Saturday, February 25
USAFA, CO
1:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Nevada
Women’s Basketball Honors Senior Class in Home Finale Versus Nevada
2/24/2023 11:18:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Air Force (12-16, 7-9 MW) vs. Nevada (17-11, 9-6 MW)
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2023 | 1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | Nevada | Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Air Force women's basketball team closes its 2022-23 home schedule Saturday afternoon, hosting Nevada in search of the Falcons' fourth regular-season sweep of Mountain West opponents.
Prior to tip-off, the program will be recognizing its 2023 graduates – seniors Kamri Heath and Nikki McDonald, along with head team manager Riley Keck – for their athletic, academic and military achievements as cadets of the United States Air Force Academy.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force, on a five-game skid, aims to finish strong at home with a season split against Nevada.
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Madison Smith, both averaging 13.1 and 12.8 respective points per game.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding with 104 on the year – 36 of which are on the offensive side, also a program high.
Air Force ranks 10th nationally in turnover margin (6.25) and 16th in steals per game (10.9), while filing in at 31st in turnovers forced per game (19.71) - all Mountain West-leading figures.
What's at Stake:
Tournament seeding is on the line Saturday in Clune Arena, as seventh-place Air Force hosts eighth-place Nevada - one game behind the Falcons at 6-10.
An Air Force win would strengthen its grip on the seventh seed, while a loss would tie Nevada in conference record with the Falcons – but ultimately awarding the Wolf Pack with positive movement in the standings by virtue of owning the season tiebreaker over Air Force.
2022-23 Mountain West Conference Tournament:
First Round | Sunday, March 5:
Game 1 | #8 Seed vs. #9 Seed | 2 p.m. PT
Game 2 | #7 Seed vs. #10 Seed | 4:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: | #6 Seed vs. #11 Seed | 7 p.m. PT
Quarterfinal | Monday, March 6:
Game 1: #1 Seed vs. Winner First Round Game 1 | 12 p.m. PT
Game 2: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed | 2:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: #2 Seed vs. Winner First Round Game 2 | 5 p.m. PT
Game 4: #3 Seed vs. Winner First Round #3 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Semifinal | Tuesday, March 7:
Game 1: Winner Quarterfinal Game 1 vs. Winner Quarterfinal Game 2 | 5 p.m. PT
Game 2: Winner Quarterfinal Game 3 vs. Winner Quarterfinal Game 4 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Championship | Wednesday, March 8 | 7 p.m. MT
Maddie Ice:
Into the second season of her intercollegiate career, sophomore Madison Smith has stepped into a significant role for the Falcons, averaging 25 minutes and 12.8 points per game after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 23 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 33-94 from three-point land marks a team high in made three-pointers and attempts.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in both field goal percentage (.468) and field goals made (153), while averaging 13.1 from the field. Touted by head coach Chris Gobrecht as having the "best jumper in the conference," Heath has posted double-digit scoring in 20 of the Falcons' 28 games this season, resetting her career high (27) on Nov. 11 against Navy.
Service Before Self:
Sophomore Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (121), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.20) - all top-three figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (66) and steals per game (2.36). Huntimer has logged multiple steals in 19 of the Falcons' 28 games, posting a career-high six against Colorado on Nov. 19 and tying that figure against Boise State (Feb. 17) and New Mexico (Feb. 23).
With 121 assists on the season and 243 for her collegiate career, Huntimer currently resides in fifth on the program's Division I assists leaderboard, surpassing LaToya Howell (2001-03) at Fresno State on Feb. 2. 35 more career assists will tie fourth, currently held by former Falcon Cherae Medina (2010-14).
Defend Your Castle:
A 5-1 start to the season in Clune marks a standard which had 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 at home before closing its season at 7-3.
Milahnie Stepping Up:
Freshman Milahnie Perry led Air Force scoring in the month of January, averaging 18.0 points per game through a 3-1 stretch which included wins against San Jose, Fresno State and a road win at Utah State.
Versus Wyoming (Jan. 11), Perry totaled 22 points on 6-10 from the field, doubling her previous career high. The freshman shot an unblemished 9-9 from the free-throw line - another career benchmark – while logging one three-pointer and two rebounds along the way. 12 of Perry's 22 points came in the fourth quarter, willing the Falcons back into the game from a seven-point deficit.
Against Fresno State (Jan. 14), Perry posted 17 points behind 5-8 (.625) shooting and 3-4 from three-point range. Perry's nine-point fourth quarter held Fresno at length, allowing Air Force to hold on for the win.
In the Falcons' 77-70 win over San Jose State on Jan. 16, Perry led Air Force in scoring for the third-straight game, posting 21 points on 8-14 from the field. 11 points from Perry in the second quarter stifled a pair of scoring runs for San Jose, notching her second double-digit quarter of the season.
