Tuesday, February 28
San Diego, CA
7:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
at
San Diego State
Women’s Basketball Closes Regular Season at San Diego State
2/27/2023 3:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Air Force (13-16, 8-9 MW) at San Diego State (21-9, 11-6 MW)
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif,
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | San Diego State | Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
With the 2022-23 regular season coming to a close and the start of the 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament days away, the Air Force women's basketball team has one final test ahead of them, as they head to Viejas Arena in search of their fifth-straight win over third-place San Diego State on Tuesday evening.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Madison Smith, both averaging 12.9 points per game.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding, with 114 on the year – 38 of which are on the offensive side, also a program high tied with senior Nikki McDonald.
Air Force ranks 8th nationally in turnover margin (6.38) and 18th in steals per game (11.0), while filing in at 31st in turnovers forced per game (19.66), all Mountain West-leading figures.
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 a team-high 12.9 points per game (tied with Kamri Heath) after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 20 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 33-96 from three-point land marks a team high in made three-pointers and attempts.
Smith reset her career high on Jan. 5 in the Falcons' 77-64 win over San Jose State, going 5-7 from three-point range and 14-14 from the free-throw line – the most made free-throws in a game this season among the Mountain West while going perfect from the stripe.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in both field goal percentage (.464) and field goals made (157), while averaging 12.9 from the field. Touted by head coach Chris Gobrecht as having the "best jumper in the conference," Heath has posted double-digit scoring in 19 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 (124), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.25) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (68) and steals per game (2.3). 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 on Feb. 17.
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:
Air Force is 9-4 in Clune Arena, with home wins over Navy, Adams State, UCCS, UTEP, Utah State, Fresno State, San Jose State and Colorado State and Nevada. Two of the Falcons' home losses (73-70 vs. Utah Tech, 61-60 vs. Wyoming) fell to the final possession of regulation.
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:
13 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.
Aztecs at a Glance:
SDSU leads the Mountain West in scoring defense and three-point defense, while beating opponents by an average margin of almost ten points per game on the season.
The 21-9 Aztecs enter Tuesday's game against Air Force on a two-game skid, falling 70-58 at home to Wyoming (Feb. 18) and at No. 24 UNLV, 65-59 in Las Vegas.
San Diego State is led in scoring by a backcourt comprised of seniors Sophia Ramos (11.9 PPG) and Mercedes Staples (10.7 PPG) and sophomore Asia Avinger (11.8 PPG). Staples, fourth in the nation and leading the Mountain West in three-point percentage (.468), leads an Aztec squad which shoots .353 from distance.
All-Time/Last Time:
The Aztecs maintain a 37-15 lead in the all-time series against Air Force, with the Falcons owning wins in the last four contests.
The Falcons closed their 2021-22 season in Clune Arena with a 70-46 win over SDSU on March 2.
Last Time Out:
On a day when the Air Force women's basketball team was celebrating its graduating class and with seeding implications on the line in the upcoming 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Falcons took an early lead over Nevada and never looked back, downing the Wolf Pack 76-66 in Clune Arena on Saturday.
Five Falcons posted double-digit scoring, with sophomore Madison Smith leading the way; Smith ended with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists behind an eight-point offensive in the third quarter.
Senior Nikki McDonald closed her final game in Clune with 15 points on 7-10 shooting; Kayla Pilson, Milahnie Perry and freshman Faith Shelton each closed with ten apiece, with Pilson adding ten rebounds, logging her second career double-double.
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 69 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:
Tuesday's game will be free for viewing via the Mountain West Network; XtraSports AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman) and the Varsity Sports Network will be covering the Falcons' radio broadcast from courtside; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Up Next:
With regular-season competition at a close, the Falcons head to Las Vegas for a first-round game in the Mountain West Tournament on Sunday, with opponent and game information to be determined.
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif,
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. MT
Air Force | San Diego State | Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
With the 2022-23 regular season coming to a close and the start of the 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament days away, the Air Force women's basketball team has one final test ahead of them, as they head to Viejas Arena in search of their fifth-straight win over third-place San Diego State on Tuesday evening.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of senior Kamri Heath and sophomore Madison Smith, both averaging 12.9 points per game.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding, with 114 on the year – 38 of which are on the offensive side, also a program high tied with senior Nikki McDonald.
Air Force ranks 8th nationally in turnover margin (6.38) and 18th in steals per game (11.0), while filing in at 31st in turnovers forced per game (19.66), all Mountain West-leading figures.
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 a team-high 12.9 points per game (tied with Kamri Heath) after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 20 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 33-96 from three-point land marks a team high in made three-pointers and attempts.
Smith reset her career high on Jan. 5 in the Falcons' 77-64 win over San Jose State, going 5-7 from three-point range and 14-14 from the free-throw line – the most made free-throws in a game this season among the Mountain West while going perfect from the stripe.
Tip of the Spear:
Senior Kamri Heath leads the Falcons in both field goal percentage (.464) and field goals made (157), while averaging 12.9 from the field. Touted by head coach Chris Gobrecht as having the "best jumper in the conference," Heath has posted double-digit scoring in 19 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 (124), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.25) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (68) and steals per game (2.3). 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 on Feb. 17.
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:
Air Force is 9-4 in Clune Arena, with home wins over Navy, Adams State, UCCS, UTEP, Utah State, Fresno State, San Jose State and Colorado State and Nevada. Two of the Falcons' home losses (73-70 vs. Utah Tech, 61-60 vs. Wyoming) fell to the final possession of regulation.
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:
13 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.
Aztecs at a Glance:
SDSU leads the Mountain West in scoring defense and three-point defense, while beating opponents by an average margin of almost ten points per game on the season.
The 21-9 Aztecs enter Tuesday's game against Air Force on a two-game skid, falling 70-58 at home to Wyoming (Feb. 18) and at No. 24 UNLV, 65-59 in Las Vegas.
San Diego State is led in scoring by a backcourt comprised of seniors Sophia Ramos (11.9 PPG) and Mercedes Staples (10.7 PPG) and sophomore Asia Avinger (11.8 PPG). Staples, fourth in the nation and leading the Mountain West in three-point percentage (.468), leads an Aztec squad which shoots .353 from distance.
All-Time/Last Time:
The Aztecs maintain a 37-15 lead in the all-time series against Air Force, with the Falcons owning wins in the last four contests.
The Falcons closed their 2021-22 season in Clune Arena with a 70-46 win over SDSU on March 2.
Last Time Out:
On a day when the Air Force women's basketball team was celebrating its graduating class and with seeding implications on the line in the upcoming 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Falcons took an early lead over Nevada and never looked back, downing the Wolf Pack 76-66 in Clune Arena on Saturday.
Five Falcons posted double-digit scoring, with sophomore Madison Smith leading the way; Smith ended with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists behind an eight-point offensive in the third quarter.
Senior Nikki McDonald closed her final game in Clune with 15 points on 7-10 shooting; Kayla Pilson, Milahnie Perry and freshman Faith Shelton each closed with ten apiece, with Pilson adding ten rebounds, logging her second career double-double.
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 69 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:
Tuesday's game will be free for viewing via the Mountain West Network; XtraSports AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman) and the Varsity Sports Network will be covering the Falcons' radio broadcast from courtside; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Up Next:
With regular-season competition at a close, the Falcons head to Las Vegas for a first-round game in the Mountain West Tournament on Sunday, with opponent and game information to be determined.
Players Mentioned
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