Wednesday, January 17
Fort Collins, Colo.
6:30 PM MT
Air Force Academy
at
Colorado State
Women’s Basketball heads to Colorado State for Wednesday evening contest against Rams
1/16/2024 12:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head Coach Chris Gobrecht discusses player progression, season moving ahead
Air Force at Colorado State
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. MT
Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.
Watch: Mountain West Network
Listen: XtraSports AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman)
Air Force Game Notes
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Air Force | Colorado State | Mountain West
Facebook | X | Instagram
With the first five games of the 2023-24 Mountain West women's basketball season in-hand, the Air force women's basketball team heads to CSU to take on the Rams in Moby Arena on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Quick Hits:
Coaches' Numbers:
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force enters Saturday's game against UNLV seeking its first-ever 3-3 start to league play in the program's Division I history, after splitting results last week at Nevada (W, 75-71) and at home against No. 25 UNLV (L, 76-64).
Air Force scoring is led by sophomore Milahnie Perry and Madison Smith, both averaging 15.3 and 11.2 points per game, respectively.
The Falcons rank 17th nationally in steals per game (11.7) behind Taylor Britt (2.67) and Madison Smith (2.44), who rank 32nd and 57th nationally in the category. Britt's 48 total steals on the season ranks 17th in the country and leads the Mountain West, while Smith's 44 falls in at 27th and is second in the conference. The Falcons also rank 38th nationally and are second in the Mountain West in turnovers forced per game (20.06) and rank 35th in turnover margin (4.89).
Freshmen Jayda McNabb and Keelie O'Hollaren lead Air Force scoring from three-point range, both averaging .385 (10-26) and .379 (36-95), respectively.
Starting Off Right:
Air Force opened Mountain West play at 2-2 for the third-straight season, all three marking the best starts to conference play since Air Force joined Division I in 1996. A 3-2 start would be the best league mark a Falcon team has earned since 1994-95.
All-Time Against Colorado State:
Air Force is 18-52 all-time against the Rams, with the Falcons having won four of the last five meetings between the two programs and are 6-4 in the last ten games.
Air Force is Undefeated Overall When...
- Scoring 70 or more points (5-0);
- Leading with five minutes to go (8-0);
- Shooting better than opponents (5-0);
- Out-rebounding opponents (5-0);
- Outscoring opponents in the paint (4-0).
Air Force is Undefeated in Clune Arena When...
- Leading opponents at halftime (4-0);
- Attempting 15 or more free throws (5-0);
- Leading in points off the bench (5-0);
- Final score margin is nine points or less (3-0);
Fearless on the Road:
In true road games, Air Force is currently 3-0 in games decided by five points or less.
Air Superiority:
Perry leads the Falcons in total points (276), points per game (15.3) and field goals (101), while leading the Mountain West in field goal attempts (269, 21st nationally).
In Air Force's 75-71 win at Nevada (Jan. 10), Perry earned 26 points and led the floor in scoring, going 2-3 from three-point range and 8-10 from the free throw line, marking her third game since Dec. 16 with 26 points or more.
In the Falcons' preceding home contest against San Diego State on Dec. 3, Perry once again reset her career best, earning 28 in a 71-63 overtime victory over the Aztecs. Perry scored eight in the extra session against the Aztecs, paving the way for the Falcons' win.
Perry's 27 against Weber State (Dec. 16) was the Falcons' highest scoring individual performance since Kamri Heath earned 27 in Air Force's 2022-23 win over Navy (90-50, Nov. 11, 2022).
With 469 career points under her belt, Perry is currently on pace to become Air Force's 19th all-time career 1000-point scorer.
Scouting the Rams:
CSU leads the nation in turnovers per game (8.8) while falling in at second in assist-turnover ratio (1.77) and ninth in turnover margin (9.5). Conversely, the Rams' .378 shooting percentage from three ranks 12th in Division I. Four active Rams players (McKenna Hofschild, Sydney Mech, Marta Lemaine, Cali Clark) currently boast a three-point percentage of .400 or better, with reigning Mountain West Player of the Year point guard McKenna Hofschild leading all starters with a .437.
