Women’s basketball heads to Las Vegas for Saturday rematch with UNLV

With five games remaining in Mountain West regular season play, the Air Force women's basketball team heads to Las Vegas to complete its series with league-leading UNLV on Saturday evening at the Lady Rebels' Thomas & Mack Center.

Quick Hits:

	Air Force:	UNLV:
Record:	12-14 (5-8 MW)	21-2 (11-1 MW)
Last Game:	vs. Fresno State (L, 74-68)	vs. Colorado State (W, 67-64)
Next Game:	at San Diego State (Feb. 21)	at Wyoming (Feb. 21)

Coaches' Numbers:

	Air Force:	UNLV:
Head Coach:	Chris Gobrecht	Lindy La Roque
Alma Mater/Year:	USC, 1977	Oklahoma, 2015
Record w/ Program:	81-186 (2015-Current)	78-12 (2021-Current)
	623-659 (1979-Current)	78-12 (2021-Current)

Falcons at a Glance:
Falcon scoring is led by back court duo Milahnie Perry and Madison Smith, both averaging 16.6 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.

In conference games, Air Force ranks second in three-point percentage (.344), third in free throw percentage (.750) and fourth in assists (13.38). The Falcons are 16th in the nation and lead the league in steals per game at 10.69. No other team in the conference currently averages more than 8.32.

MW Offensive Boards Leader:
Freshman Jayda McNabb's 3.8 offensive rebounds per game currently leads the Mountain West across all games and ranks 23rd Division I. At 5'10", McNabb is one of four players in the country shorter than 6'0" currently averaging 3.8 offensive boards or greater.

An Upward Trajectory for the Falcons
Across the board, Air Force's offensive production has increased since the start of Mountain West play in December. The Falcons, closing non-conference play averaging 61.6 points per game and sitting ninth in the league (61.00), currently sit in sixth at 63.85. In field goal percentage, Air Force opened league play shooting .360 from the field (Utah State - last in the category - currently averages .369). The Falcons currently rank sixth from the field, shooting .402. From three-point range, Air Force - who shot what would currently be a league-low .266 from three at the start of conference play - currently sits in second at .352 in the last 13 games.

By Land, Sea, or ....
A trio consisting of McNabb, Keelie O'Hollaren and Perry tops Air Force's three-point production, averaging .378 (14-37), .333 (46- 138) and .367 (33-90), respectively.

Steal Brigade:
Smith and Britt, both leading the Mountain West in steals with 70 and 57 (first and second), respectively, and combining for a current total of 117 in 2023-24, currently combine for the third-most steals by a duo in Division I (West Virginia - 147; DePaul - 135).

Air Force sports three players (Smith, Britt, Perry, McNabb) with top-ten league numbers in steals against Mountain West opponents. No other league program has more than two.

Starting Off Right:
Air Force opened Mountain West play at 2-2 for the third-straight season, all three marking the best starts to conference play since Air Force joined Division I in 1996. A 3-2 start would be the best league mark a Falcon team has earned since 1994-95.

All-Time/Last Time Against UNLV:
Air Force is 5-50 all-time against the Lady Rebels. The Falcons' last win against UNLV took place on Jan. 12, 2013 (81-69) in Clune Arena under former head coach Andrea Williams. Air Force seeks its first-ever win on the road over the Lady Rebels.

In the first game of the 2023-24 series, Air Force fell, 76-64, to No. 25 UNLV. Three Falcons ended the contest in double digits, led by senior Dasha Macmillan's 19, a season best. Macmillan finished the game 7-11 from the field and 3-6 from three-point range. Macmillan's benchmark performance was fueled by a 12-point, 5-6 FG and 2-2 3FG showing in the fourth quarter. Freshman Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 15 points, shooting 7-11 and 3-6 from three, marking the fourth game of her inaugural season to shoot .500 or better from three with three or more attempts. Sophomore Milahnie Perry added ten points to the Falcon total – her fourth-straight game to earn double-digit points for the Falcons – while also giving out six assists, tying the season-high figure in that category.

