Women’s Basketball Returns to Clune, Hosting Wyoming on Wednesday
1/10/2023 1:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Air Force (7-9, 2-2 MW) versus Wyoming (9-5, 2-1 MW)
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. MT
Air Force | Wyoming | Mountain West
Watch- Mountain West Network | Listen- XtraSports AM 1300 | Live Stats
Game Notes
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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force women's basketball team, after a four-week stretch which included five road games in as many states and over 4,500 miles of travel, returns to Clune Arena for a three-game home stand which opens on Wednesday against Wyoming.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force (7-9, 2-2 MW) returns to USAFA after splitting the results of its last road trip, winning 77-64 at San Jose (Jan. 5), followed by a 64-59 loss at Nevada (Jan. 7). Sophomore Madison Smith has led the Falcons' scoring efforts through three-straight games, averaging 18.7 points since New Year's Day.
Backcourt duo Kamri Heath and Smith lead the Falcons in scoring, both averaging 14.4 and 13.3 points per-game through the first two months of the season. One or both have posted double-digit scores in each of the Falcons' seven wins in 2022-23.
Air Force leads the Mountain West in turnovers forced per-game (21.31), three-point percentage defense (26.9), turnover margin (7.00) and steals per-game (12.4), with the latter two figures ranking ninth in the nation.
The Engine That Makes It Go:
Kamri Heath leads Air Force in multiple scoring categories: Points (230), points per-game (14.4), field goals (94), field goal attempts (208) and field goal percentage (.452). Heath has posted double-digit scores in 13 of the Falcons' first 16 games and 20 or more in three contests, an effort underscored by a career-high 27-point outing against Navy in the Falcons' home opener on Nov. 11. Heath's .422 career field goal percentage (254-602) approaches the Air Force Division I-era career record (.423), set by Pamela Findlay from 2004-08.
On the defensive side, Heath also leads the Falcons in steals (37) and steals per-game (2.31). The senior has logged a steal in 14 of Air Force's 16 games, including a career-high six steals in a 63-51 win over UCCS on Dec. 7.
Smith's Sophomore Surge:
Into the second season of her intercollegiate career, Madison Smith has proven a critical component of the Falcons' starting lineup, averaging 13.3 points per-game. Smith's 24-59 from three-point land marks a team-high in made three-pointers and attempts, while leading all starters with a .407 three-point percentage on the season.
Smith is currently 27-29 (.931) from the free-throw line, the current ninth-best percentage in the nation. Smith is on pace to reset the Air Force single-season record (.918), set by Madeleine Philpot (2014-15).
At San Jose State (Jan. 5), Smith led the floor in scoring, resetting her career high with 23 points on 5-7 (.714) from three-point range, leading the Falcons to a 77-64 win.
Service Before Self:
Sophomore Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in assists (79), assists per-game (4.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.88) - all categories top-three figures among the Mountain West. On the defensive side, Huntimer follows Heath as a major contributor in total steals (36) and steals per game (2.25).
With 79 assists on the year and 201 for her career, sophomore Jo Huntimer claimed ninth in program assists in the Falcons' Division I era, logging five assists at Nevada (Jan. 7).
Defend Your Castle:
Air Force is 5-1 in Clune Arena, with wins over Navy, Adams State, UCCS, UTEP, and Utah State. The Falcons' lone home loss occurred at the hands of a quad-one Utah Tech squad, who escaped Clune with a 73-70 win in the final minute of regulation.
5-1 marks a standard which has not been achieved since the program's final year as a member of Division II in 1995-96, in which Air Force went 7-1 in Clune before closing its season at 7-3.
Wyoming at a Glance:
Wyoming (9-5, 2-1 MW), winners of three of their last four, most recently played Jan. 5 against New Mexico, earning a 78-69 win in Laramie. The Cowgirls opened Mountain West play with a 2-1 start, downing Fresno State and UNM after dropping their conference debut at UNLV.
