Wednesday, February 5
USAFA, Colo.
6:30 PM MT
Air Force Academy
vs
San Jose State
Women’s Basketball Seeks Third-Straight Win Hosting San Jose State
2/4/2025 4:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
At the halfway mark through Mountain West play, Air Force Women's Basketball finds itself in the race for a bye in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Championships. The Falcons look to capitalize on their recent momentum, as Air Force hosts San Jose State on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Clune Arena.
Follow Along:
Wednesday night versus San Jose State will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and available for viewership free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will be broadcasting live from Clune Arena with Ryan Kaufman on the courtside call; Live stats/scoring will be provided via StatBroadcast; Links to each can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
The Series:
The Spartans lead Air Force in the all-time series, 11-15, dating back to their first meeting in 1997. Air Force is 6-3 in the last 10 meetings and is 5-6 in Clune Arena but are winners of three-straight and four of the last five at home.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 16.2 and 13.9 points per game. 30.1 combined points per game, respectively.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 7.8 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 7.2 (3.9 OFF/G, 3.4 DEF/G). McNabb's 3.9 offensive rebounds per game currently ranks 25th nationally and is second in the Mountain West.
Senior point guard Jo Huntimer's 4.4 assists per game and 2.91 assist/turnover ratio (12th in the nation) both rank second in the Mountain West.
Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren, through the Falcons' last four games, has averaged .500 both from the field (16-32) and from three-point range (12-24).
Defensively, the Falcons top the Mountain West in turnovers forced per game (21.64, 21st nationally), turnover margin (+6.55, 23rd nationally) and steals per game (11.5, 23rd nationally). Madison Smith, sporting 55 steals on the season, leads the Mountain West. Three of Air Force's starting five (Smith, Huntimer, McNabb) rank top eight in steals against the Mountain West with no other program in the league sporting more than one.
In Mountain West games, Huntimer's 2.5 steals per game leads the league, while McNabb's 1.5 blocks per game ranks fifth among conference competitors.
A Historic Start:
Air Force opened Mountain West play in 2024-25 at 10-2, marking its first ever 10-win non-conference in Air Force's Division I history and the first such occurrence since the 1991-92 season. Starting 9-1 on the year with just an overtime loss at Army (Nov. 15), Air Force got off to its best ten-game start since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1. The Falcons opened 6-0 in Clune Arena for the first time since 1985-86, when Air Force started at home with seven-straight wins.
A Cool Grand:
Combining for 53 points at San Jose State (Jan. 11), Smith and Perry both eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for their respective careers, becoming the 19th and 20th players to do so in Air Force history, and the fourth-such duo to collectively claim the honor in the same season.
Service Before Self:
Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (96), while currently sporting the second-best assist average in the Mountain West (4.4). 367 career assists currently ranks second in Air Force DI history and sixth all-time (Briana Autrey-Thompson, 2018-22) - a spot in the record books secured in the Falcons' win over Milwaukee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Winning Trends:
Air Force has:
- Held 12 of 13 opponents to less than 70 points (16 consecutive win streak snapped in win at CSU on Feb. 1);
- Forced more turnovers than 12 of 13 opponents (17 consecutive win streak snapped at CSU on Feb. 1);
- Scored more points off of turnovers than opponents in all 13 wins this season;
- Led in the game with five minutes to go in all 13 wins this season (60 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated When...
- Matching or surpassing opponents in rebounds (6-0, eight straight wins);
- Leading home opponents at halftime (6-0);
- Scoring 70 or more in Clune (6-0);
Out-shooting home opponents from the field (4-0) and from three-point range (5-0).
Rebounding is Key:
Air Force is 6-0 this season in games in which they match or beat opponents in rebounding and have won eight straight such games dating back to the Falcons' win at Utah State last season (Feb. 10, 2024).
Completing the Mission:
Since Dec. 21, 2021, Air Force has only lost two games after holding a lead with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Both losses took place in overtime, falling that day in double overtime at UTEP, and dropping a 57-51 contest to Army at West Point on Nov. 15 of this season.
Not including overtime games, Air Force has won 60 consecutive contests ending in regulation after holding a lead at the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter.
An Even Dozen:
Air Force has at least 12 steals in 13 of 22 games in 2024-25. The Falcons' streak of six-straight contests with 12 or more takeaways to open 2024-25 was the longest active streak in Division I at the time.
Last Time Out:
In perhaps its biggest win of the 2024-25 season, Air Force Women's Basketball picked up a 75-71 victory on Saturday afternoon over Colorado State in Moby Arena.
The Falcons (13-9, 3-7 MW), after juggling the lead with CSU (15- 7, 6-3 MW) throughout the first half of Saturday's contest, took an early second-half lead and held on the rest of the way. Air Force landed a season high 11 three-pointers in the contest, finishing 57.9 percent from beyond the arc and 47.1 percent from the field to secure the win over second-place CSU.
