Air Force Opens With 66-61 Win Over CSUN At Men’s Vegas Bubble

LAS VEGAS - Air Force men's basketball opened the 2020-21 season with a 66-61 win over Cal State Northridge (1-1) at the Men's Vegas Bubble at T-Mobile Arena Saturday afternoon. Head coach Joe Scott picked up his first win in his second debut for the Falcons.

Senior guard Chris Joyce tied a career-high with 23 points and junior guard AJ Walker recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Nikc Jackson set career-high's of 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his first-career start.

Senior forward Keaton Van Soelen logged a career-high 40 minutes for the Falcons, adding nine points, four rebounds, four assists and a team-high two blocked shots.

Scott, who coached Air Force from 2000-04, won his fourth season-opener at Air Force in five tries. It was also Air Force's first road-opening win since 2013.

Air Force won with its defense, holding CSUN to 36.4 percent shooting from the field and 24.1 percent shooting from three-point range. Guard TJ Starks led the Matadors with 22 points.

The Falcons took the lead for good less than three minutes into the game. Air Force quickly built up to a nine-point lead less than four minutes into the game and held double-digit leads into the second half. The Falcons went into halftime leading 38-25.

CSUN rallied late, pulling to within three points with 1:24 to play. The Falcons responded though with Van Soelen finding Joyce for a wide open layup to put the Falcons up five at 66-61 with 1:01 to play.

Air Force shot 44 percent from the field. The Falcons knocked down 11 three's with Joyce making four. The Falcons shot 44 percent from long distance.

Sophomore Mason Taylor led the bench with five points. Freshman Glen McClintock made his collegiate debut, logging 15 minutes.

Scott coached the game with a towel over his shoulder, done in honor of the late John Thompson, the legendary basketball coach at Georgetown. Scott played with Thompson's son at Princeton.

Air Force returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, Nov, 29, against Seattle, back at T-Mobile Arena. Tip time has been moved up to a noon PT start.

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