Walker Reaches 1,000 In Setback To UNLV at MW Championships

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Air Force men's basketball dropped an 80-52 contest to UNLV Wednesday afternoon in the opening day action of the 2021 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men's Basketball Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center. The 10th-seeded Falcons were led by junior AJ Walker, who reached 1,000 career points.

Walker, who earned All-Mountain West honors yesterday, led Air Force with 16 points and five assists. Walker's second basket right before the half made him the 28th player in program history to reach 1,000 point mark and just the fifth to do so as a junior.

Air Force had seven blocked shots on the day, the most in a game since 2014 and the most ever at the MW tourney for the Falcons. Sophomore forward Nikc Jackson had five blocks, setting a program record at the tournament and was one shy of the school record of six. Jackson also added 14 points in a career-high 34 minutes played.

UNLV, the seventh-seed of the tournament, took control of the game with a 13-0 run midway through the first half and never looked back.

The Falcons led early, holding a 14-12 lead with 11:05 in the first half. The Rebels then got going with the 13-0 run to take a 25-14 lead. The Falcons struggled to find its outside shooting, going into halftime trailing 39-21. Air Force went 0 for 9 from three-point range in the opening half and finished with just two three's on the day.

Guard David Jenkins led UNLV with 21 points. Guard Bryce Hamilton scored 18 and forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong added 16 points for the Rebels, who shot 57 percent from the field.

Air Force graduates three seniors off the 2020-21 team in forward Ameka Akaya, guard Chris Joyce and forward Keaton Van Soelen.

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