Sunday, March 5
Las Vegas, NV
5:30 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
San Jose State
No. 7 Air Force Draws No. 10 San Jose, No. 2 Wyoming in 2023 MW Women’s Basketball Championships
3/4/2023 10:55:00 AM | Women's Basketball
2023 MW Women's Basketball Championships – First Round
Game #2: No. 7 Air Force (13-17, 8-10 MW) vs. No. 10 San Jose State (5-24, 3-15 MW)
Sunday, March 5 | 5:30 p.m. MT
Quarterfinal #3: No. 2 Wyoming vs. Winner First Round Game #2
Monday, March 6 | 6 p.m. MT
Thomas and Mack Center | Las Vegas, Nev.
Air Force | San Jose State | Wyoming |Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Championship Central | Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
With the bracket set in the 2023 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championships in Las Vegas, the Air Force women's basketball team's path is set.
The Falcons, drawing a seven seed in this year's field of competitors, are fated for a third season matchup against the San Jose State Spartans, with tip at the Thomas and Mack Center slated for 5:30 p.m. MT.
Two-seed Wyoming, owning a first-round bye, awaits its fate, as the winner of the 7-10 Sunday matchup will face the Cowgirls on Monday evening at 6 p.m.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of sophomore Madison Smith and senior Kamri Heath, both averaging 13.1 and 12.8 points per game respectively.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding, with 119 on the year; Senior Nikki McDonald heads up the Falcons' efforts on the offensive glass with 40.
Air Force ranks 12th nationally in turnover margin (6.03) and 14th in steals per game (10.9), while filing in at 33rd in turnovers forced per game (19.40) - all Mountain West-leading figures.
2022-23 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championship:
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 13.1 points per game after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 20 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 36-101 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 (161), while averaging 12.8 points per game. 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' 30 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 (129), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.26) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (70) and steals per game (2.33). Huntimer has logged multiple steals in 21 of the Falcons' 30 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 129 assists on the season and 251 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. 27 more career assists will tie fourth, currently held by former Falcon Cherae Medina (2010-14).
Defend Your Castle:
Air Force closed 2022-23 with a 9-4 record 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:
14 games this season have 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.
San Jose at a Glance:
The ten-seed Spartans have momentum on their side entering Sunday, after closing their regular season with a pair of wins over Fresno State (home, 73-66) and Utah State (away, 78-65).
SJSU is led in scoring by senior Jada Holland (10.8 ppg) and sophomore forward Marissa Davis-Jones (11.1 ppg); Davis-Jones also serves as the Spartans' go-to on the glass, averaging a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game.
Wyoming at a Glance:
The two-seed Cowgirls enter postseason play the winners of five of their last six games of the season, with their lone loss through that stretch coming at the hands of New Mexico (71-62) on Feb. 16.
6'3 forward Allyson Fertig leads the charge for Wyoming, averaging 15.7 points per game, while also filing in as the team's leading rebounder and averaging 1.93 blocks per game.
All-Time/Last Time:
San Jose: SJSU owns a 13-9 edge in the all-time series against Air Force, but it's the Falcons who have owned the series of late, having won five-straight contests over the Spartans, including a season sweep in 2022-23.
In its most recent matchup with San Jose, Air Force won, 77-70 in Clune Arena on Jan. 16. Freshman Milahnie Perry led Air Force in scoring, posting 21 points on 8-14 from the field; Huntimer followed up with a career-high 16 points on 5-8 and a 5-6 showing from the free-throw line.
Wyoming: The Cowgirls own a 58-4 record over Air Force, including a season sweep of the Falcons this year.
On Feb. 11, the Falcons fell at Wyoming, 62-56. Heath led the Falcons (12-13, 7-6 MW) with 15 points on 6-9 shooting; Nikki McDonald followed up with 14 behind 4-6 from three-point range.
Despite earning a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers on the afternoon and holding Wyoming to just 3-10 from three in the first half, the Cowgirls closed the game 6-14 (.430) from distance, and 32 points scored in the paint.
Last Time Out:
Air Force fell in its regular-season finale at San Diego State, 60-51.
Sophomore Madison Smith closed the night tying a game high with 17 points on 7-14 FG and 3-5 from three-point range, while adding seven rebounds; Kamri Heath and Kayla Pilson followed up with eight apiece.
