Falcons Play First Road Game at Drake on Saturday
    Air Force enters game with 3-1 record

    Michael Lyons leads the Mountain West in scoring at 20.5 ppg
    Michael Lyons leads the Mountain West in scoring at 20.5 ppg

    Dec. 1, 2011

    Game Notes Get Acrobat Reader

    GAME #5
    Air Force Falcons vs. Drake Bulldogs
    Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011
    7 p.m. (CT) at Des Moines, IA
     
    SITE
    Location Des Moines, Iowa
    Arena Knapp Center
    Capacity 7,152
     
    RADIO
    Network Air Force / IMG Sports Network
    Flagship AM 740 KVOR, Colo. Spgs.
    Play-by-Play Jim Arthur
    Analyst Matt Pauley
     
    TELEVISION
    None in the Colorado Springs area. Game will be televised on Mediacom Cable throughout the Midwest.
     
    INTERNET
    Gametracker goairforcefalcons.com
     
    COACHES
    Jeff Reynolds (UNC-Greensboro, 1978)
    Air Force 55-73, Fifth Season
    Overall 137-107, Ninth Season
     
    Mark Phelps (Old Dominion, 1996)
    Drake 48-56, Fourth Season
    Overall Same
     
    ALL-TIME SERIES
    Overall Drake leads 5-0
    at Drake Drake leads 3-0
    First Game Jan. 25, 1964
    Result Drake won 56-54
    Last Game Dec. 12, 1981
    Result Drake won 63-46
    Current Streak Drake - 5
     
    Falcons Play First Road Game at Drake on Saturday
    The Air Force Falcons play their first road game of the 2011-12 campaign in Des Moines, Iowa against the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. (CT). This is one of eight games comprising the 2011-12 Mountain West / Missouri Valley Challenge. The Falcons are 3-1 after a hard-fought 76-73 overtime loss to Colorado at Clune Arena on Nov. 23, while Drake is 4-3 after falling at Boise State, 108-64, on Nov. 30.
     
    Air Force Drops Overtime Game to Colorado
    Air Force suffered its first loss of the season on Nov. 23 with a 76-73 overtime defeat at the hands of the University of Colorado at Clune Arena. Junior guard Michael Lyons did all he could for the Falcons, scoring a career-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. He also pulled down seven rebounds and had a season-high three steals. Todd Fletcher added 13 points and six assists while Mike Fitzgerald had 10 points.
     
    Up Next
    The Falcons return home for the first of a three-game homestand against the Wright State Raiders on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.
     
    Mountain West / Missouri Valley Challenge
    The 2011-12 edition of the MWC/MVC Challenge is the third in a four-year agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conferences. Eight Challenge games will be played this year, and each conference will host a total of 18 games in the four-year period. Illinois State and Southern Illinois will be the Valley teams that do not participate in the 2011-12 Challenge Series. Below is a listing of the 2011-12 MW/MVC Challenge contests:
     
    Date -- Game / Result
    Nov. 30 -- Creighton 85, San Diego State 83
    Dec. 3 -- Air Force at Drake
    Dec. 3 -- Indiana State at Boise State
    Dec. 3 -- Colorado State at Northern Iowa
    Dec. 3 -- Missouri State at New Mexico
    Dec. 3 -- TCU at Evansville
    Dec. 3 -- Bradley at Wyoming
    Dec. 4 -- UNLV at Wichita State
     
    Falcons Win All-Military Classic
    Air Force opened its 2011-12 season Nov. 11-12 with a pair of victories at the First Annual All-Military Classic. The Falcons used a second-half rally to defeat service-academy rival Army, 87-71, in the first round, then downed VMI, 75-65, in the championship game.
    Junior guard Michael Lyons was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 22 points and eight rebounds, while fellow junior Todd Fletcher was named to the all-tournament team after dishing out a career-high seven assists in each game.
    This was the first of a four-year contract for the All-Military Classic, with each school hosting once. Citadel will host in 2012, VMI in ‘13 and Army in ‘14. The tournament will be played each year during Veteran’s Day weekend.
     
    All-Military Classic Results
    Friday, Nov. 11
    Air Force 87, Army 71
    VMI 103, Citadel 100
     
    Saturday, Nov. 12
    Citadel 83, Army 72 (Third Place)
    Air Force 75, VMI 65 (Championship)
     
    Most Valuable Player
    Michael Lyons, Air Force
     
    All-Tournament Team
    Rodney Glasgow, VMI
    Ella Ellis, Army
    Todd Fletcher, Air Force
    Mike Grosselle, Citadel
    Keith Gabriel, VMI
     
    Falcons Picked 5th in MWC
    Air Force was picked fifth in the 2011-12 preseason media poll released at the Mountain West media day in Denver, Colo.
     