Air Force is Undefeated Overall When...
-Scoring 70 or more points (7-0);
- Leading with five minutes to go (11-0);
- Shooting better than opponents (7-0).

Air Superiority:
Perry leads the Falcons in total points (432), points per game (16.6), field goal attempts (393), assists (70) and field goals made (161). Perry's 3.77 assist average in Mountain West games is currently the fifth-best mark in the league.

Falling against Nevada on Jan. 7, Perry reset her career best, scoring 30 points on 10-20 FG and 4-5 from three, marking just the fifth 30-point output by a Falcon in the past decade and the second this season.

Defeating San Jose State on the road, 78-56, on Feb. 3, The Falcons were led by Perry's 24 points (9-14 FG, 4-6 3FG). Perry, opening the game with 14 points on a perfect 4-4 from three and 5-5 from the field gave the Falcons' leading scorer more points than the entire San Jose offense through the majority of the first half.

In Air Force's 75-71 win at Nevada (Jan. 10), Perry earned 26 points and led the floor in scoring, going 2-3 from three-point range and 8-10 from the free throw line, marking her third game since Dec. 16 with 26 points or more. Air Force's .625 mark from three against the Wolfpack is the highest percentage posted in a Mountain West game this season.

In the Falcons' preceding home contest against San Diego State on Dec. 3, Perry once again reset her career best, earning 28 in a 71-63 overtime victory over the Aztecs. Perry scored eight in the extra session against the Aztecs, paving the way for the Falcons' win.

Perry's 27 against Weber State (Dec. 16) was the Falcons' highest scoring individual performance since Kamri Heath earned 27 in Air Force's 2022-23 win over Navy (90-50, Nov. 11, 2022). Perry then followed up that performance by earning 28 in an overtime win over San Diego State (Jan. 3).

With 638 career points under her belt, Perry is currently on pace to become Air Force's 19th all-time career 1000-point scorer.

Next-Gen Fighters:
The 2023-24 Falcons roster seven freshmen, the largest class at Air Force since the 2016-17 season and the largest in the Mountain West this season. The newest cadre of cadets under Chris Gobrecht have had an immediate impact in 2023-24:

McNabb, in a loss to Fresno State (Feb. 14), had an extremely efficient evening, contributed ten points, six rebounds, six assists (career high) and five steals (tied career high). Fellow newcomer Alexis Cortez also earned ten points on 4-7 shooting.

O'Hollaren earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors after earning 12 points on 4-5 FG and 3-4 from three at San Jose State (Feb. 3), marking her eighth game of the season to shoot .500 or better from three-point range.

At Nevada (Jan. 10), O'Hollaren earned 18 points behind 6-10 from the field and and a 4-6 showing from three., including an eight-point performance in the first quarter of the game, proving critical to the Falcons' 75-71 win over the Wolfpack.

In Air Force's 71-63 overtime win over San Diego State (Jan. 3), freshman Jordyn Devaughn contributed 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three.

Devaughn led the way in Air Force (7-5, 0-0 MW) scoring, earning a career-high 16 points at Clemson on Dec. 19. Fellow newcomer Keelie O'Hollaren followed up with 14 on 5-12 shooting and 4-8 from three-point range. Air Force finished the game with its second-best three-point percentage to this point of the season, shooting .387 while making a season-best 12 baskets from distance. An even .500 (28-56) from the field also marks a season-high in field goal percentage.

O'Hollaren's 15 points against Weber State (Dec. 16) were complimented by a 3-6 performance from three-point range, paving the way for the Falcons' 70-58 victory behind a season-best eight made threes.

Jayda McNabb earned the first double-double of her collegiate career, going for 13 points and 12 rebounds (team season high) in the Falcons' 61-56 win over UCCS (Dec. 5). Tuesday evening marked McNabb's second outing to score in double digits and her third with ten or more rebounds.

