Late Comeback Cut Short as Women’s Basketball Falls at CSU, 67-64

Box Score

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Air Force women's basketball team, down by as much as 17 points in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon at Colorado State, managed to rally back down the stretch to a one-point game, but ultimately falls short, falling 67-64 in Moby Arena.

Four Falcons closed the game in double digits, with sophomore Madison Smith atop the pack with 15; junior Kayla Pilson and sophomore Jo Huntimer (4-6 FG, 3-3 3PT) closed with 11 apiece; Senior Kamri Heath posted ten.

It was a slow start for the Falcons entering the game, as Air Force (12-15, 7-8 MW) was unable to find their first basket down the opening minutes. The Falcons started out 0-4 from the field, turning over the ball four times and allowing CSU (18-9, 11-5 MW) to get out to an 8-0 lead before senior Nikki McDonald found the Falcons' first basket at the top of the CSU key.

Down 11-2 at the 4:38 mark, four points for Pilson laid the foundation for a 9-0 Air Force run which lifted the Falcons to an 11-all tie with two minutes left in the quarter. A 5-0 run by Rams' McKenna Hofschild closed the quarter with CSU up on the Falcons, 16-11.

Heath opened the second quarter with a trio of made baskets within a one-minute stretch followed by a pair from freshman Milahnie Perry (4 PTS, 2 REB) to keep CSU within reach as the Rams led 34-25 to close the first half.

After falling into early foul trouble and unable to factor into the Falcons' first half, Smith proved instrumental in Air Force's late comeback, scoring all 15 of her points in the final two quarters of the contest, scoring seven in the third quarter as Air Force's deficit steadily grew to 12 behind six-point quarters for both CSU's Hofschild and Destiny Thurman.

Down by as much as 17 with seven minutes remaining in the game, Huntimer's third-straight three-pointer of the game was the start of an Air Force surge, as the Falcons went 8-10 from the field and 5-6 from the free-throw line, outscoring CSU 23-7 down the next six-minute stretch.

At 65-61, with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, Smith drove up the right baseline, making good on her layup attempt and drawing the shooting foul off CSU's Sydney Mech, and awarding the Falcons the opportunity to pull back within one point. But Smith was called for a technical foul for her celebration after the basket, awarding CSU free throws and possession after Smith made her and-one free throw.

CSU would hold on down the final seconds, making a pair of free throws and holding off Air Force for the win.

Air Force women's basketball returns to Clune Arena on Feb. 23 for an 11 a.m. rematch with New Mexico.

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