Hofschild is currently the nation's fourth-highest scorer, averaging 23.9 points per game while also leading Division I in assists per game (8.4). Hofschild has scored 23 or more points in five-straight games.
Next-Gen Fighters:
The 2023-24 Falcons roster seven freshmen, the largest class at Air Force since the 2016-17 season and the largest in the Mountain West this season. The newest cadre of cadets under Chris Gobrecht have had an immediate impact in 2023-24:
At Nevada (Jan. 10), O'Hollaren earned 18 points behind 6-10 from the field and and a 4-6 showing from three., including an eight-point performance in the first quarter of the game, proving critical to the Falcons' 75-71 win over the Wolfpack.
In Air Force's 71-63 overtime win over San Diego State (Jan. 3), freshman Jordyn Devaughn contributed 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three.
Devaughn led the way in Air Force (7-5, 0-0 MW) scoring, earning a career-high 16 points at Clemson on Dec. 19. Fellow newcomer Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 14 on 5-12 shooting and 4-8 from three-point range. Air Force finished the game with its second-best three-point percentage to this point of the season, shooting .387 while making a season-best 12 baskets from distance. An even .500 (28-56) from the field also marks a season-high in field goal percentage.
O'Hollaren's 15 points against Weber State (Dec. 16) were complimented by a 3-6 performance from three-point range, paving the way for the Falcons' 70-58 victory behind a season-best eight made threes.
Jayda McNabb earned the first double-double of her collegiate career, going for 13 points and 12 rebounds (team season high) in the Falcons' 61-56 win over UCCS (Dec. 5). Tuesday evening marked McNabb's second outing to score in double digits and her third with ten or more rebounds.
O'Hollaren leads Air Force in three-point percentage (.328) and successful three-point attempts (20); McNabb tops the Falcons in blocks (12) and rebounds per game (6.4).
In Air Force's 83-61 win over Army (Nov. 17), O'Hollaren broke loose to the tune of 24 points on 9-18 shooting. With the Falcons beginning to gap Army down the final minutes of the third quarter, O'Hollaren ripped off eight points inside of 60 seconds including a pair of three-pointers on consecutive drives, pushing Air Force out to an 18-point advantage that ultimately could not be made up.
At Houston (Nov. 10), McNabb, in her second career start, earned six points, ten rebounds (game-high) and a block in 33 minutes; O'Hollaren logged seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
In the Falcons' home-opening win against Denver on Nov. 6, O'Hollaren logged 16 points on 4-6 from three-point range; McNabb, starting in her intercollegiate debut, totaled nine points on the evening and three blocks – one more than any individual Falcon had in 2022-23; Alexis Cortez, in 19 minutes played, logged five points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
All-Time/Division I Record Tracker:
Milahnie Perry:
276 single season points -
386 ties tenth in DI history (Mollie Peters, 1999-00)
448 ties ninth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1987-88, Michelle Johnson, 1979-80)
15.3 PPG - Currently ties for third in DI history.
15.8 ties second in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2021-22)
16.6 ties tenth all-time (Jennifer Patrick, 1993-94, Melissa Standley, 1987-88)
.375 season FG% -
.430 ties tenth in DI history (Dymond James, 2009-10)
.508 ties tienth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1988-89)
All-Time/Division I Freshman Record Tracker:
Keelie O'Hollaren:
36 3PT - Currently ranks seventh in DI and all-time history.
38 ties sixth in DI history (Courtney Porter, 2014-15)
38 ties sixth all-time (Courtney Porter, 2014-15)
95 3PTA - ranks ninth in DI history and is tenth all-time.