In Air Force's 83-61 win over Army (Nov. 17), O'Hollaren broke loose to the tune of 24 points on 9-18 shooting. With the Falcons beginning to gap Army down the final minutes of the third quarter, O'Hollaren ripped off eight points inside of 60 seconds including a pair of three-pointers on consecutive drives, pushing Air Force out to an 18-point advantage that ultimately could not be made up.

At Houston (Nov. 10), McNabb, in her second career start, earned six points, ten rebounds (game-high) and a block in 33 minutes; O'Hollaren logged seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.

In the Falcons' home-opening win against Denver on Nov. 6, O'Hollaren logged 16 points on 4-6 from three-point range; McNabb, starting in her intercollegiate debut, totaled nine points on the evening and three blocks – one more than any individual Falcon had in 2022-23; Alexis Cortez, in 19 minutes played, logged five points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

All-Time/Division I Single Season Record Tracker:
Milahnie Perry:
432 single season points - Currently fifth in DI history.
441 ties fourth in DI history (Riley Snyder, (2020-21)
448 ties tenth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1987-88, Michelle Johnson, 1979-80)

16.6 season PPG - Currently second in DI history and tied for tenth all time.
17.4 ties first in DI history (LaToya Howell, 2002-03)
16.6 ties ninth all-time (LaToya Howell, 2002-03)

.410 season FG% -
.430 ties tenth in DI history (Dymond James, 2009-10)
.508 ties tenth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1988-89)

Madison Smith:
60 season steals - currently tied for fourth in DI history .
80 ties third in DI history (Courtney Porter, 2017-18)
70 ties tenth all-time (Jo Huntimer, 2022-23).

.824 FT% - eighth in DI history and seventh all-time
.827 ties tenth in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2009-10)
.826 ties tenth all-time (Riley Snyder, 2019-20)

.400 season FG% -
.430 ties tenth in DI history (Dymond James, 2010-11)
.508 ties tenth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1986-87)

Taylor Britt:
57 season steals - currently tied for eighth in DI history.
58 ties seventh in DI history (Emily Conroe, 2019-20)
70 ties tenth all-time (Jo Huntimer, 2022-23).

All-Time/Division I Freshman Record Tracker:
Keelie O'Hollaren:
46 season 3PT - Currently tied for fourth in DI and all-time history.
48 ties third in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2007-08)
48 ties third all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-08)

138 season 3PTA - ranks fifth in DI history and all-time.
140 ties fourth in DI history (Courtney Porter, 2014-15, Raimee Beck, 2007-08)
140 ties fourth all-time (Courtney Porter, 2014-15, Raimee Beck, 2007-08)

Jayda McNabb:
160 season rebounds ranks third in DI history and eighth all-time.
176 ties second in DI history (Haley Jones, 2018-19)
161 ties seventh all-time (Melissa Standley, 1986-87)

47 season steals - Currently ranks fifth in freshman DI history and ties sixth all-time.
49 ties fourth in DI history (Briana Autrey-Thompson, 2018- 19)
50 ties fifth all-time (Jo Huntimer, 2021-22)

14 blocks - Currently ties for sixth in DI history and seventh all-time.
15 ties fifth in DI history (Dee Bennett, 2014-15)
15 ties sixth all-time (Dee Bennett, 2014-15)

41 FTM -
49 ties tenth in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2018-19)
62 ties tenth all-time (Rozalyn Russ, 1998-99)

Service Before Self:
In 2022-23, then-sophomore Jo Huntimer led Air Force in total assists (131), assists per game (4.2) and assist/ turnover ratio (2.30, 25th nationally) - all top-four figures among Mountain West competitors. On the defensive side, Huntimer led the program in total steals (70) and steals per game (2.26). Huntimer logged multiple steals in 21 of the Falcons' 31 games, posting a career-high six against Colorado on Nov. 19 and tying that figure against Boise State (Feb. 17) and New Mexico (Feb. 23).

Jo Huntimer's 264 career assists currently puts her fourth in Air Force's DI history and eighth all-time; 15 more will tie third in DI history and seventh all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-11.).

