Dominant Second Half Lifts Falcons Past Utah State

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – After a tight contest in the opening half against Utah State, Air Force Women's Basketball found its shot in the second to earn a 78-66 win over the Aggies on Wednesday night in Clune Arena.

Five Falcons closed the game in double digits. Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren led Air Force scoring for the second-straight game with 18 points (6-11 FG, 5-9 3FG, $ REB, 1 AST, 1 STL); Junior Milahnie Perry earned 17 (6-13 FG, 2-5 3FG, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL); Senior Madison Smith closed with 14 (4-12 FG, 3-9 3FG, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL); Sophomore Jordyn Devaughn scored a season-high 13 (4-9 FG, 3-5 3FG, 8 REB, 1 AST); Sophomore Jayda McNabb contributed 12. Senior point guard Jo Huntimer posted a career-best 10 assists and seven rebounds, one shy of tying a career mark. Wednesday's contest marks the first time this season Air Force has had five players close in double-digit scoring.

The Falcons got out to an early lead as Perry gave Air Force a 5-0 run to start the game. Shortly thereafter, back-to-back three-pointers in the left corner from Devaughn pushed an early 12-2 lead for the Falcons, but consecutive Air Force turnovers proved the launching point for a 12-2 Utah State run to tie up the contest, 14-14, at the end of the first.

Opening the second quarter, a Perry three and McNabb battle at the Aggie rim on the first pair of Air Force possessions pushed a four-point lead, but Utah State responded to tie back at 19-all. Despite efforts by Air Force to pull ahead, the Aggies bought back a tie three times in the second and eventually claimed the lead, shooting 54 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point territory to close the half. Utah State led by as much as seven points, but a combined nine points for both Perry and O'Hollaren, capped by a quick-release jumper at the buzzer by the sophomore, left Air Force down just 31-30 at halftime.

Air Force reclaimed the lead and never gave it back early in the third, as the Falcons went an even 7-14 shooting, as Smith and O'Hollaren combined 6-8 (.750) from three-point range and 21 points. The Falcons tightened down defensively through that stretch, holding Utah State to 2-17 for the quarter, and forcing the Aggies into a scoreless stretch that lasted over nine minutes of regulation and into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Air Force took off on a 22-0 run extending into the final quarter, to lead by as much as 22 points.

In the fourth, McNabb put up eight points early on, going 3-3 at the Aggie rim and earning a pair of free throws to maintain Air Force's healthy lead; With the game seemingly in hand, Devaughn added seven points of her own to the Falcon tally and punctuating a strong shooting night for the Falcons after converting on a four-point play in the right corner to push a 76-58 lead with two minutes to go.

Up Next:
Air Force Women's Basketball heads to Colorado State to take on the Rams, Saturday at 1 p.m. in CSU's Moby Arena.

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