Smith posts historic performance in Falcons’ loss at Colorado State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Despite a career night for junior Madison Smith, the Air Force women's basketball team fell to the hands of an unrelenting Colorado State offense, 81-67, on Wednesday evening in CSU's Moby Arena.

Smith, coming off the bench for the Falcons, finished the night with 31 points, shooting 14-20 and 3-6 from three-point range – dwarfing her previous career high of 23 (at San Jose State, Jan. 5, 2022) and setting the Falcons' individual high-water mark for the season. Smith also earned 12 rebounds, notching a double-double and adding a new career benchmark in that category. 14 made baskets in a single game resets the program Division I record, surpassing Megan Thiedeman's 13 versus Lafayette on Dec. 4, 1999.

22 team assists marked a season best for Air Force, led by sophomore Milahnie Perry, giving out a program season-high seven. Perry, Air Force's go-to scorer this season, closed the contest with ten points.

A slow start to open the game marred the Falcons from the jump, as Air Force opened 1-10 from the field and 0-7 from three before Smith's first basket of the game – A three on the right wing at the 4:50 mark – got scoring started for the Falcons. The early cold spell allowed CSU to open on a 12-0 run before Air Force found its footing in the contest. Smith compiled six more points down the final three minutes of the frame, trailing 20-11 at the end of the first.

For the remainder of the contest, CSU managed a double-digit lead despite Smith's career night. Reigning Mountain West Player of the Year and consensus preseason selection McKenna Hofschild tied her career best against the Falcons with 37 points, holding Air Force at length behind 15 and 13-point showings in the second and third quarters.

Junior Falcon point guard Jo Huntimer, who missed the first half of the season after suffering an ACL injury in the 2022-23 Mountain West Tournament, made her return to the floor on Wednesday evening, giving five minutes of play time and earning one assist in that span – setting up Smith at the 4:56 mark in the fourth quarter for her eleventh basket of the game near the left wing to surpass her previous career high.

Up Next:
Facing a bye weekend, the Falcons will pick up on Mountain West play on Wednesday, Jan. 24, taking on Wyoming in Laramie at 6:30 p.m. MT.

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