106 ties eighth in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2018-19)
96 ties ninth all-time (Julia Karlstad, 1995-96)
Jayda McNabb:
103 Rebounds -
106 ties tenth in DI history (Morgan Bennett, 1999-00)
154 ties tenth all-time (Emily Conroe, 2017-18)
31 Steals - Currently ranks tenth in freshman DI history.
38 ties ninth in DI history (Emily Conroe, 2017-18)
40 ties tenth all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-08, Becky Bridson, 1995-96)
13 Blocks - Currently ties for seventh in DI history and eighth all-time.
14 ties sixth in DI history (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)
14 ties seventh all-time (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)
34 FTM -
49 ties tenth in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2018-19)
62 ties tenth all-time (Rozalyn Russ, 1998-99)
Service Before Self:
In 2022-23, then-sophomore Jo Huntimer led Air Force in total assists (131), assists per game (4.2) and assist/turnover ratio (2.30, 25th nationally) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer led the program in total steals (70) and steals per game (2.26). Huntimer logged multiple steals in 21 of the Falcons' 31 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).
Jo Huntimer's 253 career assists currently puts her fourth in Air Force's DI history and tenth all-time; six more will tie third in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2007-11), and seven will tie ninth all-time (Kristin Hillery, 1989-93).
Huntimer will miss a number of games down the front portion of 2023-24 after suffering an ACL tear in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Mountain West Championships.
Cardiac Cadets:
Six of the Falcons' matchups in 2023-24 have fallen to a two-possession-or-less margin, with the most recent being Air Force's 75-71 win at Nevada on Jan. 10.
On Jan. 3 in the Falcons' Mountain West home opener against San Diego State, Air Force stormed back from behind as much as 12 points in the third quarter to a tied game at the end of regulation. An eight-point overtime performance for Milahnie Perry drove a 10-0 Air Force run inthe extra session to win 71-63.
At the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, (Nov. 24-26), games against both Hawaii (W, 54-51) and Idaho State (L, 55-52) were both decided by a single possession at the end of regulation.
Air Force's 65-63 win over Denver at Clune Arena (Nov. 6) in the Falcons' home opener fell to a decisive foul drawn by Madison Smith with just 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation to send her to the free throw line. Smith's pair of successful makes proved game winning.
14 games in 2022-23 were decided by two possessions or less, with six contests 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. All 31 games in 2022-23 were decided in regulation.
Coach G Gaining Ground:
Head Coach Chris Gobrecht served her 43rd season as a Division I 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, 2022 home opener against Navy.
Capping her eighth season at the head of the Falcons' program in 2022-23, Coach Gobrecht currently has 78 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 19-14 season – A year punctuated by Gobrecht's fourth career WNIT appearance as a head coach, and the Falcons' first-ever postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
Last Time Out:
Pitted against one of the most experienced programs in the Mountain West and a program which has not lost a conference match up in nearly two years, the Air Force women's basketball team – one of the least experienced in the league – showed flashes of its progress on Saturday afternoon in a 76-64 loss to No. 25 UNLV.
Three Falcons ended the contest in double digits, led by senior Dasha Macmillan's 19, a season best. Macmillan finished the game 7-11 from the field and 3-6 from three-point range. Macmillan's benchmark performance was fueled by a 12-point, 5-6 FG and 2-2 3FG showing in the fourth quarter. Freshman Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 15 points, shooting 7-11 and 3-6 from three, marking the fourth game of her inaugural season to shoot .500 or better from three with three or more attempts. Sophomore Milahnie Perry added ten points to the Falcon total – her fourth-straight game to earn double-digit points for the Falcons – while also giving out six assists, tying the season-high figure in that category.
In arguably its toughest assignment so far this season, Air Force managed to keep a win within its reach against a UNLV squad which posted the most points the Falcons have faced season and the second-most field goals (66), despite also only getting to the free throw line six times to UNLV's 19.
As a team, Air Force (9-9, 2-3) shot 43 percent (9-21) from three, marking its third-straight game to shoot .400 or better from distance.
UNLV claimed an early lead, but Air Force kept within two possessions of the Lady Rebels through the bulk of the first quarter behind goals from four separate Falcons in the first quarter. Air Force battled back to tie and claim their only lead of the contest at the 2:30 mark off a drive from freshman Jordyn Devaughn (4 PTS, 2-4 FG), but a second-change three-pointer for Lady Rebel Alyssa Durazo-Frescas put UNLV back in front, 14-13, at the end of the first quarter buzzer.
