Air Force Holds on Against Utah State, Advancing to MW Quarterfinals

LAS VEGAS – Air Force Women's Basketball advanced in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday evening, taking down No. 10 Utah State, 66-59, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Junior Milahnie Perry finished the evening scoring a game-high 22 points (8-18 FG). Senior All-Mountain West honoree Madison Smith closed the evening with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double, earning her second of the 2024-25 season while matching a career best in boards. Sophomore Jayda McNabb finished the night adding a double-double of her own, scoring a season-best 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Air Force led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter behind a game-leading seven points for McNabb. The sophomore put up five points on back-to-back possessions to open the game, then found the Aggie basket a third time off a downhill play set up by a Keelie O'Hollaren steal.

At 3:00, Smith pulled up from six feet beyond the left wing to give the Falcons a 10-4 lead and break up an early three-minute scoring drought. Devaughn, eyeing an open lane on the Falcons' final possession, was able to draw a whistle over Aggie Jamisyn Heaton, sinking a pair of free throws to give the Falcons a seven-point advantage after one.

Senior Jo Huntimer sunk a three out on the left wing to open the second quarter, getting the Falcons out to a 10-point advantage and spark a 7-0 Air Force run in the opening two minutes to lift the Falcons to a 23-9 advantage. From there Utah State bit back, outscoring 17-9 the rest of the way, cutting the Falcons' lead to 32-26 at halftime.

The Falcons expanded their lead to 52-39 to close out the third quarter. Air Force opened the second half on a 7-0 run to push a 13-point lead, but the Aggies answered, outscoring the Falcons 9-3 down the following four minutes of game time. The Falcons closed the half on another 7-2 streak, busting up Utah State's press to inflate the Falcons' lead back to 13.

Utah State, with its season on the brink, outscored Air Force 20-16 in the fourth quarter behind a 10-point showing for Aggie Cheyenne Stubbs, including a pair of impactful three-pointers Utah State pulled back within a bucket off a three from Carlie Latta, but down 62-59 with 20 seconds remaining, Utah State was forced to send Air Force to the line where they put the game away to advance.

With 18 wins on the season, Head Coach Stacy McIntyre's Falcons earn her the most wins in a head coach's inaugural season in the program's history.

Up Next:
No. 7 Air Force moves on to the quarterfinal round to face No. 2 Wyoming in a Game Six quarterfinal against the Cowgirls at 6 p.m. MT.

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