Sunday, December 5
USAFA, CO
2:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
4-4,0-0Mountain West
49
vs
50
Long Beach State
7-0,0-0Big West
1
2
3
4
F
Long Beach St.
16
7
12
15
50
Air Force
5
10
18
16
49
Air Force falls in thriller to LBSU
12/5/2021 4:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
USAFA, Colo.- A defensive, physical battle throughout, the Falcons fell just short at Clune Arena, dropping Sunday's game to Long Beach State 50-49.
On a dreary shooting afternoon for Air Force, Riley Snyder led the Falcons with 13 points while chipping in with four rebounds. Brianna Autrey-Thompson also managed double-figures, finishing the day with 12 points. Haley Jones continues to be an impact player on the block for the Falcons as the senior collected 13 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end of the floor. Jones has averaged just over 11 rebounds per game over the last three contests. Cierra Winters, among the nation's best in steals averaging 3.3 SPG, exceeded her season frequency with four steals.
The Falcons again menaced their opponent on defense, creating 11 steals and forcing 20 Long Beach State turnovers, though the home side was unable to convert defense into offense. Air Force made only 17 of its 60 attempts from the field (28.3%), including 4-19 from three-point range. Missed free throws late in the game were also costly for the home team, as Air Force was 11-17 from the charity stripe.
Air Force faced a 16-5 deficit after the first quarter, as the Falcons started the game 2-13 from the field after the initial 10 minutes of play. The cold spell from the field bled into the next period as well, with the Falcons shooting 3-12 in the second quarter. Air Force trailed by as much as 15 points in the first-half, but even so, the Falcons work rate on the defensive end of the floor did keep the game within reach. Air Force went into halftime trailing 23-15.
Long Beach State eventually grew its lead to 32-21 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter, but the Falcons found some much-needed momentum with the basketball. Air Force closed the third quarter on a 12-3 run to enter the final 10 minutes of regulation trailing 35-33.
The final quarter saw neither side score for nearly three minutes, with Air Force unable to find points until the 5:52 mark. With the Falcons down 43-39 with two and a half minutes to go, Snyder connected on a baseline jumper to halve the deficit to 43-41, but Long Beach State's next possession resulted in the away team's lone three-ball of the game, again extending the lead to 46-41. Both sides exchanged points over the next minute or so, with Air Force trailing 48-44 with just under 60 seconds left on the clock. A Long Beach State missed three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining resulted in a Jones left-handed finish down low, as the Falcons were staring at a 48-46 deficit with 13 seconds left.
Two Long Beach State free throws gave Air Force possession with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Air Force, desperate for a clean look at the hoop, saw much-needed time dwindle off the clock, but Audrey Gadison swished home a corner three with exactly one second left in the game as the Falcons trailed 50-49. Once again, Air Force's willingness to create pressure was rewarded, as Long Beach State was whistled for a five-second call on the ensuing in-bounds play. Given one last gasp, the Falcons attempted to create a quick tip-in near the rim, but the pass was intercepted by Long Beach State as time expired.
Next, Air Force will remain at home as the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs will travel a few minutes north up I-25 to Clune Arena on December 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 pm MT.
On a dreary shooting afternoon for Air Force, Riley Snyder led the Falcons with 13 points while chipping in with four rebounds. Brianna Autrey-Thompson also managed double-figures, finishing the day with 12 points. Haley Jones continues to be an impact player on the block for the Falcons as the senior collected 13 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end of the floor. Jones has averaged just over 11 rebounds per game over the last three contests. Cierra Winters, among the nation's best in steals averaging 3.3 SPG, exceeded her season frequency with four steals.
The Falcons again menaced their opponent on defense, creating 11 steals and forcing 20 Long Beach State turnovers, though the home side was unable to convert defense into offense. Air Force made only 17 of its 60 attempts from the field (28.3%), including 4-19 from three-point range. Missed free throws late in the game were also costly for the home team, as Air Force was 11-17 from the charity stripe.
Air Force faced a 16-5 deficit after the first quarter, as the Falcons started the game 2-13 from the field after the initial 10 minutes of play. The cold spell from the field bled into the next period as well, with the Falcons shooting 3-12 in the second quarter. Air Force trailed by as much as 15 points in the first-half, but even so, the Falcons work rate on the defensive end of the floor did keep the game within reach. Air Force went into halftime trailing 23-15.
Long Beach State eventually grew its lead to 32-21 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter, but the Falcons found some much-needed momentum with the basketball. Air Force closed the third quarter on a 12-3 run to enter the final 10 minutes of regulation trailing 35-33.
The final quarter saw neither side score for nearly three minutes, with Air Force unable to find points until the 5:52 mark. With the Falcons down 43-39 with two and a half minutes to go, Snyder connected on a baseline jumper to halve the deficit to 43-41, but Long Beach State's next possession resulted in the away team's lone three-ball of the game, again extending the lead to 46-41. Both sides exchanged points over the next minute or so, with Air Force trailing 48-44 with just under 60 seconds left on the clock. A Long Beach State missed three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining resulted in a Jones left-handed finish down low, as the Falcons were staring at a 48-46 deficit with 13 seconds left.
Two Long Beach State free throws gave Air Force possession with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Air Force, desperate for a clean look at the hoop, saw much-needed time dwindle off the clock, but Audrey Gadison swished home a corner three with exactly one second left in the game as the Falcons trailed 50-49. Once again, Air Force's willingness to create pressure was rewarded, as Long Beach State was whistled for a five-second call on the ensuing in-bounds play. Given one last gasp, the Falcons attempted to create a quick tip-in near the rim, but the pass was intercepted by Long Beach State as time expired.
Next, Air Force will remain at home as the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs will travel a few minutes north up I-25 to Clune Arena on December 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 pm MT.
Team Stats
LBSU
USAFA
FG%
.395
.283
3FG%
.091
.211
FT%
.750
.647
RB
35
40
TO
20
17
STL
15
11
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
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