Women’s basketball aims for sweep over Nevada

Entering the back half of Mountain West play with its sights set on a first-round bye in this season's conference tournament, the Air Force women's basketball team hosts a similarly-situated Nevada Wolfpack on Wednesday evening with a shot at climbing in the Mountain West standings.

Quick Hits:

	Air Force:	Nevada:
Record:	11-12 (4-6 MW)	11-12 (5-5 MW)
Last Game:	at San Jose St. (W, 78-56)	at Wyoming (L, 59-52)
Next Game:	at Utah St. (Feb. 10)	vs. SDSU (Feb. 10)

Coaches' Numbers:

	Air Force:	Nevada:
Head Coach:	Chris Gobrecht	Amanda Levens
Alma Mater/Year:	USC, 1977	Nevada, 2007
Record W/ Program:	80-184 (2015-Current)	100-107 (2017-Current)
Career Record:	622-657 (1979-Current)	142-183 (2008-Current)

Falcons at a Glance:
Falcon scoring is led by back court duo Milahnie Perry and Madison Smith, both averaging 15.6 and 11.3 points per game, respectively.

In conference games, Air Force currently ranks first in three-point percentage (.344) and steals per-game (10.22).

The Falcons lead the Mountain West and rank 11th nationally in steals per game (11.7). Together, both Madison Smith and Taylor Britt tie for first in the Mountain West and 22nd nationally in total steals among Division I competitors with 56. The Falcons also rank second in the Mountain West in turnovers forced per game (19.05) and turnover margin (4.27).

Freshman Jayda McNabb's 3.8 offensive rebounds per game currently leads the Mountain West across all games and ranks 24th 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.

A trio consisting of McNabb, Keelie O'Hollaren and Perry tops Air Force's league-leading three-point production, averaging .389 (14-36), .363 (45-124) and .351 (26-74), respectively.

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

Steal Brigade:
Combining for a current total of 112 steals in 2023-24, Taylor Britt and Madison Smith currently combine for the third-most steals by a duo in Division I (West Virginia - 127; DePaul - 119).

Poised to Make a Run:
Air Force, currently eighth in the Mountain West standings at 4-6, sits one game behind a three-way tie at 5-5 between Colorado State, San Diego State and Nevada, with Boise State just ahead of the log jam at 5-4. Remaining on the schedule for Boise, CSU and the Aztecs are games against top-three current Mountain West teams (UNLV, Wyoming, New Mexico). Five of the Falcons' eight remaining regular-season games are against teams in the bottom five of the Mountain West standings.

What's at Stake:
A win for the Falcons on Wednesday night would potentially leave Air Force with a share of sixth place, and one game back from fifth (top-five teams in the standings receive a bye in the Mountain West Tournament).

A win over Nevada would make three straight Mountain West victories for the Falcons - just the fourth-ever occurrence in program history. All three have taken place under Chris Gobrecht as head coach.

All-Time/Last Time Against Nevada:
Air Force is 10-19 in the all-time series against the Wolfpack, with wins in three of the last four contests.

On Jan. 10, Air Force defeated Nevada 75-71 in Reno to notch its first Mountain West road win of the season. built a sizable lead over the Nevada Wolfpack behind a dominant first-half performance then overcame a Nevada comeback in the second to claim a 75-71 win.

In the contest, the Falcons, who took a lead in opening stages of the game behind a 14-0 run to start and led by as much as 20 points, saw their advantage slowly evaporate into a one-possession game down the final minute of regulation but never relinquished its lead.

Air Force shot a season-best 10-16 (.625) from three-point range, earning its best finishing mark from distance this season while setting the highest single-game team three-point percentage in the league this season (In Mountain West games). Three Falcons – Keelie O'Hollaren (4-6), Jayda McNabb (2-3) and Milahnie Perry (2-3) – Each finished .667 from three with multiple attempts. Both Taylor Britt and Alexis Cortez added a three apiece, both going 1-1.

Air Force is Undefeated Overall When...
-Scoring 70 or more points (6-0);
- Leading with five minutes to go (10-0);
- Shooting better than opponents (7-0);
- Outscoring opponents in the paint (4-0).

Air Force is Undefeated in Clune Arena When...
- Leading opponents at halftime (5-0);
- Attempting 15 or more free throws (5-0);
- Final score margin is nine points or less (3-0);
- Holding opponents to 60 points or less (3-0);
- Playing in games 6 p.m. or later (5-0);
- Allowing opponents more points off turnovers (3-0);
- Out-rebounding opponents (5-0).

Air Superiority:
Perry leads the Falcons in total points (359), points per game (15.6) and field goals (133). Perry's 4.20 assist average in Mountain West games is currently the fourth-best mark in the league.

