Women’s Basketball Starts Hot, Holds Utah Valley at Bay as Falcons Improve to 8-1

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force women's basketball team's historic 2024-25 start continues as the Falcons improved to 8-1, downing Utah Valley, 76-58, on Wednesday night in Clune Arena.

At 8-1, Air Force is off to its best nine-game start since the 1982-83 Falcons started 12-1. The Falcons improve to 5-0 in Clune Arena, representing the first such occurrence for Air Force since 85-86.

Junior Milahnie Perry led all scoring on the floor with 22 points (9-16 FG, 3-5 3FG, 4 REB); Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren added 13 points on 3-6 showing from three-point range; Senior Madison Smith added 11 points; Sophomore Jayda McNabb put up nine points and was plus-28 on the floor in 24 minutes of play time; Freshman Emma Lytle, in a nine-minute stretch early in the contest, earned a career high six points off of back-to-back three-pointers; Senior guard Jo Huntimer earned a team season high seven assists and five steals to earn a plus-13 efficiency for the night.

As a team, Air Force shot 42 percent from three and 52 percent from the field, both season bests.

From the jump, the Falcons set the tone in Wednesday's contest, opening on a 10-0 run in the first three minutes of the game – A lead which Air Force maintained for the majority of the game. Smith opened 3-3 from the field with a Huntimer three-pointer to compliment forced Utah Valley timeout just three minutes in. Lytle pitched her six points to push Air Force out to as much as a 14-point advantage in the opening quarter. On the final possession of the first quarter, a disrupted pass for Wolverine Halle Nelson turned into a Smith steal and fast-break and-one for sophomore Jordyn Devaughn, putting the Falcons up 19-8 at the end of the first.

Air Force continued to capitalize on Utah Valley turnovers in the second quarter, as the off-rhythm Wolverines committed four in as many minutes, turning into Perry's first pair of makes and an 8-2 Falcon run between her and McNabb. UVU found its footing midway through the quarter, getting a 6-0 run in the paint to once again get back within single digits, but the shots stopped falling again for Utah Valley and the Falcons continued to roll. Junior Emily Adams and Perry combined for a 6-0 run of their own, including a Perry jumper as time expired to cap a 10-point showing for the Falcons' leading scorer and give Air Force a 35-19 lead heading into halftime.

The Falcons' lead ballooned to as much as 21 points in the third quarter, but Utah Valley managed to cut Air Force's deficit all the way down to eight points, outscoring the Falcons 26-18 for the quarter and 19-6 in the final four minutes of the quarter after scoring eight in the final minute; But five points for Perry ignited a 12-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to put Air Force back up by 18, essentially putting the game out of reach.

Up Next:
Air Force hosts Seattle U on Saturday, Nov. 7 and 1 p.m. MT in the Falcons' non-conference home finale.

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