Three Falcons closed the day in double-digits; Junior Milahnie Perry led Air Force scoring, posting 23 points (9-16 FG, 5-6 FT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL); Senior Madison Smith logged 18 (6-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 2-4 FT, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL); Senior Jo Huntimer tied a career best, scoring 16 points on a career-high 5-7 showing from three-point range; the Falcons' point guard also closed with 12 rebounds – also a career mark – and five assists.
In the first quarter, Perry and combined for 14 points, as Air Force traded early baskets with CSU on the way to an early 20-19 advantage over CSU. Smith and CSU's lead Emma Ronsiek (27 pts) traded buckets early on. Smith went 3-4 from range in the first quarter and Perry, driving the CSU basket in the closing minutes of the frame cut off a late Ram run to keep its early lead. .
At the open of the second quarter, Colorado State got out to a 9-2 scoring advantage to reclaim the lead, but Huntimer's second three fell and a quick five points from sophomore Jordyn Devaughn gave the Falcons back their lead. A Falcon 7-0 run to close the first half was cut off by a pair of Ronsiek free throws, but Air Force managed to retain a 35-32 lead heading into halftime. The Falcons closed the opening half 3-4 from three-point range for the quarter and a blistering 7-9 for the half.
Huntimer, 3-3 from beyond the arc for the first half, hit her fourth in the opening seconds of the third quarter to push the Falcons out to a 38-34 advantage. From that point, the Falcon defense managed to hold CSU to 3-12 (.250) shooting and 1-5 (.200) from three and without a basket for a five minute stretch. Despite the low scoring output, the Rams managed to keep Air Force within reach, putting up a perfect 10-10 from the stripe to keep their deficit within single digits. Heading into the final quarter, the Falcons led 55-49.
Down the final minutes of the fourth quarter, a 6-0 CSU run allowed the Rams to climb back into a one-possession affair with 2:36 to go; but a backdoor layup from Perry at the 2:21 mark left CSU down 69-65 to put the Rams in foul territory.
The Falcons' win marks the program's first win in an opponent 70-point game since defeating Utah State, 78-72, in Logan on Feb. 10 of last season. Saturday's victory over CSU is Air Force's 20th all-time win over the Rams and its fifth win at Moby Arena.
Follow Along:
Wednesday night versus San Jose State will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and available for viewership free of charge; XtraSports AM 1300 will be broadcasting live from Clune Arena with Ryan Kaufman on the courtside call; Live stats/scoring will be provided via StatBroadcast; Links to each can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on goairforcefalcons.com.
The Series:
The Spartans lead Air Force in the all-time series, 11-15, dating back to their first meeting in 1997. Air Force is 6-3 in the last 10 meetings and is 5-6 in Clune Arena but are winners of three-straight and four of the last five at home.
Falcons at a Glance:
Junior Milahnie Perry and senior Madison Smith both lead Falcon scoring, averaging 16.2 and 13.9 points per game. 30.1 combined points per game, respectively.
Sophomore Jayda McNabb, while also averaging 7.8 points per game, leads Air Force in rebounding, averaging 7.2 (3.9 OFF/G, 3.4 DEF/G). McNabb's 3.9 offensive rebounds per game currently ranks 25th nationally and is second in the Mountain West.
Senior point guard Jo Huntimer's 4.4 assists per game and 2.91 assist/turnover ratio (12th in the nation) both rank second in the Mountain West.
Sophomore Keelie O'Hollaren, through the Falcons' last four games, has averaged .500 both from the field (16-32) and from three-point range (12-24).
Defensively, the Falcons top the Mountain West in turnovers forced per game (21.64, 21st nationally), turnover margin (+6.55, 23rd nationally) and steals per game (11.5, 23rd nationally). Madison Smith, sporting 55 steals on the season, leads the Mountain West. Three of Air Force's starting five (Smith, Huntimer, McNabb) rank top eight in steals against the Mountain West with no other program in the league sporting more than one.
In Mountain West games, Huntimer's 2.5 steals per game leads the league, while McNabb's 1.5 blocks per game ranks fifth among conference competitors.
A Historic Start:
Air Force opened Mountain West play in 2024-25 at 10-2, marking its first ever 10-win non-conference in Air Force's Division I history and the first such occurrence since the 1991-92 season. Starting 9-1 on the year with just an overtime loss at Army (Nov. 15), Air Force got off to its best ten-game start since Maj. Danny Fowler's 1982-83 Falcons went 12-1. The Falcons opened 6-0 in Clune Arena for the first time since 1985-86, when Air Force started at home with seven-straight wins.
