Women’s basketball holds on for first-ever program win at Boise State

BOISE, Idaho – Air Force women's basketball claimed its first-ever win in Boise on Saturday afternoon, earning a 67-66 win at ExtraMile Arena off of a go-ahead jumper from Milahnie Perry with 3.5 seconds to go.

The Falcons (15-16, 8-10 MW), having to navigate a furious Boise comeback and significant foul trouble late in Saturday's game, led by as much as 20 points over the Broncos after a 15-29 (.517) first-half shooting performance that saw sophomore Milahnie Perry's eight second-quarter points outscore Boise State. Perry closed the day with a team-high 23 points (8-15 FG, 1-3 3FG, 6-6 FT), followed by 15 for junior Madison Smith.

Air Force got out to a quick 11-2 start behind 5-6 shooting in the first three minutes of the contest and was able to maintain and extend a double-digit lead into halftime. Boise shot 5-15 and just 1-13 in the first and second quarters, relegating Boise to just three points off of free throws down the final seven minutes of the half, while the Falcons ripped off a 9-0 run, outscoring Boise State 14-3 through that frame to go into the locker room with a 36-18 lead.

Facing a grounded Boise State entering the third quarter, the Falcons managed to just to keep their opponent at bay, scoring 23 to Boise's 25. The Broncos, intent on making up their deficit from the free throw line in the second half, shot 13-17 from the stripe in the third, after making just eight trips to the line total in the first half. After being called for just eight fouls in the first half total, the Falcons were drawn into five team fouls in the first four minutes of the second half and 11 for the quarter, allowing the Broncos to begin chipping away at their deficit from the line. With Air Force's lead down to 13 on the final possession of the third quarter, Perry beat the buzzer on a step back three-pointer to give Air Force a 59-43 advantage going into the final quarter.

The Falcons had to weather a 23-8 scoring advantage for Boise in the fourth which had them on the receiving end of a 19-2 run for the Broncos, which resulted in the Falcons' lead evaporating, as Boise's Mya Hansen and Tatum Thompson combined for 19 points and 9-10 from the free throw line in the fourth to give Boise its first lead of the game with just two minutes remaining in regulation.

Perry, drawing a foul off of Thompson on the following possession, was able to reclaim an Air Force lead with 97 seconds to go, but Boise's Mya Hansen took back a 64-63 lead with 19 seconds remaining, driving the paint for an uncontested basket. The Perry/Hansen battle continued down to the final possession, as Perry drew Abby Muse into a shooting foul to reclaim a 65-64 lead, before Hansen was able to drive the Air Force basket for the final time, awarding the Broncos with a 66-65 lead with nine seconds remaining.

Air Force, advancing the ball off their final timeout, in-bounded the ball from Perry to Macmillan on the right wing, who handed it back. Perry, with seconds to go, drove from the top of the arc into heavy Boise traffic as the Bronco post defense converged on her in the paint, made the pull up jumper with 3.5 seconds to go. Boise, advancing to mid-court after its final timeout, in-bounded to Natalie Pasco who floated her attempt from the free throw line, missed her attempt, sealing the Falcons' first-ever win at ExtraMile Arena.

Up Next:
With the regular season completed, Air Force women's basketball awaits results across the Mountain West to determine seeding and opponent in the 2024 Mountain West Basketball Championship, set to begin on Sunday, March 10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Women’s basketball holds on for first-ever program win at Boise State

Next Event

Team Stats

Milahnie Perry

Madison Smith

Keelie O'Hollaren

Jayda McNabb

Players Mentioned

Milahnie Perry

Madison Smith

Footer