Women’s Basketball Falls in Overtime at West Point

WEST POINT, N.Y. – On a night in which the Air Force Women's Basketball team held a lead for the majority of Friday night's contest at Army West Point, the Falcons could not pull away from a rigid opponent, ultimately falling to its fellow service academy in overtime, 57-51, in Christl Arena.

Senior Madison Smith led Air Force scoring with 13 points (6-15 FG, 1-5 3FG, 4 REB, 3 STL), with junior Milahnie Perry adding 12 (6-13 FG, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), while leading Air Force in the plus-minus with a +9 on the evening.

The first quarter saw Air Force pull ahead early, maintaining a tight lead until the final basket of the quarter, as Army's Trinity Hardy drove straight up the paint to claim a 13-11 lead for the Black Knights at the end-of-first buzzer.

A 7-0 Army run starting in the final minute of the first quarter left the Falcons down 15-11, but Air Force responded with a 9-2 scoring streak of its own, with Perry and Smith each trading scores to regain the lead, but a Reese Ericson three at the right wing tied the game back up at 20-all with 2:29 to go in the half. Perry retook the lead with a jumper in the paint and the Falcons stifled Army's final attempt of the second quarter to hold a 22-20 lead at half.

Entering the third, Army reclaimed its first lead since the second half on another 9-2 streak to lead 32-27 with 2:20 on the clock. Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren, willing Air Force back into a one-possession game, landed back-to-back threes to bring the Falcons back to a 34-33 deficit. Capping the quarter, a Smith steal and layup on the fast break bought the Falcons another lead heading into the fourth.

Starting the final quarter, junior Emily Adams was able to put up a pair of consecutive scores to push Air Force out to a 39-34 lead; Smith and sophomore Alexis Cortez added to the tally, both creating points off of steals to give the Falcons a 43-37 lead – its largest of the game. A Jo Huntimer three-pointer with just under three minutes to go kept the Falcons out at a six-point advantage, but Hardy responded on the opposite end with a three of her own, followed by a fortuitous bounce off the front of the rim on a Fiona Hastick three with :52 remaining in regulation tied the contest at 49-all, forcing overtime.

In OT, Perry landed a jumper from the elbow to get the Falcons out to an early advantage, but a Soleil Montrose jumper and 6-8 showing from the free throw line in overtime proved the downfall of the Falcons, going down 57-51.

Air Force led the game in time of possession (25:16), points in the paint (32) and fast break points (6).
Up Next:
Air Force Women's Basketball returns to Clune Arena for a two-game home stand, hosting UCCS on Tuesday, Nov.19 and UC San Diego on Friday the 15^th.

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