A Cool Grand:
Combining for 53 points at San Jose State (Jan. 11), Smith and Perry both eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for their respective careers, becoming the 19th and 20th players to do so in Air Force history, and the fourth-such duo to collectively claim the honor in the same season.
Service Before Self:
Jo Huntimer leads Air Force in total assists (96), while currently sporting the second-best assist average in the Mountain West (4.4). 367 career assists currently ranks second in Air Force DI history and sixth all-time (Briana Autrey-Thompson, 2018-22) - a spot in the record books secured in the Falcons' win over Milwaukee on Nov. 28 in Puerto Rico.
Winning Trends:
Air Force has:
- Held 12 of 13 opponents to less than 70 points (16 consecutive win streak snapped in win at CSU on Feb. 1);
- Forced more turnovers than 12 of 13 opponents (17 consecutive win streak snapped at CSU on Feb. 1);
- Scored more points off of turnovers than opponents in all 13 wins this season;
- Led in the game with five minutes to go in all 13 wins this season (60 consecutive wins in regulation).
Air Force is Undefeated When...
- Matching or surpassing opponents in rebounds (6-0, eight straight wins);
- Leading home opponents at halftime (6-0);
- Scoring 70 or more in Clune (6-0);
Out-shooting home opponents from the field (4-0) and from three-point range (5-0).
Rebounding is Key:
Air Force is 6-0 this season in games in which they match or beat opponents in rebounding and have won eight straight such games dating back to the Falcons' win at Utah State last season (Feb. 10, 2024).
Completing the Mission:
Since Dec. 21, 2021, Air Force has only lost two games after holding a lead with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Both losses took place in overtime, falling that day in double overtime at UTEP, and dropping a 57-51 contest to Army at West Point on Nov. 15 of this season.
Not including overtime games, Air Force has won 60 consecutive contests ending in regulation after holding a lead at the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter.
An Even Dozen:
Air Force has at least 12 steals in 13 of 22 games in 2024-25. The Falcons' streak of six-straight contests with 12 or more takeaways to open 2024-25 was the longest active streak in Division I at the time.
Last Time Out:
In perhaps its biggest win of the 2024-25 season, Air Force Women's Basketball picked up a 75-71 victory on Saturday afternoon over Colorado State in Moby Arena.
The Falcons (13-9, 3-7 MW), after juggling the lead with CSU (15- 7, 6-3 MW) throughout the first half of Saturday's contest, took an early second-half lead and held on the rest of the way. Air Force landed a season high 11 three-pointers in the contest, finishing 57.9 percent from beyond the arc and 47.1 percent from the field to secure the win over second-place CSU.
Three Falcons closed the day in double-digits; Junior Milahnie Perry led Air Force scoring, posting 23 points (9-16 FG, 5-6 FT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL); Senior Madison Smith logged 18 (6-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 2-4 FT, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL); Senior Jo Huntimer tied a career best, scoring 16 points on a career-high 5-7 showing from three-point range; the Falcons' point guard also closed with 12 rebounds – also a career mark – and five assists.
In the first quarter, Perry and combined for 14 points, as Air Force traded early baskets with CSU on the way to an early 20-19 advantage over CSU. Smith and CSU's lead Emma Ronsiek (27 pts) traded buckets early on. Smith went 3-4 from range in the first quarter and Perry, driving the CSU basket in the closing minutes of the frame cut off a late Ram run to keep its early lead. .
At the open of the second quarter, Colorado State got out to a 9-2 scoring advantage to reclaim the lead, but Huntimer's second three fell and a quick five points from sophomore Jordyn Devaughn gave the Falcons back their lead. A Falcon 7-0 run to close the first half was cut off by a pair of Ronsiek free throws, but Air Force managed to retain a 35-32 lead heading into halftime. The Falcons closed the opening half 3-4 from three-point range for the quarter and a blistering 7-9 for the half.
Huntimer, 3-3 from beyond the arc for the first half, hit her fourth in the opening seconds of the third quarter to push the Falcons out to a 38-34 advantage. From that point, the Falcon defense managed to hold CSU to 3-12 (.250) shooting and 1-5 (.200) from three and without a basket for a five minute stretch. Despite the low scoring output, the Rams managed to keep Air Force within reach, putting up a perfect 10-10 from the stripe to keep their deficit within single digits. Heading into the final quarter, the Falcons led 55-49.
Down the final minutes of the fourth quarter, a 6-0 CSU run allowed the Rams to climb back into a one-possession affair with 2:36 to go; but a backdoor layup from Perry at the 2:21 mark left CSU down 69-65 to put the Rams in foul territory.
The Falcons' win marks the program's first win in an opponent 70-point game since defeating Utah State, 78-72, in Logan on Feb. 10 of last season. Saturday's victory over CSU is Air Force's 20th all-time win over the Rams and its fifth win at Moby Arena.
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