Air Force Academy

Jan. 9, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - The Air Force women's basketball team lost to Colorado State, 74-68, Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena. The loss dropped the Falcons to 3-12, 0-2 on the season and lifted the Rams to 9-6, 1-1.

Despite shooting 66.7 percent from three-point range and 53.3 percent from the field, the Falcons could not get past Colorado State. Air Force also out-rebounded Colorado State 36-22.

The Rams were able to win the game by taking advantage of 25 Air Force turnovers, which led to 29 points. The game was also plagued by 43 combined fouls, which led to 50 free throw shots. Colorado State was 22-of-30 from the line and Air Force went 12-of-20.

Four Rams reached double-figures in scoring. Kim Mestdagh scored 20 points, Chatilla van Grinsven scored 17, Bonnie Barbee 11 and Meghan Heimstra 10.

Freshman guard Kelsey Berger led Air Force with a career-high 23 points. Berger was 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range. Senior forward Kathleen Schjodt scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Junior guard Raimee Beck overcame a slow start to finish with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Air Force also got a stellar effort at the point by sophomore Anna Gault. Gault finished with a career-high 12 assists, which is second-highest single-game assist total at Air Force in the Div. I era, and the most since Latoya Howell had 15 assists vs. UNLV on Jan. 30, 2003.

Freshman forward Dymond James also played well for the Falcons, but was limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble. James finished with seven points and eight rebounds before fouling out.

The Falcons started the game by scoring the first seven points to lead early. Colorado State steadily chipped away at the AFA lead and wound up ahead 26-23 at the half.

In the second half, the Rams got up by as many as 18 points, before the Falcons mounted a furious late rally. Trailing 55-37 with 8:17 left, the Falcons got the game to as close as four points, out-scoring CSU 31-18 over the remainder of the game. Air Force hit five of six three attempts over that span.

Colorado State was able to close out the game by hitting eight-of-nine free throws in the last 1:14 of the game.

Air Force returns to action Wed., Jan. 13 at BYU. Tipoff is 7 p.m.