Cardiac Cadets:
14 games this season have either been decided by two possessions or less, with six of those games falling to a single possession. At Colorado (Nov. 19), the Falcons trailed by two points entering the final minute of regulation before falling by eight, threatening the program's first-ever win against a Power Five opponent. At Northwestern (Dec. 17), Air Force led their Big Ten opponent with 2:30 remaining in regulation before the Wildcats slipped away, winning 64-58.
Wolf Pack at a Glance:
Nevada has fallen in six of their last seven contests, with their last win on Feb. 4 against Utah State.
The Wolf Pack are led by a trio of double-digit scoring averages from guards Audrey Roden (11.1 PPG) and Alyssa Jimenez (10.2 PPG) and forward Lexie Givens (10.6 PPG).
Three Nevada starters – Givens, senior forward Megan Ormiston and junior point guard Victoria Davis – shoot 40 percent or higher from three-point range, with all having 32 or more attempts.
All-Time/Last Time:
Nevada leads Air Force 19-8 in the all-time series between the two programs; four of the Falcons' eight program wins against Nevada have come since the start of head coach Chris Gobrecht's Air Force tenure.
On Jan. 7, Air Force fell to Nevada, 64-69, in Reno. Madison Smith led scoring on the floor, logging 17 points and adding four rebounds, an assist, two blocks and two steals along the way; Sophomore Jo Huntimer totaled 12 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals on the afternoon. Air Force went 11-12 (.917) from the free-throw line behind Huntimer's perfect 6-6 at the stripe.
Davis, Ormiston and Roden led Nevada in the game, with Davis posting 11 and Ormiston/Roden both adding ten apiece.
Last Time Out:
A comeback effort for the Air Force women's basketball team on Feb. 23 against New Mexico brought the Falcons back within one possession in the final seconds of regulation, but ultimately proved not enough to overcome a slow second half of offense, falling 65-60 to the Lobos in Clune Arena.
Four Falcons posted double-digit scoring on the day; Kamri Heath, Nikki McDonald and sophomore Madison Smith posted 11 points apiece, while freshman Milahnie Perry followed up with ten points – the eighth double-digit outing of the season.
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. 11 wins in Clune Arena proved a Division I record for the Falcons, and the winningest home season for Air Force since the 1991-92 season (13-2).
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 68 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:
Saturday's game will be free for viewing via the Mountain West Network with Roland Vargish (play-by-play) and Rachel Galligan (analyst) with the courtside call; XtraSports AM 1300's Ryan Kaufman and the Varsity Sports Network will be covering the Falcons' radio broadcast from inside Clune Arena; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Up Next:
Air Force women's basketball closes its 2022-23 regular season on the west coast Tuesday evening, taking on San Diego State in Viejas Arena.
Clune Arena | USAFA, Colo.
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2023 | 1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | Nevada | Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Air Force women's basketball team closes its 2022-23 home schedule Saturday afternoon, hosting Nevada in search of the Falcons' fourth regular-season sweep of Mountain West opponents.
Prior to tip-off, the program will be recognizing its 2023 graduates – seniors Kamri Heath and Nikki McDonald, along with head team manager Riley Keck – for their athletic, academic and military achievements as cadets of the United States Air Force Academy.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force, on a five-game skid, aims to finish strong at home with a season split against Nevada.
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Madison Smith, both averaging 13.1 and 12.8 respective points per game.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding with 104 on the year – 36 of which are on the offensive side, also a program high.
Air Force ranks 10th nationally in turnover margin (6.25) and 16th in steals per game (10.9), while filing in at 31st in turnovers forced per game (19.71) - all Mountain West-leading figures.
What's at Stake:
Tournament seeding is on the line Saturday in Clune Arena, as seventh-place Air Force hosts eighth-place Nevada - one game behind the Falcons at 6-10.
An Air Force win would strengthen its grip on the seventh seed, while a loss would tie Nevada in conference record with the Falcons – but ultimately awarding the Wolf Pack with positive movement in the standings by virtue of owning the season tiebreaker over Air Force.
2022-23 Mountain West Conference Tournament:
First Round | Sunday, March 5:
Game 1 | #8 Seed vs. #9 Seed | 2 p.m. PT
Game 2 | #7 Seed vs. #10 Seed | 4:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: | #6 Seed vs. #11 Seed | 7 p.m. PT
Quarterfinal | Monday, March 6:
Game 1: #1 Seed vs. Winner First Round Game 1 | 12 p.m. PT
Game 2: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed | 2:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: #2 Seed vs. Winner First Round Game 2 | 5 p.m. PT
Game 4: #3 Seed vs. Winner First Round #3 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Semifinal | Tuesday, March 7:
Game 1: Winner Quarterfinal Game 1 vs. Winner Quarterfinal Game 2 | 5 p.m. PT
Game 2: Winner Quarterfinal Game 3 vs. Winner Quarterfinal Game 4 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Championship | Wednesday, March 8 | 7 p.m. MT
Maddie Ice:
Into the second season of her intercollegiate career, sophomore Madison Smith has stepped into a significant role for the Falcons, averaging 25 minutes and 12.8 points per game after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 23 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 33-94 from three-point land marks a team high in made three-pointers and attempts.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in both field goal percentage (.468) and field goals made (153), while averaging 13.1 from the field. Touted by head coach Chris Gobrecht as having the "best jumper in the conference," Heath has posted double-digit scoring in 20 of the Falcons' 28 games this season, resetting her career high (27) on Nov. 11 against Navy.