UNLV began to create separation in the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 24-12 to lead 38-25 at halftime. O'Hollaren's second three of the game out in the right corner snapped a four-minute cold spell for Falcons down the final minutes of the first half. Heading into the locker room, O'Hollaren had ten points on 4-6 shooting and 2-4 from three-point range in the second quarter, scoring all but one of Air Force's five baskets during that time.
Air Force opened the second half with a pair of threes on its first two possessions from Jayda McNabb and Dasha Macmillan to bring the Falcons back within single digits. A pair of successful free throws from Perry off a shooting foul cut the Lady Rebels' lead back to seven at 40-33.
Air Force outscored UNLV 6-2 from six-minute mark in the third, but UNLV responded with a quick six points off a left-wing three from Durasco-Frescas and a successful and-one opportunity Nneka Obiazor, giving UNLV a double-digit lead which it would keep through the remainder of the game.
Despite being down 59-44 heading into the final quarter, Air Force refused to concede defeat to the Lady Rebels, making a final push and outscoring UNLV 20-17 behind a 12-point showing for Macmillan, who went 5-6 from the field and 2-2 from three for the quarter to eclipse her season high of 15, set against Northern Colorado on Dec. 9. As a team, the Falcons closed the contest on 8-16 FG and 3-4 from three.
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. MT
Moby Arena | Fort Collins, Colo.
Watch: Mountain West Network
Listen: XtraSports AM 1300 (Ryan Kaufman)
Air Force Game Notes
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Air Force | Colorado State | Mountain West
Facebook | X | Instagram
With the first five games of the 2023-24 Mountain West women's basketball season in-hand, the Air force women's basketball team heads to CSU to take on the Rams in Moby Arena on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Quick Hits:
| Air Force: | Colorado State: | |
| Record: | 9-9 (2-3 MW) | 11-4 (2-2 MW) |
| Last Game: | vs. 25 UNLV (L, 76-64) | vs. UNM (W, 61-55) |
| Next Game: | at Wyoming (Jan. 24) | at Wyoming (Jan. 20) |
| Loation/Enrollment: | USAFA, Colo./4,000 | Fort Collins, Colo./33,600 |
| 2022-23 Record: | 13-18 (8-10 MW) | 20-12 (12-6 MW) |
Coaches' Numbers:
| Air Force: | Colorado State: | |
| Head Coach: | Chris Gobrecht | Ryun Williams |
| Alma Mater/Year: | USC, 1977 | South Dakota, 1997 |
| Record w/ Program: | 78-181 (2015-Current) | 223-132 (2012-Current) |
| Career Record: | 620-654 (1979-Current) | 535-139 (1995-Current) |
Falcons at a Glance:
Air Force enters Saturday's game against UNLV seeking its first-ever 3-3 start to league play in the program's Division I history, after splitting results last week at Nevada (W, 75-71) and at home against No. 25 UNLV (L, 76-64).
Air Force scoring is led by sophomore Milahnie Perry and Madison Smith, both averaging 15.3 and 11.2 points per game, respectively.
The Falcons rank 17th nationally in steals per game (11.7) behind Taylor Britt (2.67) and Madison Smith (2.44), who rank 32nd and 57th nationally in the category. Britt's 48 total steals on the season ranks 17th in the country and leads the Mountain West, while Smith's 44 falls in at 27th and is second in the conference. The Falcons also rank 38th nationally and are second in the Mountain West in turnovers forced per game (20.06) and rank 35th in turnover margin (4.89).
Freshmen Jayda McNabb and Keelie O'Hollaren lead Air Force scoring from three-point range, both averaging .385 (10-26) and .379 (36-95), respectively.
Starting Off Right:
Air Force opened Mountain West play at 2-2 for the third-straight season, all three marking the best starts to conference play since Air Force joined Division I in 1996. A 3-2 start would be the best league mark a Falcon team has earned since 1994-95.