Cardiac Cadets:
Nine of the Falcons' contests in 2023-24 have fallen to a two-possession-or-less margin, with the most recent being Air Force's 62-56 loss to Nevada at home on Feb. 7.

On Jan. 3 in the Falcons' Mountain West home opener against San Diego State, Air Force stormed back from behind as much as 12 points in the third quarter to a tied game at the end of regulation. An eight-point overtime performance for Milahnie Perry drove a 10-0 Air Force run in the extra session to win 71-63.

At the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, (Nov. 24-26), games against both Hawaii (W, 54-51) and Idaho State (L, 55-52) were both decided by a single possession at the end of regulation.

Air Force's 65-63 win over Denver at Clune Arena (Nov. 6) in the Falcons' home opener fell to a decisive foul drawn by Madison Smith with just 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation to send her to the free throw line. Smith's pair of successful makes proved game-winning.

14 games in 2022-23 were decided by two possessions or less, with six contests falling to a single possession. At Colorado (Nov. 19), the Falcons trailed by two points entering the final minute of regulation before falling by eight, threatening the program's first-ever win against a Power Five opponent. At Northwestern (Dec. 17), Air Force led their Big Ten opponent with 2:30 remaining in regulation before the Wildcats slipped away, winning 64-58. All 31 games in 2022-23 were decided in regulation.

Last Time Out:
The first quarter proved costly on Wednesday night against Fresno State for the Air Force women's basketball team, as the Falcons fell into an early hole against the Bulldogs. Despite Falcon advances in the third and fourth quarters to bring the contest back into a single possession affair, Air Force never found a lead, falling 74-68 in Clune Arena.

Four Falcons scored in double digits, led by sophomore Milahnie Perry scoring a game-high 19 points (9-22 FG). Madison Smith closed with 16 and Alexis Cortez/Jayda McNabbb each contributed ten, with Cortez going 4-7 (.571) from the field and McNabb tacking on six rebounds, six assists (career high) and five steals (ties career high).

The Falcons (12-14, 5-8 MW) found themselves behind early on in the contest, as Fresno State (12-14, 5-8 MW) went up 5-0 in the first 70 seconds and then closed the first quarter on an 11-4 scoring advantage. Air Force, settling into the second quarter, managed to weather a 65 percent shooting first half from the Bulldogs and a 4-4 start from three to keep Fresno within comeback range (the Bulldogs never got beyond a 12-point advantage for the length of the game), trailing 40-29 at half.

Outscoring the Bulldogs 7-2 in the early minutes of the second half behind scoring from Perry, Smith and senior Dasha Macmillan (4 pts, 1 reb) allowed the Falcons to cut Fresno State's lead back to four with five minutes remaining in the quarter. At the under-five media timeout, despite trailing, the Falcons led Fresno State in points off turnovers (10), points in the paint (26), second-chance points (13) and points off of fast breaks (seven). An 8-3 Fresno run to finish the quarter had the Falcons back down 60-48.

A 5-2 Falcon advantage to open the final quarter paired with a 9-2 run starting near the five-minute mark with the Falcons shooting 4-5 down that stretch cut Fresno's lead to a possession with two and a half minutes remaining, before Fresno's Tamiya Strickland landed a well-guarded three-pointer in the right corner to leave Air Force behind 67-61 and leave the Falcons down by two possessions as the game entered foul territory. Fresno State, going 21- 22 from the free throw line and holding perfect until 15 seconds left in regulation, managed to hold the Falcons at bay down the waning seconds.

Women’s basketball heads to Las Vegas for Saturday rematch with UNLV

Players Mentioned

Taylor Britt

Alexis Cortez

Kamri Heath

Jo Huntimer

Dasha Macmillan

Jayda McNabb

Keelie O'Hollaren

Milahnie Perry

Madison Smith

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Women’s basketball heads to Las Vegas for Saturday rematch with UNLV

Players Mentioned

Taylor Britt

Alexis Cortez

Kamri Heath

Jo Huntimer

Dasha Macmillan

Jayda McNabb

Keelie O'Hollaren

Milahnie Perry

Madison Smith

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