Saturday, December 10
USAFA, CO
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Utah Tech
Women’s Basketball Hosts Saturday Matinee Against Utah Tech
12/9/2022 11:26:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Air Force (5-4, 0-0 MWC) vs. Utah Tech (5-2, 0-0 WAC)
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 – 1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | Utah Tech| Mountain West
Watch | Live Stats
Game Notes
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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – In its final non-conference home matchup of the 2022-23 season, the Air Force women's basketball team hosts Utah Tech for the first time in program history at Clune Arena.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force (5-4) opened 2022-23 with its best season start since 2005-06 with an unblemished 3-0 record which included a road victory at Denver (67-63) and a pair of home wins against Navy (90-50) and Adams State (74-66). The Falcons then hit a four-game skid which included falling at Colorado in the final minute, and subsequent losses against No. 22 Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Saint Louis in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Air Force continues to rebuild its momentum after a pair of wins against UTEP and UCCS.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in points (139), points per-game (15.4), free-throws made (28) and leads starters in field goal percentage (.439). Heath has posted double-digit scores in eight of the Falcons' first nine games, including a career-high 27 points versus Navy on Nov. 11.
Sophomore Madison Smith, an emergent figure in her sophomore season after only averaging six minutes of floor time per game in 2021-22, has proven a key component to Air Force's early successes to open the season. Smith files in just behind Heath in scoring average (11.9), total points scored (95), Field goal attempts (89) and field goals made (37). Smith logged 22 points on 20 attempts against Georgia Tech (Nov. 26) in the Gulf Coast Showcase, both career-high figures.
Junior Kayla Pilson, having missed a five-game stretch to a hand injury sustained in practice, has returned to a mission-critical role on the Falcons' roster. Since returning to the floor, KP has shot 11-21 from the field, posting 24 points and 17 rebounds in two Air Force victories.
Defense by the Numbers:
Air Force currently ranks sixth in the nation in steals per game (14.3) behind sophomore Jo Huntimer and Kamri Heath, who rank 20th and 28th nationally in total steals (Huntimer- 26; Heath- 25). In the category, both Huntimer and Heath rank first and second in the Mountain West.
The Falcons rank 15th nationally in turnovers forced per-game (23.78), after setting the all-time second-most steals in a game (21) against Adams State on Nov. 16 and tying that figure on Wednesday versus UCCS.
Wa'ahila Workhorse
Honolulu native Huntimer owns top-five Mountain West figures in assist/turnover ratio (1.64), total assists (46), assists per-game (5.1) and leads the conference in steals (26) and steals per-game (2.89).
With 46 assists through nine games and 168 for her career, Huntimer is only 76 short of tenth on the Air Force all-time assist leaderboard.
Scouting Utah Tech:
The Trailblazers open a five-game road stretch at Clune Arena with a 5-2 record, with losses on the season at Washington (87-74) and Kansas State (91-82).
In the final season of its transition phase reclassifying to the ranks of Division I, Utah Tech would rank first in the nation in three-pointers made per-game (11.9) and fifth nationally in scoring offense (91.7).
Senior guard Breaunna Gillen drives the Trailblazers' offense, leading the WAC in scoring average (20.71 ppg) and assists per-game (7.71).
Utah Tech's starting five (Gillen, Macie Warren, Maggie McCord, Emily Isaacson, Amber Kartchner) all average double-digit scoring through the Trailblazers first seven games.
All-Time Versus Utah Tech:
Air Force and Utah Tech- Formerly Dixie State- have met on the court on one other occasion- A 63-48 Falcons win in St. George on Dec. 18 of last season. In the contest, Air Force alumnus Riley Snyder and Cierra Winters combined for 37 points on 12-27 from the field. Saturday's contest marks the Trailblazer's first-ever game at Clune Arena.
Coach G Gaining Ground
Head Coach Chris Gobrecht is currently serving her 43rd season as a head coach - the second-longest tenure in Division I women's hoops behind Stanford's Tara VanDerveer (44). Gobrecht's win tally surpassed 600 wins in the Falcons' Nov. 11 home opener against Navy.
Into her eighth season at the head of the Falcons' program, Coach Gobrecht currently has 60 career Air Force wins to her name, making her the all-time winningest coach at three separate institutions- Air Force, Yale and Washington.
Gobrecht was named 2021-22 Mountain West Coach of the Year following Air Force's successful 19-14 season – A year punctuated by Gobrecht's fourth career WNIT appearance as a head coach, and Air Force's first postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
Last Time Out:
On Wednesday, the Falcons defeated UCCS at Clune Arena, 63-51 behind 35 forced turnovers. Eight Falcons recorded at least one steal in the game, with senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Jo Huntimer accounting for ten between the two.
Senior Kamri Heath led the Falcon offense with 17 points on the night, along with four rebounds, three assists, and a career-high six steals. 15 of Heath's 17 points on the evening were created as a result of UCCS turnovers.
Senior Nikki McDonald posted ten points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in her fourth double-digit outing of the season. Air Force is 4-0 when McDonald scores ten or more in a game.
How To Follow:
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network, with Roland Vargish and Rachel Galligan giving the call courtside at Clune Arena. Live statistics for the game can be found on the women's basketball schedule at goairforcefalcons.com.
