Wednesday, February 19
Logan, Utah
11:00 AM MT
Air Force Academy
82
at
77
Utah State
Photo by: Photo by Trevor Cokley
Air Force Earns 82-77 Win in Fast-Paced Contest at Utah State
2/19/2025 3:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOGAN, Utah – Air Force Women's Basketball went four quarters with Utah State on Wednesday morning, escaping Logan with an 82-77 win over the Aggies.
In a white-knuckle affair at the Aggies' Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Air Force (15-11, 5-9 MW) traded 15 lead changes with Utah State and tried to pull away from the Aggies on multiple occasions before finding its way to a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter and holding on the remainder of the way.
Senior Madison Smith led all scoring for the game, earning a season-high 29 points (10-18 FG, 4-9 3FG, 5-6 FT, 4 AST) and 10 rebounds to notch her first double-double of the 2024-25 season. 29 points comes two short of matching a career high, earned at Colorado State last season.
Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren, starting in her seventh game this season, earned a season-best 23 points (7-15 FG, 5-10 3FG, 4-4 FT, 3 REB), including a critical 16-point showing in the second half.
Though scoreless for the game, senior point guard Jo Huntimer finished with a game-high nine assists, creating 23 Air Force points on the game.
A slow shooting start for the Falcons allowed Utah State to gain an early 11-2 advantage on the scoreboard. Smith landed the Falcons' first five points and an Air Force timeout set the Falcons straight, as an 11-4 scoring brought the Falcons back within a basket at 15-13. At the two-minute mark, Smith's second three-pointer of the game gave Air Force its first lead and Devaughn, carving a path to the Aggie basket, pushed an 18-15 lead. Smith's dominant 12-point first quarter on 5-10 shooting got the Falcons out to a 20-17 lead at the end of the period.
At the start of the second quarter, a 10-0 Utah State run in the first three minutes including a pair of three-pointers for Aggie Cheyenne Stubbs (20 PTS) put the Aggies back up 27-20.
Air Force responded with a 9-0 streak of its own, including ack-to-back buckets for sophomore Jayda McNabb and capped off by another open-look three-pointer for Smith to get the Falcons back in front. Both teams exchanged leads four times down the remainder of the half before Air Force managed a five-point lead off an O'Hollaren three from the right corner with nine seconds remaining, but Stubbs answered at the buzzer, banking a three-pointer of her own in to leave the Falcons with just a 44-42 lead at half.
In the third quarter, the Falcons held onto a tenuous lead up through the under-five media timeout. From there, Utah State dialed up its full-court press, forcing the Falcons into turnovers on six of seven possessions from the 4:40 mark on, tying the Falcons and eventually claiming a 54-53 lead after an 8-0 run and a two-minute scoring drought. The Falcons were pulled from their slump from an O'Hollaren three-pointer, and another with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter gave Air Force a 64-63 lead to enter the final quarter .
Air Force led by as much as 10 in the fourth quarter but Utah State managed to cut their deficit down to a single basket in the final minute. Forced turnover and a jump ball earned by Alexis Cortez stalled the Aggies on consecutive drives, effectively extending the game into foul territory for Utah State. Stubbs, inside of 30 seconds, drew an and-one shooting foul off of Smith. Making her first and intentionally missing the second, Aggie Taliyah Longwood got the tip-in to finish a four-point play and stay within two baskets. O'Hollaren, fouled on the resulting possession, made both free throws to effectively ice the game.
Up Next:
Air Force Women's Basketball remains on the road, taking on Fresno State at the Save Mart Center in Fresno on Saturday, Feb. 22.
In a white-knuckle affair at the Aggies' Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Air Force (15-11, 5-9 MW) traded 15 lead changes with Utah State and tried to pull away from the Aggies on multiple occasions before finding its way to a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter and holding on the remainder of the way.
Senior Madison Smith led all scoring for the game, earning a season-high 29 points (10-18 FG, 4-9 3FG, 5-6 FT, 4 AST) and 10 rebounds to notch her first double-double of the 2024-25 season. 29 points comes two short of matching a career high, earned at Colorado State last season.
Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren, starting in her seventh game this season, earned a season-best 23 points (7-15 FG, 5-10 3FG, 4-4 FT, 3 REB), including a critical 16-point showing in the second half.
Though scoreless for the game, senior point guard Jo Huntimer finished with a game-high nine assists, creating 23 Air Force points on the game.
A slow shooting start for the Falcons allowed Utah State to gain an early 11-2 advantage on the scoreboard. Smith landed the Falcons' first five points and an Air Force timeout set the Falcons straight, as an 11-4 scoring brought the Falcons back within a basket at 15-13. At the two-minute mark, Smith's second three-pointer of the game gave Air Force its first lead and Devaughn, carving a path to the Aggie basket, pushed an 18-15 lead. Smith's dominant 12-point first quarter on 5-10 shooting got the Falcons out to a 20-17 lead at the end of the period.
At the start of the second quarter, a 10-0 Utah State run in the first three minutes including a pair of three-pointers for Aggie Cheyenne Stubbs (20 PTS) put the Aggies back up 27-20.
Air Force responded with a 9-0 streak of its own, including ack-to-back buckets for sophomore Jayda McNabb and capped off by another open-look three-pointer for Smith to get the Falcons back in front. Both teams exchanged leads four times down the remainder of the half before Air Force managed a five-point lead off an O'Hollaren three from the right corner with nine seconds remaining, but Stubbs answered at the buzzer, banking a three-pointer of her own in to leave the Falcons with just a 44-42 lead at half.
In the third quarter, the Falcons held onto a tenuous lead up through the under-five media timeout. From there, Utah State dialed up its full-court press, forcing the Falcons into turnovers on six of seven possessions from the 4:40 mark on, tying the Falcons and eventually claiming a 54-53 lead after an 8-0 run and a two-minute scoring drought. The Falcons were pulled from their slump from an O'Hollaren three-pointer, and another with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter gave Air Force a 64-63 lead to enter the final quarter .
Air Force led by as much as 10 in the fourth quarter but Utah State managed to cut their deficit down to a single basket in the final minute. Forced turnover and a jump ball earned by Alexis Cortez stalled the Aggies on consecutive drives, effectively extending the game into foul territory for Utah State. Stubbs, inside of 30 seconds, drew an and-one shooting foul off of Smith. Making her first and intentionally missing the second, Aggie Taliyah Longwood got the tip-in to finish a four-point play and stay within two baskets. O'Hollaren, fouled on the resulting possession, made both free throws to effectively ice the game.
Up Next:
Air Force Women's Basketball remains on the road, taking on Fresno State at the Save Mart Center in Fresno on Saturday, Feb. 22.
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