    School (First Place Votes) -- Pts.
    1. New Mexico (22) -- 203
    2. UNLV (4) -- 183
    3. San Diego State -- 158
    4. Colorado State -- 119
    5. Air Force -- 78
    6. Wyoming -- 68
    7. TCU -- 64
    8. Boise State -- 63
     
    Still a Great Record at Clune
    Despite their loss to Colorado on Nov. 23, the Falcons have been hard to beat at Clune Arena the last eight seasons. Since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, Air Force has won 98 of its 129 home games, good for a .760 winning percentage. In addition, the Falcons have won 40 of their 64 Mountain West games at Clune during that same stretch (.625 pct).
     
    Air Force Fifth in MW Last Eight
    Air Force is currently ranked fifth among Mountain West teams for the best overall winning percentage since the beginning of the 2003-04 season. AFA’s winning percentage is 57.3 percent. Air Force is one of only four teams in the conference to have at least a .500 record in at least six of the last eight seasons (UNLV (8); New Mexico (7), San Diego State, Air Force (6)).
     
    Top 25 Nationally in Four Categories
    Air Force is ranked in the top 25 nationally in four categories according to the first national statistical summary released on Monday, Nov. 28:
     
    Category -- Stat -- Nat. Rank
    Assists Per Game -- 19.3 -- 8th
    Assist-Turnover Ratio -- 1.51 -- 15th
    Steals Per Game -- 10.0 -- 20th
    Turnover Margin -- 5.8 -- 21st
     
    Broekhuis Picks Up First Career Double-Double
    Junior Taylor Broekhuis played arguably the best game of his career in the championship game of the All-Military Classic on Nov. 12 against VMI. The 6-10 center from Colorado Springs scored 18 points, one shy of his career high, and pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds to post the first double-double of his career. His 12 rebounds were the most by a Falcon in one game since Jacob Burtschi hauled down 12 at Stanford on Nov. 15, 2006.
     
    Lyons First to Score 20 in First Two Since ‘97
    Michael Lyons scored 24 and 20 points in his first two games of the season, becoming the first Falcon to score at least 20 points in each of the first two games of one season since Jarmica Reese in 1997. For his efforts, Lyons was named the All-Military Classic’s MVP and the Mountain West’s Co-Player of the Week. After scoring just seven points in AFA’s 28-point rout over Western State, Lyons scored a career-high 31 points against Colorado, the most points in one game by a Falcon since Jarvis Croff scored 31 against Utah on March 9, 2000.
     
    Most Assists in Over a Decade
    Air Force recorded 25 assists in the season-opener against Army, the most in one game by an AFA team since dishing out 25 against Long Beach State on Nov. 21, 2000. The Falcons added 20 assists the next day against VMI and have an assist on 77 of their 106 field-goals this season.
    Individually, junior Todd Fletcher had a career-high seven assists in each of his first two games and is ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West averaging 5.25 per game, while junior Taylor Broekhuis is seventh in the conference at 3.75 assists per game.
     
    Carter Ties School Record for Steals in First Career Game
    Five freshmen saw action for Air Force during the opening weekend, but none had a better start than Chris Carter. The 6-3 guard from Port St. Lucie, Fla., had nine points, seven rebounds and seven steals in his first career game against Army. His seven steals tied the school record for one game and were the most by a Falcon since Tim Anderson, the 2007-08 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, had seven against San Diego State at the Mountain West Tournament on March 13, 2008.
     
    Williams Sharp From The Field
    Freshman Kamryn Williams has been the team’s best shooter so far this season. Williams, who has played in all four games off the bench, is shooting 78.6 percent (11-14) from the field and a perfect 100% (4-4) from three-point range. He has made all seven of his field-goal attempts, including his four 3-pointers, his last three games.
     
    Falcons Win Ninth Straight Season Opener
    With its 87-71 victory over Army at Clune Arena on Nov. 11, Air Force is now 26-30 all-time
    in season openers. The Falcons are 20-8 at home and 6-22 on the road (including neutral games).
    Air Force has won its last nine season openers and 11 home openers.

     

     

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