Next Up:
The Falcons close their 2022-23 non-conference schedule with a pair of Power Five road contests at Northwestern (Dec. 17) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 20), before returning to Clune Arena on Dec. 29 to open Mountain West play against Utah State.
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 – 1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | Utah Tech| Mountain West
Watch | Live Stats
Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – In its final non-conference home matchup of the 2022-23 season, the Air Force women's basketball team hosts Utah Tech for the first time in program history at Clune Arena.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force (5-4) opened 2022-23 with its best season start since 2005-06 with an unblemished 3-0 record which included a road victory at Denver (67-63) and a pair of home wins against Navy (90-50) and Adams State (74-66). The Falcons then hit a four-game skid which included falling at Colorado in the final minute, and subsequent losses against No. 22 Michigan, Georgia Tech, and Saint Louis in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Air Force continues to rebuild its momentum after a pair of wins against UTEP and UCCS.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in points (139), points per-game (15.4), free-throws made (28) and leads starters in field goal percentage (.439). Heath has posted double-digit scores in eight of the Falcons' first nine games, including a career-high 27 points versus Navy on Nov. 11.
Sophomore Madison Smith, an emergent figure in her sophomore season after only averaging six minutes of floor time per game in 2021-22, has proven a key component to Air Force's early successes to open the season. Smith files in just behind Heath in scoring average (11.9), total points scored (95), Field goal attempts (89) and field goals made (37). Smith logged 22 points on 20 attempts against Georgia Tech (Nov. 26) in the Gulf Coast Showcase, both career-high figures.
Junior Kayla Pilson, having missed a five-game stretch to a hand injury sustained in practice, has returned to a mission-critical role on the Falcons' roster. Since returning to the floor, KP has shot 11-21 from the field, posting 24 points and 17 rebounds in two Air Force victories.
Defense by the Numbers:
Air Force currently ranks sixth in the nation in steals per game (14.3) behind sophomore Jo Huntimer and Kamri Heath, who rank 20th and 28th nationally in total steals (Huntimer- 26; Heath- 25). In the category, both Huntimer and Heath rank first and second in the Mountain West.
The Falcons rank 15th nationally in turnovers forced per-game (23.78), after setting the all-time second-most steals in a game (21) against Adams State on Nov. 16 and tying that figure on Wednesday versus UCCS.
Wa'ahila Workhorse
Honolulu native Huntimer owns top-five Mountain West figures in assist/turnover ratio (1.64), total assists (46), assists per-game (5.1) and leads the conference in steals (26) and steals per-game (2.89).
With 46 assists through nine games and 168 for her career, Huntimer is only 76 short of tenth on the Air Force all-time assist leaderboard.
Scouting Utah Tech:
The Trailblazers open a five-game road stretch at Clune Arena with a 5-2 record, with losses on the season at Washington (87-74) and Kansas State (91-82).
In the final season of its transition phase reclassifying to the ranks of Division I, Utah Tech would rank first in the nation in three-pointers made per-game (11.9) and fifth nationally in scoring offense (91.7).
Senior guard Breaunna Gillen drives the Trailblazers' offense, leading the WAC in scoring average (20.71 ppg) and assists per-game (7.71).
Utah Tech's starting five (Gillen, Macie Warren, Maggie McCord, Emily Isaacson, Amber Kartchner) all average double-digit scoring through the Trailblazers first seven games.
All-Time Versus Utah Tech:
Air Force and Utah Tech- Formerly Dixie State- have met on the court on one other occasion- A 63-48 Falcons win in St. George on Dec. 18 of last season. In the contest, Air Force alumnus Riley Snyder and Cierra Winters combined for 37 points on 12-27 from the field. Saturday's contest marks the Trailblazer's first-ever game at Clune Arena.
Coach G Gaining Ground
Head Coach Chris Gobrecht is currently serving her 43rd season as a head coach - the second-longest tenure in Division I women's hoops behind Stanford's Tara VanDerveer (44). Gobrecht's win tally surpassed 600 wins in the Falcons' Nov. 11 home opener against Navy.
Into her eighth season at the head of the Falcons' program, Coach Gobrecht currently has 60 career Air Force wins to her name, making her the all-time winningest coach at three separate institutions- Air Force, Yale and Washington.
Gobrecht was named 2021-22 Mountain West Coach of the Year following Air Force's successful 19-14 season – A year punctuated by Gobrecht's fourth career WNIT appearance as a head coach, and Air Force's first postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
Last Time Out:
On Wednesday, the Falcons defeated UCCS at Clune Arena, 63-51 behind 35 forced turnovers. Eight Falcons recorded at least one steal in the game, with senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Jo Huntimer accounting for ten between the two.
Senior Kamri Heath led the Falcon offense with 17 points on the night, along with four rebounds, three assists, and a career-high six steals. 15 of Heath's 17 points on the evening were created as a result of UCCS turnovers.
Senior Nikki McDonald posted ten points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in her fourth double-digit outing of the season. Air Force is 4-0 when McDonald scores ten or more in a game.
How To Follow:
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network, with Roland Vargish and Rachel Galligan giving the call courtside at Clune Arena. Live statistics for the game can be found on the women's basketball schedule at goairforcefalcons.com.
Next Up:
The Falcons close their 2022-23 non-conference schedule with a pair of Power Five road contests at Northwestern (Dec. 17) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 20), before returning to Clune Arena on Dec. 29 to open Mountain West play against Utah State.
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