All-Time Against Colorado State:
Air Force is 18-52 all-time against the Rams, with the Falcons having won four of the last five meetings between the two programs and are 6-4 in the last ten games.
Air Force is Undefeated Overall When...
- Scoring 70 or more points (5-0);
- Leading with five minutes to go (8-0);
- Shooting better than opponents (5-0);
- Out-rebounding opponents (5-0);
- Outscoring opponents in the paint (4-0).
Air Force is Undefeated in Clune Arena When...
- Leading opponents at halftime (4-0);
- Attempting 15 or more free throws (5-0);
- Leading in points off the bench (5-0);
- Final score margin is nine points or less (3-0);
Fearless on the Road:
In true road games, Air Force is currently 3-0 in games decided by five points or less.
Air Superiority:
Perry leads the Falcons in total points (276), points per game (15.3) and field goals (101), while leading the Mountain West in field goal attempts (269, 21st nationally).
In Air Force's 75-71 win at Nevada (Jan. 10), Perry earned 26 points and led the floor in scoring, going 2-3 from three-point range and 8-10 from the free throw line, marking her third game since Dec. 16 with 26 points or more.
In the Falcons' preceding home contest against San Diego State on Dec. 3, Perry once again reset her career best, earning 28 in a 71-63 overtime victory over the Aztecs. Perry scored eight in the extra session against the Aztecs, paving the way for the Falcons' win.
Perry's 27 against Weber State (Dec. 16) was the Falcons' highest scoring individual performance since Kamri Heath earned 27 in Air Force's 2022-23 win over Navy (90-50, Nov. 11, 2022).
With 469 career points under her belt, Perry is currently on pace to become Air Force's 19th all-time career 1000-point scorer.
Scouting the Rams:
CSU leads the nation in turnovers per game (8.8) while falling in at second in assist-turnover ratio (1.77) and ninth in turnover margin (9.5). Conversely, the Rams' .378 shooting percentage from three ranks 12th in Division I. Four active Rams players (McKenna Hofschild, Sydney Mech, Marta Lemaine, Cali Clark) currently boast a three-point percentage of .400 or better, with reigning Mountain West Player of the Year point guard McKenna Hofschild leading all starters with a .437.
Hofschild is currently the nation's fourth-highest scorer, averaging 23.9 points per game while also leading Division I in assists per game (8.4). Hofschild has scored 23 or more points in five-straight games.
Next-Gen Fighters:
The 2023-24 Falcons roster seven freshmen, the largest class at Air Force since the 2016-17 season and the largest in the Mountain West this season. The newest cadre of cadets under Chris Gobrecht have had an immediate impact in 2023-24:
At Nevada (Jan. 10), O'Hollaren earned 18 points behind 6-10 from the field and and a 4-6 showing from three., including an eight-point performance in the first quarter of the game, proving critical to the Falcons' 75-71 win over the Wolfpack.
In Air Force's 71-63 overtime win over San Diego State (Jan. 3), freshman Jordyn Devaughn contributed 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three.
Devaughn led the way in Air Force (7-5, 0-0 MW) scoring, earning a career-high 16 points at Clemson on Dec. 19. Fellow newcomer Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 14 on 5-12 shooting and 4-8 from three-point range. Air Force finished the game with its second-best three-point percentage to this point of the season, shooting .387 while making a season-best 12 baskets from distance. An even .500 (28-56) from the field also marks a season-high in field goal percentage.
O'Hollaren's 15 points against Weber State (Dec. 16) were complimented by a 3-6 performance from three-point range, paving the way for the Falcons' 70-58 victory behind a season-best eight made threes.
Jayda McNabb earned the first double-double of her collegiate career, going for 13 points and 12 rebounds (team season high) in the Falcons' 61-56 win over UCCS (Dec. 5). Tuesday evening marked McNabb's second outing to score in double digits and her third with ten or more rebounds.