The Cowgirls are led in scoring by graduate senior guard Quinn Weidemann, averaging 12.5 points per-game. A frontcourt pairing of sophomores Grace Ellis and Allyson Fertig rounds out Wyoming's scoring leaders, posting 11.1 and and 12.5 points per-game.
Fertig leads Wyoming defensive production, boasting team-highs in blocks (25), blocks per-game (1.79), and leads the Cowgirls in rebounding with 7.0 defensive boards per-game. A career-high six blocks on Dec. 31 against Fresno State made Fertig the first Cowgirl to record five or more in a game since Air Force assistant coach Hillary Carlson did so in 2011.
Last Time/All-Time:
Wyoming leads 56-4 in the all-time series against Air Force, with all four Falcon wins taking place in Clune Arena.
In their last meeting the Falcons claimed a 47-45 win on Feb. 2, snapping a seven-game skid against Wyoming, and earning their eighth win of the season over Mountain West opponents.
Last Time Out:
Air Force fell, 64-59 at Nevada, dropping to 2-2 in Mountain West play.
Smith led scoring on the floor for the second-consecutive game, logging 17 points and adding four rebounds, an assist, two blocks and two steals along the way.
Huntimer totaled 12 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals on the afternoon. Huntimer's four assists- totaling 201 for her career- moves the sophomore into ninth in career assists in the Falcons' Division I era.
Air Force went 11-12 (.917) from the free-throw line behind Huntimer's perfect 6-6 at the stripe.
2021-22 Mountain West Recap:
Air Force crafted its most successful season in program history in 2021-22, as the Falcons' 19 overall wins and 11 conference victories were both program-bests. Air Force claimed four season-sweeps of conference opponents, also a program first. The Falcons secured the program's first-ever bye in the Mountain West Tournament where they defeated Nevada to advance to the tournament semifinal round for the first time in program history.
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 career 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 62 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 the Falcons' first postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
How To Follow:
Wednesday's game will be aired on the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports Radio AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman) will cover all of Mountain West regular-season competition for Air Force women's basketball; Live statistics will be available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Next Up:
The Falcons remain at Clune to host Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 14.
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 – 6:30 p.m. MT
Air Force | Wyoming | Mountain West
Watch- Mountain West Network | Listen- XtraSports AM 1300 | Live Stats
Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force women's basketball team, after a four-week stretch which included five road games in as many states and over 4,500 miles of travel, returns to Clune Arena for a three-game home stand which opens on Wednesday against Wyoming.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force (7-9, 2-2 MW) returns to USAFA after splitting the results of its last road trip, winning 77-64 at San Jose (Jan. 5), followed by a 64-59 loss at Nevada (Jan. 7). Sophomore Madison Smith has led the Falcons' scoring efforts through three-straight games, averaging 18.7 points since New Year's Day.
Backcourt duo Kamri Heath and Smith lead the Falcons in scoring, both averaging 14.4 and 13.3 points per-game through the first two months of the season. One or both have posted double-digit scores in each of the Falcons' seven wins in 2022-23.
Air Force leads the Mountain West in turnovers forced per-game (21.31), three-point percentage defense (26.9), turnover margin (7.00) and steals per-game (12.4), with the latter two figures ranking ninth in the nation.
The Engine That Makes It Go:
Kamri Heath leads Air Force in multiple scoring categories: Points (230), points per-game (14.4), field goals (94), field goal attempts (208) and field goal percentage (.452). Heath has posted double-digit scores in 13 of the Falcons' first 16 games and 20 or more in three contests, an effort underscored by a career-high 27-point outing against Navy in the Falcons' home opener on Nov. 11. Heath's .422 career field goal percentage (254-602) approaches the Air Force Division I-era career record (.423), set by Pamela Findlay from 2004-08.
On the defensive side, Heath also leads the Falcons in steals (37) and steals per-game (2.31). The senior has logged a steal in 14 of Air Force's 16 games, including a career-high six steals in a 63-51 win over UCCS on Dec. 7.