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:
Sunday and Monday's games 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 court side; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Game #2: No. 7 Air Force (13-17, 8-10 MW) vs. No. 10 San Jose State (5-24, 3-15 MW)
Sunday, March 5 | 5:30 p.m. MT
Quarterfinal #3: No. 2 Wyoming vs. Winner First Round Game #2
Monday, March 6 | 6 p.m. MT
Thomas and Mack Center | Las Vegas, Nev.
Air Force | San Jose State | Wyoming |Mountain West
Watch – Mountain West Network | Listen – XtraSports AM 1300
Championship Central | Live Stats | Game Notes
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
With the bracket set in the 2023 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championships in Las Vegas, the Air Force women's basketball team's path is set.
The Falcons, drawing a seven seed in this year's field of competitors, are fated for a third season matchup against the San Jose State Spartans, with tip at the Thomas and Mack Center slated for 5:30 p.m. MT.
Two-seed Wyoming, owning a first-round bye, awaits its fate, as the winner of the 7-10 Sunday matchup will face the Cowgirls on Monday evening at 6 p.m.
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force offensive production is led by a backcourt duo consisting of sophomore Madison Smith and senior Kamri Heath, both averaging 13.1 and 12.8 points per game respectively.
Junior Kayla Pilson leads Air Force in rebounding, with 119 on the year; Senior Nikki McDonald heads up the Falcons' efforts on the offensive glass with 40.
Air Force ranks 12th nationally in turnover margin (6.03) and 14th in steals per game (10.9), while filing in at 33rd in turnovers forced per game (19.40) - all Mountain West-leading figures.
2022-23 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championship:
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 13.1 points per game after averaging just six minutes of floor time in 2021-22. Smith accounts for over 20 percent of Falcon's successful three-point attempts; 36-101 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 (161), while averaging 12.8 points per game. 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' 30 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 (129), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (2.26) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer leads the program in total steals (70) and steals per game (2.33). Huntimer has logged multiple steals in 21 of the Falcons' 30 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 129 assists on the season and 251 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. 27 more career assists will tie fourth, currently held by former Falcon Cherae Medina (2010-14).
Defend Your Castle:
Air Force closed 2022-23 with a 9-4 record 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:
14 games this season have 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.
San Jose at a Glance:
The ten-seed Spartans have momentum on their side entering Sunday, after closing their regular season with a pair of wins over Fresno State (home, 73-66) and Utah State (away, 78-65).
SJSU is led in scoring by senior Jada Holland (10.8 ppg) and sophomore forward Marissa Davis-Jones (11.1 ppg); Davis-Jones also serves as the Spartans' go-to on the glass, averaging a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game.
Wyoming at a Glance:
The two-seed Cowgirls enter postseason play the winners of five of their last six games of the season, with their lone loss through that stretch coming at the hands of New Mexico (71-62) on Feb. 16.
6'3 forward Allyson Fertig leads the charge for Wyoming, averaging 15.7 points per game, while also filing in as the team's leading rebounder and averaging 1.93 blocks per game.
All-Time/Last Time:
San Jose: SJSU owns a 13-9 edge in the all-time series against Air Force, but it's the Falcons who have owned the series of late, having won five-straight contests over the Spartans, including a season sweep in 2022-23.
In its most recent matchup with San Jose, Air Force won, 77-70 in Clune Arena on Jan. 16. Freshman Milahnie Perry led Air Force in scoring, posting 21 points on 8-14 from the field; Huntimer followed up with a career-high 16 points on 5-8 and a 5-6 showing from the free-throw line.
Wyoming: The Cowgirls own a 58-4 record over Air Force, including a season sweep of the Falcons this year.
On Feb. 11, the Falcons fell at Wyoming, 62-56. Heath led the Falcons (12-13, 7-6 MW) with 15 points on 6-9 shooting; Nikki McDonald followed up with 14 behind 4-6 from three-point range.
Despite earning a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers on the afternoon and holding Wyoming to just 3-10 from three in the first half, the Cowgirls closed the game 6-14 (.430) from distance, and 32 points scored in the paint.
Last Time Out:
Air Force fell in its regular-season finale at San Diego State, 60-51.
Sophomore Madison Smith closed the night tying a game high with 17 points on 7-14 FG and 3-5 from three-point range, while adding seven rebounds; Kamri Heath and Kayla Pilson followed up with eight apiece.
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:
Sunday and Monday's games 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 court side; Live statistics are available via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
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