Women’s Basketball Returns to Clune to Open Home Stand Against Utah Valley
12/3/2024 3:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Air Force Women's Basketball returns to Clune Arena on Wednesday night, hosting Utah Valley at 6:30 p.m. MT in defense of a 7-1 record and undefeated home streak to start 2024-25.
Follow Along:
Wednesday's contest will be available for live streaming through the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will carry the radio broadcast with Ryan Kaufman on the call; Live scoring can be found via the women's basketball schedule page at goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 17.3 and 16.4 points, ranking fourth and sixth against the Mountain West, respectively. 33.7 combined points per game for Perry/Smith currently stands as the highest scoring duo in the league.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 8.0 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 8.6 (4.6 OFF/G, 4.0 DEF/G), the fourth-highest mark in the Mountain West. McNabb was one of 13 players across Division I to log a double-double in the opening week of competition, earning 16 points and 10 boards in Air Force's 73-66 win over South Dakota (Nov. 8). Since then, she has added another (17 PTS, 10 REB vs. UCCS, Nov. 19) and has recorded double-digit rebounds in five of Air Force's eight games to date and three-straight.
As a team, the Falcons' scoring offense (68.38) currently ranks fifth among the Mountain West, while sporting a scoring margin of +11.38 (fourth in the MW). The Falcons top the Mountain West in turnover margin (8.25, 17th nationally), turnovers forced per game (22.5, 29th nationally) and are second in steals per game (12.10, 28th nationally).
An Historic Start:
A 7-1 start for Air Force marks the best start to a season in the program's Division I history, and best start since 1987-88, when Air Force last went 7-1 to start. 8-1 would prove Air Force's best nine-game record since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1.
1,000 Point Watch:
Sporting 879 and 911 points for their respective careers, Perry and Smith are both on track to become Air Force's 19th and 20th 1,000-point career scorers, and the first two since Riley Snyder capped a 1,614-point career from 2018-22.
If both Perry and Smith cap 1,000 points in the 2024-25 season, they will be the fourth such pair to do so in the same season in program history.
Service Before Self:
Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (28), while currently sporting the sixth-best assist average in the Mountain West (3.50). 299 career assists currently ranks second in Air Force DI history and seventh all-time (Briana Autrey-Thompson, 2018-22), a record secured in the Falcons' win over Milwakuee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Current Trends:
In all seven wins to start the season, Air Force has:
- Held opponents to less than 70 points;
- Forced more turnovers than opponents (12 consecutive);
- Led in the game with five minutes to go (54 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated...
- In Clune Arena (4-0);
- When scoring 70 or more points (4-0);
- In games with a scoring margin of 10 or more points (4-0);
- When getting up 15 or more free throw attempts (5-0);
- In games before 6 p.m. (3-0);
- When second-chance points are greater (6-0);
- When bench points are greater (4-0);
- When landing more three-pointers (5-0).
The Magic Number...
Air Force has won 26 consecutive games in which they have scored 70 or more points, a streak which extends back to Dec. 29, 2022.
The Falcons have held opponents to 70 points or less in all eight games this season and 12 straight,
Completing the Mission:
Since Dec. 21, 2021, Air Force has only lost two games after holding a lead with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Both losses took place in overtime, falling that day in 2OT to UTEP, and dropping a 57-51 contest to Army at West Point on Nov. 15 of this season.
Not including overtime games, Air Force has won 54 consecutive contests ending in regulation after holding a lead at the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter.
Restricted Airspace:
Air Force has at least 12 steals in six of its first eight games to start the season. The Falcons' streak of six-straight games with 12 or more steals to open 2024-25 was the longest active streak in Division I at the time.
The Series:
Air Force is 2-4 in the program series against Utah Valley, both wins taking place in 2005 (97-70) and 2017 (59-56).
Follow Along:
Wednesday's contest will be available for live streaming through the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will carry the radio broadcast with Ryan Kaufman on the call; Live scoring can be found via the women's basketball schedule page at goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 17.3 and 16.4 points, ranking fourth and sixth against the Mountain West, respectively. 33.7 combined points per game for Perry/Smith currently stands as the highest scoring duo in the league.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 8.0 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 8.6 (4.6 OFF/G, 4.0 DEF/G), the fourth-highest mark in the Mountain West. McNabb was one of 13 players across Division I to log a double-double in the opening week of competition, earning 16 points and 10 boards in Air Force's 73-66 win over South Dakota (Nov. 8). Since then, she has added another (17 PTS, 10 REB vs. UCCS, Nov. 19) and has recorded double-digit rebounds in five of Air Force's eight games to date and three-straight.
As a team, the Falcons' scoring offense (68.38) currently ranks fifth among the Mountain West, while sporting a scoring margin of +11.38 (fourth in the MW). The Falcons top the Mountain West in turnover margin (8.25, 17th nationally), turnovers forced per game (22.5, 29th nationally) and are second in steals per game (12.10, 28th nationally).
An Historic Start:
A 7-1 start for Air Force marks the best start to a season in the program's Division I history, and best start since 1987-88, when Air Force last went 7-1 to start. 8-1 would prove Air Force's best nine-game record since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1.
1,000 Point Watch:
Sporting 879 and 911 points for their respective careers, Perry and Smith are both on track to become Air Force's 19th and 20th 1,000-point career scorers, and the first two since Riley Snyder capped a 1,614-point career from 2018-22.
If both Perry and Smith cap 1,000 points in the 2024-25 season, they will be the fourth such pair to do so in the same season in program history.
Service Before Self:
Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (28), while currently sporting the sixth-best assist average in the Mountain West (3.50). 299 career assists currently ranks second in Air Force DI history and seventh all-time (Briana Autrey-Thompson, 2018-22), a record secured in the Falcons' win over Milwakuee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Current Trends:
In all seven wins to start the season, Air Force has:
- Held opponents to less than 70 points;
- Forced more turnovers than opponents (12 consecutive);
- Led in the game with five minutes to go (54 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated...
- In Clune Arena (4-0);
- When scoring 70 or more points (4-0);
- In games with a scoring margin of 10 or more points (4-0);
- When getting up 15 or more free throw attempts (5-0);
- In games before 6 p.m. (3-0);
- When second-chance points are greater (6-0);
- When bench points are greater (4-0);
- When landing more three-pointers (5-0).
The Magic Number...
Air Force has won 26 consecutive games in which they have scored 70 or more points, a streak which extends back to Dec. 29, 2022.
The Falcons have held opponents to 70 points or less in all eight games this season and 12 straight,
Completing the Mission:
Since Dec. 21, 2021, Air Force has only lost two games after holding a lead with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Both losses took place in overtime, falling that day in 2OT to UTEP, and dropping a 57-51 contest to Army at West Point on Nov. 15 of this season.
Not including overtime games, Air Force has won 54 consecutive contests ending in regulation after holding a lead at the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter.
Restricted Airspace:
Air Force has at least 12 steals in six of its first eight games to start the season. The Falcons' streak of six-straight games with 12 or more steals to open 2024-25 was the longest active streak in Division I at the time.
The Series:
Air Force is 2-4 in the program series against Utah Valley, both wins taking place in 2005 (97-70) and 2017 (59-56).
Players Mentioned
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