Thursday, December 29
USAFA, CO
6:30 PM MT
Air Force Academy
6-7,1-0Mountain West
77
vs
63
Utah State
3-9,0-1Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Utah St.
13
19
21
10
63
Air Force
21
14
20
22
77
Turnovers, Shooting, Lift Falcons Past Utah State
12/29/2022 10:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Post-game Interviews
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.- Thursday evening, the Air Force women's basketball team opened Mountain West competition with a 77-63 win over Utah State to open league play 1-0 and improve to 5-1 at Clune Arena.
25 turnovers forced by the Falcons generating 28 points in the process proved the major difference once again for Air Force (6-7, 1-0 MW), in turn allowing 64 shots on the night at the Aggie basket, and 9-21 clip (.430) from distance- a season-high in made three-pointers and success rate.
Senior Kamri Heath led the floor in offensive production, scoring 18 points on 7-13 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line. Heath's performance marked her fifth-straight game scoring ten or more, and 12th on the season.
Sophomore Jo Huntimer logged ten points on 3-6 shooting and two threes, while adding seven rebounds and six assists; Madison Smith tallied 11 points on 3-5 from beyond the arc, and three assists.
The opening quarter belonged almost solely to the Falcons, who allowed just two points to Utah State through the opening six minutes of play. After opening scoring off an inside-the-key pass from sophomore Madison Smith back out to Kamri Heath for a long two-pointer, Air Force took off on a 12-0 run, driven in large part by a pair of three-point attempts from Smith and freshman Milahnie Perry. Perry closed the quarter with five points off a pair of successful attempts.
In the final minutes of the first quarter, Utah State settled in and opened on a 6-0 run to begin slowly working its way back into the game. Turnovers on the part of the Falcons cooled off the offense and allowed a separate 7-0 run by the opposition to open the second quarter, bringing the score to 21-20.
Junior Dasha Macmillan broke a four-minute dry spell for Air Force with a right-side jumper found off the nose of Taylor Britt, which opened a scoring frenzy on both ends of the floor. Utah State's Kinley Falslev-Wickizer dropped a pair of three-pointers within just over a minute, split by Britt making a three of her own.
With the score tied at 28-28 with 3:27 remaining in the half, another three from Huntimer bought back an Air Force lead. On the following Air Force possession, Huntimer lobbed the ball across the court to find Heath waiting for the fast break, creating a 33-28 lead which would hold heading into half.
Coming out of the locker room with the Falcons leading 35-32, a pair of rapid attempts for Utah State early on bought the Aggies a one-point lead, before a Heath jumper, and a layup going the length of the floor on her own steal, forced the lead back into the hands of Air Force.
A 12-0 run by Utah State deep into the third quarter ended in a 50-46 Aggie lead with just over three minutes remaining. A backcourt violation forced by Britt ultimately turned into a Faith Shelton drive to the basket, breathing new life back into the Falcon offense. After a pair of made free-throws by Shelton tied the game at 53 apiece, it was a Kayla Pilson steal from the opponent's midfield to beat the clock and give Air Force its final lead of the game heading into the fourth quarter.
The Falcons never looked back as they entered the final frame, outscoring Utah State 22-10 to seal the victory. Huntimer's seven-point final quarter led Air Force down the stretch, as the Falcons led by as much as 16 in closing minutes.
Jo Huntimer on Getting into Mountain West Play:
"We were pretty excited to play a team the same size as us. They didn't have a size or quickness advantage, and we were able to keep up with them. I think coming back home after being on the road for so long, we were ready for tonight."
Leaning on Defense, and its Impact Against Utah State:
"Coach (Gobrecht) harps on defense probably more than anyone I've met in my life. Players like (Madison Smith), Taylor, and Milahnie who are pressuring the point guard the entire game- that's what really helps us get the ball back and have another possession."
Kamri Heath on Getting Into MW Competition:
"I'm excited. We've been talking about it- UNLV, New Mexico, the big names in our conference- don't (phase us) that much, considering we played five Power Five schools in our non-conference, so we're not scared to play anyone."
On Team Confidence:
"We had confidence the whole game. We went up on sprees and just did some stupid things to turn the ball over and lose our leads. I think in the fourth quarter we finally shook off the Christmas jitters and were able to pull it out."
Coach Gobrecht on Settling in and Securing Victory:
"I think the difference was when we made that run in the fourth quarter, we just played a lot smarter after that. We got the run, then we kept our heads, we didn't foul, and we just played good, solid defense and took care of the boards and did all the things you have to do in the fourth quarter."
On Utah State:
"I thought that Utah State played really hard. The thing about (starting) conference play is that everyone is 0-0, so that first game in particular can be so scary … (teams have the mindset of) it seems like everything that happened before Christmas break was last year."
On Huntimer's Performance and Potential Impact:
"I thought (Jo) played well. I thought she was really pivotal from the standpoint of not only did she keep us settled offensively-particularly as they were going back-and-forth- anytime a team is going back and forth between man and zone, you really put a lot on your point guard to get your team to switch gears because the way you attack (changes from one to the other). And then hitting the shots she did was big too. If we can get that kind of offensive production out of her, we suddenly become a lot tougher."