O'Hollaren leads Air Force in three-point percentage (.328) and successful three-point attempts (20); McNabb tops the Falcons in blocks (12) and rebounds per game (6.4).
In Air Force's 83-61 win over Army (Nov. 17), O'Hollaren broke loose to the tune of 24 points on 9-18 shooting. With the Falcons beginning to gap Army down the final minutes of the third quarter, O'Hollaren ripped off eight points inside of 60 seconds including a pair of three-pointers on consecutive drives, pushing Air Force out to an 18-point advantage that ultimately could not be made up.
At Houston (Nov. 10), McNabb, in her second career start, earned six points, ten rebounds (game-high) and a block in 33 minutes; O'Hollaren logged seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
In the Falcons' home-opening win against Denver on Nov. 6, O'Hollaren logged 16 points on 4-6 from three-point range; McNabb, starting in her intercollegiate debut, totaled nine points on the evening and three blocks – one more than any individual Falcon had in 2022-23; Alexis Cortez, in 19 minutes played, logged five points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
All-Time/Division I Record Tracker:
Milahnie Perry:
276 single season points -
386 ties tenth in DI history (Mollie Peters, 1999-00)
448 ties ninth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1987-88, Michelle Johnson, 1979-80)
15.3 PPG - Currently ties for third in DI history.
15.8 ties second in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2021-22)
16.6 ties tenth all-time (Jennifer Patrick, 1993-94, Melissa Standley, 1987-88)
.375 season FG% -
.430 ties tenth in DI history (Dymond James, 2009-10)
.508 ties tienth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1988-89)
All-Time/Division I Freshman Record Tracker:
Keelie O'Hollaren:
36 3PT - Currently ranks seventh in DI and all-time history.
38 ties sixth in DI history (Courtney Porter, 2014-15)
38 ties sixth all-time (Courtney Porter, 2014-15)
95 3PTA - ranks ninth in DI history and is tenth all-time.
106 ties eighth in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2018-19)
96 ties ninth all-time (Julia Karlstad, 1995-96)
Jayda McNabb:
103 Rebounds -
106 ties tenth in DI history (Morgan Bennett, 1999-00)
154 ties tenth all-time (Emily Conroe, 2017-18)
31 Steals - Currently ranks tenth in freshman DI history.
38 ties ninth in DI history (Emily Conroe, 2017-18)
40 ties tenth all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-08, Becky Bridson, 1995-96)
13 Blocks - Currently ties for seventh in DI history and eighth all-time.
14 ties sixth in DI history (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)
14 ties seventh all-time (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)
34 FTM -
49 ties tenth in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2018-19)
62 ties tenth all-time (Rozalyn Russ, 1998-99)
Service Before Self:
In 2022-23, then-sophomore Jo Huntimer led Air Force in total assists (131), assists per game (4.2) and assist/turnover ratio (2.30, 25th nationally) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer led the program in total steals (70) and steals per game (2.26). Huntimer logged multiple steals in 21 of the Falcons' 31 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).
Jo Huntimer's 253 career assists currently puts her fourth in Air Force's DI history and tenth all-time; six more will tie third in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2007-11), and seven will tie ninth all-time (Kristin Hillery, 1989-93).
Huntimer will miss a number of games down the front portion of 2023-24 after suffering an ACL tear in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Mountain West Championships.
Cardiac Cadets:
Six of the Falcons' matchups in 2023-24 have fallen to a two-possession-or-less margin, with the most recent being Air Force's 75-71 win at Nevada on Jan. 10.
On Jan. 3 in the Falcons' Mountain West home opener against San Diego State, Air Force stormed back from behind as much as 12 points in the third quarter to a tied game at the end of regulation. An eight-point overtime performance for Milahnie Perry drove a 10-0 Air Force run inthe extra session to win 71-63.
At the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, (Nov. 24-26), games against both Hawaii (W, 54-51) and Idaho State (L, 55-52) were both decided by a single possession at the end of regulation.
Air Force's 65-63 win over Denver at Clune Arena (Nov. 6) in the Falcons' home opener fell to a decisive foul drawn by Madison Smith with just 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation to send her to the free throw line. Smith's pair of successful makes proved game winning.