Smith's Sophomore Surge:
Into the second season of her intercollegiate career, Madison Smith has proven a critical component of the Falcons' starting lineup, averaging 13.3 points per-game. Smith's 24-59 from three-point land marks a team-high in made three-pointers and attempts, while leading all starters with a .407 three-point percentage on the season.
Smith is currently 27-29 (.931) from the free-throw line, the current ninth-best percentage in the nation. Smith is on pace to reset the Air Force single-season record (.918), set by Madeleine Philpot (2014-15).
At San Jose State (Jan. 5), Smith led the floor in scoring, resetting her career high with 23 points on 5-7 (.714) from three-point range, leading the Falcons to a 77-64 win.
Service Before Self:
Sophomore Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in assists (79), assists per-game (4.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.88) - all categories top-three figures among the Mountain West. On the defensive side, Huntimer follows Heath as a major contributor in total steals (36) and steals per game (2.25).
With 79 assists on the year and 201 for her career, sophomore Jo Huntimer claimed ninth in program assists in the Falcons' Division I era, logging five assists at Nevada (Jan. 7).
Defend Your Castle:
Air Force is 5-1 in Clune Arena, with wins over Navy, Adams State, UCCS, UTEP, and Utah State. The Falcons' lone home loss occurred at the hands of a quad-one Utah Tech squad, who escaped Clune with a 73-70 win in the final minute of regulation.
5-1 marks a standard which has not been achieved since the program's final year as a member of Division II in 1995-96, in which Air Force went 7-1 in Clune before closing its season at 7-3.
Wyoming at a Glance:
Wyoming (9-5, 2-1 MW), winners of three of their last four, most recently played Jan. 5 against New Mexico, earning a 78-69 win in Laramie. The Cowgirls opened Mountain West play with a 2-1 start, downing Fresno State and UNM after dropping their conference debut at UNLV.
The Cowgirls are led in scoring by graduate senior guard Quinn Weidemann, averaging 12.5 points per-game. A frontcourt pairing of sophomores Grace Ellis and Allyson Fertig rounds out Wyoming's scoring leaders, posting 11.1 and and 12.5 points per-game.
Fertig leads Wyoming defensive production, boasting team-highs in blocks (25), blocks per-game (1.79), and leads the Cowgirls in rebounding with 7.0 defensive boards per-game. A career-high six blocks on Dec. 31 against Fresno State made Fertig the first Cowgirl to record five or more in a game since Air Force assistant coach Hillary Carlson did so in 2011.
Last Time/All-Time:
Wyoming leads 56-4 in the all-time series against Air Force, with all four Falcon wins taking place in Clune Arena.
In their last meeting the Falcons claimed a 47-45 win on Feb. 2, snapping a seven-game skid against Wyoming, and earning their eighth win of the season over Mountain West opponents.
Last Time Out:
Air Force fell, 64-59 at Nevada, dropping to 2-2 in Mountain West play.
Smith led scoring on the floor for the second-consecutive game, logging 17 points and adding four rebounds, an assist, two blocks and two steals along the way.
Huntimer totaled 12 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals on the afternoon. Huntimer's four assists- totaling 201 for her career- moves the sophomore into ninth in career assists in the Falcons' Division I era.
Air Force went 11-12 (.917) from the free-throw line behind Huntimer's perfect 6-6 at the stripe.
2021-22 Mountain West Recap:
Air Force crafted its most successful season in program history in 2021-22, as the Falcons' 19 overall wins and 11 conference victories were both program-bests. Air Force claimed four season-sweeps of conference opponents, also a program first. The Falcons secured the program's first-ever bye in the Mountain West Tournament where they defeated Nevada to advance to the tournament semifinal round for the first time in program history.
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 career 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 62 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 the Falcons' first postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
How To Follow:
Wednesday's game will be aired on the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports Radio AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman) will cover all of Mountain West regular-season competition for Air Force women's basketball; Live statistics will be available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Next Up:
The Falcons remain at Clune to host Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 14.
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