The Falcons are back on the road, taking on New Mexico at The Pit on New Years Day.
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.- Thursday evening, the Air Force women's basketball team opened Mountain West competition with a 77-63 win over Utah State to open league play 1-0 and improve to 5-1 at Clune Arena.
25 turnovers forced by the Falcons generating 28 points in the process proved the major difference once again for Air Force (6-7, 1-0 MW), in turn allowing 64 shots on the night at the Aggie basket, and 9-21 clip (.430) from distance- a season-high in made three-pointers and success rate.
Senior Kamri Heath led the floor in offensive production, scoring 18 points on 7-13 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line. Heath's performance marked her fifth-straight game scoring ten or more, and 12th on the season.
Sophomore Jo Huntimer logged ten points on 3-6 shooting and two threes, while adding seven rebounds and six assists; Madison Smith tallied 11 points on 3-5 from beyond the arc, and three assists.
The opening quarter belonged almost solely to the Falcons, who allowed just two points to Utah State through the opening six minutes of play. After opening scoring off an inside-the-key pass from sophomore Madison Smith back out to Kamri Heath for a long two-pointer, Air Force took off on a 12-0 run, driven in large part by a pair of three-point attempts from Smith and freshman Milahnie Perry. Perry closed the quarter with five points off a pair of successful attempts.
In the final minutes of the first quarter, Utah State settled in and opened on a 6-0 run to begin slowly working its way back into the game. Turnovers on the part of the Falcons cooled off the offense and allowed a separate 7-0 run by the opposition to open the second quarter, bringing the score to 21-20.
Junior Dasha Macmillan broke a four-minute dry spell for Air Force with a right-side jumper found off the nose of Taylor Britt, which opened a scoring frenzy on both ends of the floor. Utah State's Kinley Falslev-Wickizer dropped a pair of three-pointers within just over a minute, split by Britt making a three of her own.
With the score tied at 28-28 with 3:27 remaining in the half, another three from Huntimer bought back an Air Force lead. On the following Air Force possession, Huntimer lobbed the ball across the court to find Heath waiting for the fast break, creating a 33-28 lead which would hold heading into half.
Coming out of the locker room with the Falcons leading 35-32, a pair of rapid attempts for Utah State early on bought the Aggies a one-point lead, before a Heath jumper, and a layup going the length of the floor on her own steal, forced the lead back into the hands of Air Force.
A 12-0 run by Utah State deep into the third quarter ended in a 50-46 Aggie lead with just over three minutes remaining. A backcourt violation forced by Britt ultimately turned into a Faith Shelton drive to the basket, breathing new life back into the Falcon offense. After a pair of made free-throws by Shelton tied the game at 53 apiece, it was a Kayla Pilson steal from the opponent's midfield to beat the clock and give Air Force its final lead of the game heading into the fourth quarter.
The Falcons never looked back as they entered the final frame, outscoring Utah State 22-10 to seal the victory. Huntimer's seven-point final quarter led Air Force down the stretch, as the Falcons led by as much as 16 in closing minutes.
Jo Huntimer on Getting into Mountain West Play:
"We were pretty excited to play a team the same size as us. They didn't have a size or quickness advantage, and we were able to keep up with them. I think coming back home after being on the road for so long, we were ready for tonight."
Leaning on Defense, and its Impact Against Utah State:
"Coach (Gobrecht) harps on defense probably more than anyone I've met in my life. Players like (Madison Smith), Taylor, and Milahnie who are pressuring the point guard the entire game- that's what really helps us get the ball back and have another possession."
Kamri Heath on Getting Into MW Competition:
"I'm excited. We've been talking about it- UNLV, New Mexico, the big names in our conference- don't (phase us) that much, considering we played five Power Five schools in our non-conference, so we're not scared to play anyone."
On Team Confidence:
"We had confidence the whole game. We went up on sprees and just did some stupid things to turn the ball over and lose our leads. I think in the fourth quarter we finally shook off the Christmas jitters and were able to pull it out."
Coach Gobrecht on Settling in and Securing Victory:
"I think the difference was when we made that run in the fourth quarter, we just played a lot smarter after that. We got the run, then we kept our heads, we didn't foul, and we just played good, solid defense and took care of the boards and did all the things you have to do in the fourth quarter."
On Utah State:
"I thought that Utah State played really hard. The thing about (starting) conference play is that everyone is 0-0, so that first game in particular can be so scary … (teams have the mindset of) it seems like everything that happened before Christmas break was last year."
On Huntimer's Performance and Potential Impact:
"I thought (Jo) played well. I thought she was really pivotal from the standpoint of not only did she keep us settled offensively-particularly as they were going back-and-forth- anytime a team is going back and forth between man and zone, you really put a lot on your point guard to get your team to switch gears because the way you attack (changes from one to the other). And then hitting the shots she did was big too. If we can get that kind of offensive production out of her, we suddenly become a lot tougher."
The Falcons are back on the road, taking on New Mexico at The Pit on New Years Day.
Team Stats
USU
USAFA
FG%
.468
.391
3FG%
.308
.429
FT%
.714
.692
RB
37
32
TO
25
10
STL
8
14
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's BasketballG
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