14 games in 2022-23 were decided by two possessions or less, with six contests 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. All 31 games in 2022-23 were decided in regulation.
Coach G Gaining Ground:
Head Coach Chris Gobrecht served her 43rd season as a Division I 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, 2022 home opener against Navy.
Capping her eighth season at the head of the Falcons' program in 2022-23, Coach Gobrecht currently has 78 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 19-14 season – A year punctuated by Gobrecht's fourth career WNIT appearance as a head coach, and the Falcons' first-ever postseason appearance and subsequent win in program history – a 64-60 victory over WCC opponent San Francisco on March 17.
Last Time Out:
Pitted against one of the most experienced programs in the Mountain West and a program which has not lost a conference match up in nearly two years, the Air Force women's basketball team – one of the least experienced in the league – showed flashes of its progress on Saturday afternoon in a 76-64 loss to No. 25 UNLV.
Three Falcons ended the contest in double digits, led by senior Dasha Macmillan's 19, a season best. Macmillan finished the game 7-11 from the field and 3-6 from three-point range. Macmillan's benchmark performance was fueled by a 12-point, 5-6 FG and 2-2 3FG showing in the fourth quarter. Freshman Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 15 points, shooting 7-11 and 3-6 from three, marking the fourth game of her inaugural season to shoot .500 or better from three with three or more attempts. Sophomore Milahnie Perry added ten points to the Falcon total – her fourth-straight game to earn double-digit points for the Falcons – while also giving out six assists, tying the season-high figure in that category.
In arguably its toughest assignment so far this season, Air Force managed to keep a win within its reach against a UNLV squad which posted the most points the Falcons have faced season and the second-most field goals (66), despite also only getting to the free throw line six times to UNLV's 19.
As a team, Air Force (9-9, 2-3) shot 43 percent (9-21) from three, marking its third-straight game to shoot .400 or better from distance.
UNLV claimed an early lead, but Air Force kept within two possessions of the Lady Rebels through the bulk of the first quarter behind goals from four separate Falcons in the first quarter. Air Force battled back to tie and claim their only lead of the contest at the 2:30 mark off a drive from freshman Jordyn Devaughn (4 PTS, 2-4 FG), but a second-change three-pointer for Lady Rebel Alyssa Durazo-Frescas put UNLV back in front, 14-13, at the end of the first quarter buzzer.
UNLV began to create separation in the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 24-12 to lead 38-25 at halftime. O'Hollaren's second three of the game out in the right corner snapped a four-minute cold spell for Falcons down the final minutes of the first half. Heading into the locker room, O'Hollaren had ten points on 4-6 shooting and 2-4 from three-point range in the second quarter, scoring all but one of Air Force's five baskets during that time.
Air Force opened the second half with a pair of threes on its first two possessions from Jayda McNabb and Dasha Macmillan to bring the Falcons back within single digits. A pair of successful free throws from Perry off a shooting foul cut the Lady Rebels' lead back to seven at 40-33.
Air Force outscored UNLV 6-2 from six-minute mark in the third, but UNLV responded with a quick six points off a left-wing three from Durasco-Frescas and a successful and-one opportunity Nneka Obiazor, giving UNLV a double-digit lead which it would keep through the remainder of the game.
Despite being down 59-44 heading into the final quarter, Air Force refused to concede defeat to the Lady Rebels, making a final push and outscoring UNLV 20-17 behind a 12-point showing for Macmillan, who went 5-6 from the field and 2-2 from three for the quarter to eclipse her season high of 15, set against Northern Colorado on Dec. 9. As a team, the Falcons closed the contest on 8-16 FG and 3-4 from three.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballAir Force Women's Basketball 24 25 Season Highlights
Friday, April 11
Women's Basketball 24-25 Highights
Friday, April 11
Warfighter Letricia Baxley
Monday, April 07
Stacy McIntyre and Player WNIT UVU
Friday, March 21