Service Before Self:
Sophomore Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (121), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.20) - all top-three figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (66) and steals per game (2.36). Huntimer has logged multiple steals in 19 of the Falcons' 28 games, posting a career-high six against Colorado on Nov. 19 and tying that figure against Boise State (Feb. 17) and New Mexico (Feb. 23).
With 121 assists on the season and 243 for her collegiate career, Huntimer currently resides in fifth on the program's Division I assists leaderboard, surpassing LaToya Howell (2001-03) at Fresno State on Feb. 2. 35 more career assists will tie fourth, currently held by former Falcon Cherae Medina (2010-14).
Defend Your Castle:
A 5-1 start to the season in Clune marks a standard which had 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 at home before closing its season at 7-3.
Milahnie Stepping Up:
Freshman Milahnie Perry led Air Force scoring in the month of January, averaging 18.0 points per game through a 3-1 stretch which included wins against San Jose, Fresno State and a road win at Utah State.
Versus Wyoming (Jan. 11), Perry totaled 22 points on 6-10 from the field, doubling her previous career high. The freshman shot an unblemished 9-9 from the free-throw line - another career benchmark – while logging one three-pointer and two rebounds along the way. 12 of Perry's 22 points came in the fourth quarter, willing the Falcons back into the game from a seven-point deficit.
Against Fresno State (Jan. 14), Perry posted 17 points behind 5-8 (.625) shooting and 3-4 from three-point range. Perry's nine-point fourth quarter held Fresno at length, allowing Air Force to hold on for the win.
In the Falcons' 77-70 win over San Jose State on Jan. 16, Perry led Air Force in scoring for the third-straight game, posting 21 points on 8-14 from the field. 11 points from Perry in the second quarter stifled a pair of scoring runs for San Jose, notching her second double-digit quarter of the season.
Cardiac Cadets:
14 games this season have either been decided by two possessions or less, with six of those games falling to a single possession. At Colorado (Nov. 19), the Falcons trailed by two points entering the final minute of regulation before falling by eight, threatening the program's first-ever win against a Power Five opponent. At Northwestern (Dec. 17), Air Force led their Big Ten opponent with 2:30 remaining in regulation before the Wildcats slipped away, winning 64-58.
Wolf Pack at a Glance:
Nevada has fallen in six of their last seven contests, with their last win on Feb. 4 against Utah State.
The Wolf Pack are led by a trio of double-digit scoring averages from guards Audrey Roden (11.1 PPG) and Alyssa Jimenez (10.2 PPG) and forward Lexie Givens (10.6 PPG).
Three Nevada starters – Givens, senior forward Megan Ormiston and junior point guard Victoria Davis – shoot 40 percent or higher from three-point range, with all having 32 or more attempts.
All-Time/Last Time:
Nevada leads Air Force 19-8 in the all-time series between the two programs; four of the Falcons' eight program wins against Nevada have come since the start of head coach Chris Gobrecht's Air Force tenure.
On Jan. 7, Air Force fell to Nevada, 64-69, in Reno. Madison Smith led scoring on the floor, logging 17 points and adding four rebounds, an assist, two blocks and two steals along the way; Sophomore Jo Huntimer totaled 12 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals on the afternoon. Air Force went 11-12 (.917) from the free-throw line behind Huntimer's perfect 6-6 at the stripe.
Davis, Ormiston and Roden led Nevada in the game, with Davis posting 11 and Ormiston/Roden both adding ten apiece.
Last Time Out:
A comeback effort for the Air Force women's basketball team on Feb. 23 against New Mexico brought the Falcons back within one possession in the final seconds of regulation, but ultimately proved not enough to overcome a slow second half of offense, falling 65-60 to the Lobos in Clune Arena.
Four Falcons posted double-digit scoring on the day; Kamri Heath, Nikki McDonald and sophomore Madison Smith posted 11 points apiece, while freshman Milahnie Perry followed up with ten points – the eighth double-digit outing of the season.
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. 11 wins in Clune Arena proved a Division I record for the Falcons, and the winningest home season for Air Force since the 1991-92 season (13-2).
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 68 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:
Saturday's game will be free for viewing via the Mountain West Network with Roland Vargish (play-by-play) and Rachel Galligan (analyst) with the courtside call; XtraSports AM 1300's Ryan Kaufman and the Varsity Sports Network will be covering the Falcons' radio broadcast from inside Clune Arena; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Up Next:
Air Force women's basketball closes its 2022-23 regular season on the west coast Tuesday evening, taking on San Diego State in Viejas Arena.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballStacy McIntyre and Player POST CSU
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Stacy McIntyre and Milahnie Perry Post Game vs Boise State
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