they learn and how well they handle the challenges of being a freshman at the Academy. We expect big things of this class down the road."
Capt Rachel E. Smith joins the Air Force women's basketball staff for her first season as an assistant coach in the 2020-21 season, replacing Major Brooke Cultra. Capt. Smith is a 2014 Academy graduate and four-year letter winner in both indoor and outdoor track and field. Prior to joining the hoops staff, Capt Smith served as the Air Terminal Operations Center Flight Commander, 305th Aerial Port Squadron, Joint Base (JB) McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
UP NEXT
Air Force travels north to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the CU Buffs at 2 p.m., Saturday, November 28, in the CU Events Center. Entry is not permitted however; a live stream and radio broadcast will be provided.
LAST TIME AGAINST DU
Three-pointers were the name of the game for Denver as the Pioneers shot 55-percent from the arc, outscoring the Falcons, 92-66, in a Veteran's Day (Nov. 11, 2018) match-up, in Hamilton Gymnasium, Denver, Colorado.
The Falcons were led by their young veterans Emily Conroe and Kassady Huffman. Conroe recorded a season-high 13 points while Huffman registered Air Force's first double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 11 boards. The 6-2 forward out of Colorado Springs also led the team with four blocks. Conroe was the only Falcon to hit from beyond the arc (2-5). Then-sophomore team captain, Kaelin Immel tallied seven points and five boards on the day.
Air Force out-rebounded Denver, 52-42, and had more than twice their steals (13-6). In summation, the game boiled down to shots from the field. The Pioneers shot well over their season averages while the Falcons shot well below. The Pios' Lauren Loven was x-factor as she recorded a game-high 25 points, going 7-9 from down range, while continually deflating Air Force scoring runs.
PUTTING IN THE TIME
Kaelin Immel and Emily Conroe started every game last season. Immel has 89 career starts in 91 career appearances, starting in every game played during her freshman and junior seasons and only missing one game and two starts due to injury in her sophomore season. Conroe has played in 92 straight games, that is every game Air Force has had scheduled since she arrived in the 2017-18 campaign.
CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME LADDER
Immel became the 16th all-time Falcon to achieve 1,000 career points at Air Force. Immel, who now has 1,321 career points, is the sixth all-time leading scorer in program history and second-leading scorer in the Division I era.
Junior teammate Emily Conroe is following Immel's lead in the all-time points pursuit with 915 career points, a mark that ranks her 10th in the Div. I era, recently surpassing Elycia Hall (1995-99) who had 854 career points.
Riley Snyder is trending upwards on the career points ladder with 730 to date, a mark that ranks her 17th in the Division I era. Her 427 points last season is the third most single-season points in the Division I era, behind two of Immel's single-season marks [(2017-18, 464, 1st) (2019-20, 445 pts, 2nd)].
Emily Conroe picked up her 500th career rebound at San Diego State (Feb. 8). She now has 575 career rebounds, 405 are defensive, and 170 are offensive. Conroe is the sixth Falcon in Div. I history to achieve the feat. She is currently third in the Div. I career-rebounding record book.
MW TAKES HEALTH PRECAUTIONS WITH REVAMPED SCHEDULE
The Mountain West announced changes to the 2020-21 men's and women's basketball formats on Monday afternoon which emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff while significantly reducing travel. The Conference will move to a 20-game schedule under a modified format that will play out over 11 weeks within the context of state, county and local guidelines.
In the new format, MW teams will face each other in a two-game series in the same week with a one-day break between contests. Each institution will have five home and five road series, reducing the regular travel schedule by four weeks to help mitigate potential virus exposures.
League play will begin in December and conclude the last week of February. The format adjustments create flexibility throughout the season to potentially reschedule games which may need to be postponed as the schedule plays out. This is a one-year model adopted specifically to address the unique challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
AROUND THE MW
Fresno State has been predicted to win the 2020-21 Mountain West women's basketball regular-season title as voted on by the Conference head coaches and selected media.
After a 16-2 mark in league play last year, Fresno State returns all five starters who helped the Bulldogs claim the 2020 MW regular-season title. Among the returners are the 2020 Mountain West Player of the Year Maddi Utti and 2020 MW Freshman of the Year Haley Cavinder. Fresno State received 22 first-place votes out of a possible 26, earning 266 points.
Following the Bulldogs in second place is San José State with two first-place votes and a total of 239 points. Boise State is third with a first-place vote and 221 points, while San Diego State was picked fourth with the final first-place vote and 185 points.
Wyoming was selected to finish fifth with 173 points, New Mexico in sixth in 145 points, Air Force in seventh with 120 points, Colorado State in eighth with 117 points, UNLV in ninth with 111 points, Nevada in 10th with 95 points and Utah State in 11th with 44 points.
2019-20 RECAP
Air Force women's basketball finalized the 2019-2020 campaign with a 10-21 overall record, marking head coach Chris Gobrecht's most single-season wins since taking the helm in 2015-16. Air Force's seven Mountain West wins marks a program-high in Mountain West league play. The Falcons' seventh-place finish in the league ties its best-ever finish in the MWC, and is the best-ever finish since the MWC became and 11-team league.
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