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

Career Showing for Smith:
At Colorado State (Jan. 17) Madison Smith earned 31 points on 14-20 shooting and 3-6 from three, marking a career-best for the junior and the highest scoring performance for a Falcon since Riley Snyder put up 34 at New Mexico on Feb. 24, 2020. 31 points at CSU is just the fourth 30-point-or-better performance for a Falcon in the past ten years.

14 made shots in a game currently is the highest mark for a player among Mountain West competitors in 2023-24.

Surgical Striker:
O'Hollaren, shooting .363 (45-124) from three-point range this season, currently has a three-pointer in 14-straight games - an active streak which leads the Mountain West.

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:

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 (Jan. 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.

O'Hollaren leads Air Force in three-point percentage (.328) and successful three-point attempts (20); McNabb tops the Falcons in blocks (12) and rebounds per game (6.4).

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:
359 single season points -
386 ties tenth in DI history (Mollie Peters, 1999-00)
448 ties ninth all-time (Melissa Standley, 1987-88, Michelle Johnson, 1979-80)

15.6 season PPG - Currently is third in DI history.
15.8 ties second in DI history (Riley Snyder, 2020-21)
16.6 ties tenth all-time (Jennifer Patrick, 1993-94, Melissa Standley, 1987-88)

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

Madison Smith:
56 season steals - currently tied for ninth in DI history
58 ties fifth in DI history (Emily Conroe, 2019-20)
70 ties tenth all-time (Jo Huntimer, 2022-23).

.864 FT% - sixth in DI history and fifth all-time
.871 ties fifth in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2008-09)
.871 ties fourth all-time (Raimee Beck, 2009-09)

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

Taylor Britt:
56 season steals - currently tied for ninth in DI history
58 ties fifth 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:
45 season 3PT - Currently fifth in DI and all-time history.
46 ties fourth in DI history (Kailin Davis, 2016-17)
46 ties fourth all-time (Kailin Davis, 2016-17)

124 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:
139 season rebounds - Tied for fifth in DI history
141 ties fourth in DI history (Briana Thomas, 2002-03)
154 ties tenth all-time (Emily Conroe, 2017-18)

39 season steals - Currently ties for eighth in freshman DI history.
40 ties seventh in DI history (Raimee Beck, 2007-08)
40 ties tenth all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-08, Becky Bridson, 1995-96)

13 blocks - Currently ties for seventh in DI history and eighth all-time.
14 ties sixth in DI history (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)
14 ties seventh all-time (Cheyenne Wall, 2015-16)

37 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 261 career assists currently puts her fourth in Air Force's DI history and eighth all-time; 17 more will tie third in DI history and seventh all-time (Raimee Beck, 2007-11).

Steepest of Challenges:
Per stats.NCAA.org, Air Force currently ranks No. 89 nationally in toughest schedule, sporting the 24th-ranked toughest schedule among non-Power Five programs and second in the Mountain West to just Wyoming (ranked 63).

Air Force played four non-conference Power Five opponents in 2023-24 (Houston, Colorado, Washington, Clemson), the most in the MW. In the history of the program, the Falcons have never defeated a Power Five opponent.

Last Time Out:
The Air Force women's basketball team got out to a sizable lead early on in its Saturday afternoon contest at San Jose State and never looked back, as the Falcons' full-court press and three-point shooting bought Air Force a twenty-point advantage which held through the entirety of the contest.

The Falcons (11-12, 4-6 MW), shooting a season-best 56 percent from the field and an even 10-20 from three, were led in scoring by sophomore Milahnie Perry's 24 (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.

Freshman Keelie O'Hollaren closed the afternoon with 12 points on 4-5 FG and 3-4 from three, marking her eighth game of the season to shoot .500 or better from three. Senior Dasha Macmillan added ten point to the tally on 4-7 from the field and 2-3 from three.

The Falcons forced San Jose to commit 41 turnovers for the game, marking a season high for Falcon opponents - 17 of which occurred in the first quarter. Air Force had San Jose in check on both ends of the floor in the opening quarter, as the Falcons held their opponent without a shot through the opening five and a half minutes of the game, and scoreless through nearly eight minutes, while going 6-9 from three to lead by 22 points at the end of the first. Air Force's 25-point first quarter was underscored by a buzzer-beating three by Perry – her fourth-straight – to put the Falcons up 25-3 at the first-quarter buzzer. Three points on a single shot for the Spartans is a season low for Falcon opponents in both shot output and single-quarter points.

With the damage done, the Falcons' lead continued to swell through the third quarter, as the Falcons outscored San Jose 19-9, putting Air Force up by 34 at the start of the fourth. In the final quarter, San Jose State outscored the Falcons 27-15 for the quarter and 10-2 in the first three minutes, but ultimately failed to bridge the gap.

Women’s basketball aims for sweep over Nevada

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 aims for sweep over Nevada

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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