Saturday, December 7
USAFA, Colo.
1:00 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Seattle
Falcon Women’s Basketball Aims To Extend Early Successes Hosting Seattle U
12/6/2024 3:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Air Force Women's Basketball resumes non-conference action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Seattle U at 1 p.m. MT in defense of a perfect home record and 9-1 start.
Follow Along:
Saturday's game will be live streamed on the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will carry the radio broadcast with Ryan Kaufman on the call; Links to live stats/scoring can be located via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 17.8 and 15.8 points, ranking fourth and sixth against the Mountain West, respectively. 33.6 combined points per game for Perry/Smith currently stands as the highest scoring duo in the league. Smith, sporting 27 steals on the season, ranks 12th nationally in the category.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 8.1 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 8.0 (4.3 OFF/G, 3.7 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 nine games to date and in three of the last four.
4.3 offensive boards per game currently ranks 16th in the nation.
As a team, the Falcons' scoring offense (69.22) currently ranks fifth among the Mountain West, while sporting a scoring margin of +12.1 (third in the MW). The Falcons top the Mountain West in turnover margin (7.67, 24th nationally), turnovers forced per game (23.0, 25th nationally) and steals per game (13.0, 20th nationally), while also sporting the second-best scoring defense in the league (57.11).
An Historic Start:
At 8-1, Air Force is off to its best nine-game record since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1. The Falcons are to 5-0 in Clune Arena for the first time since 1985-86, wen Air Force started at home with seven-straight wins.
1,000 Point Watch:
Sporting 901 and 922 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 (35), while currently sporting the second-best assist average in the Mountain West (3.89). 306 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 Milwaukee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Current Trends:
In all eight wins to start the season, Air Force has:
- Held opponents to less than 70 points (27 consecutive);
- Forced more turnovers than opponents (13 consecutive);
- Led in the game with five minutes to go (55 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated...
- In Clune Arena (5-0);
- When leading at the end of the first quarter (3-0);
- When leading at halftime in Clune (4-0);
- When scoring 70 or more points (5-0);
- In games with a scoring margin of 10 or more points (5-0);
- When getting up 15 or more free throw attempts (6-0);
- Forcing home opponents into more turnovers (5-0);
- When creating more steals at home (5-0);
- When creating more points off turnovers at home (5-0);
- When bench points are higher (4-0);
- Outshooting opponents at home (3-0);
- Shooting 50 percent or better from the field (2-0);
- In games before 6 p.m. (4-0);
- When second-chance points are greater (6-0);
- When bench points are greater (4-0);
- When landing more three-pointers (6-0).
The Magic Number...
Air Force has won 27 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 nine games this season and 13 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 Iincluding overtime games, Air Force has won 55 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 seven of its first nine 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:
Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between Seattle and Air Force.
Last Time Out:
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.
Follow Along:
Saturday's game will be live streamed on the Mountain West Network free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will carry the radio broadcast with Ryan Kaufman on the call; Links to live stats/scoring can be located via the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 17.8 and 15.8 points, ranking fourth and sixth against the Mountain West, respectively. 33.6 combined points per game for Perry/Smith currently stands as the highest scoring duo in the league. Smith, sporting 27 steals on the season, ranks 12th nationally in the category.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 8.1 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 8.0 (4.3 OFF/G, 3.7 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 nine games to date and in three of the last four.
4.3 offensive boards per game currently ranks 16th in the nation.
As a team, the Falcons' scoring offense (69.22) currently ranks fifth among the Mountain West, while sporting a scoring margin of +12.1 (third in the MW). The Falcons top the Mountain West in turnover margin (7.67, 24th nationally), turnovers forced per game (23.0, 25th nationally) and steals per game (13.0, 20th nationally), while also sporting the second-best scoring defense in the league (57.11).
An Historic Start:
At 8-1, Air Force is off to its best nine-game record since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1. The Falcons are to 5-0 in Clune Arena for the first time since 1985-86, wen Air Force started at home with seven-straight wins.
1,000 Point Watch:
Sporting 901 and 922 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 (35), while currently sporting the second-best assist average in the Mountain West (3.89). 306 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 Milwaukee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Current Trends:
In all eight wins to start the season, Air Force has:
- Held opponents to less than 70 points (27 consecutive);
- Forced more turnovers than opponents (13 consecutive);
- Led in the game with five minutes to go (55 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated...
- In Clune Arena (5-0);
- When leading at the end of the first quarter (3-0);
- When leading at halftime in Clune (4-0);
- When scoring 70 or more points (5-0);
- In games with a scoring margin of 10 or more points (5-0);
- When getting up 15 or more free throw attempts (6-0);
- Forcing home opponents into more turnovers (5-0);
- When creating more steals at home (5-0);
- When creating more points off turnovers at home (5-0);
- When bench points are higher (4-0);
- Outshooting opponents at home (3-0);
- Shooting 50 percent or better from the field (2-0);
- In games before 6 p.m. (4-0);
- When second-chance points are greater (6-0);
- When bench points are greater (4-0);
- When landing more three-pointers (6-0).
The Magic Number...
Air Force has won 27 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 nine games this season and 13 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 Iincluding overtime games, Air Force has won 55 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 seven of its first nine 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:
Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between Seattle and Air Force.
Last Time Out:
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.
Players Mentioned
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