Air Force Academy

March 9, 2011

On Wednesday, the Air Force women’s basketball team continues action at the 2011 Conoco Mountain West Conference Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. The ninth-seeded Falcons will face fifth-seed Utah in a quarterfinal match-up, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. (PT).

Game Information

TV: The Mtn. (Comcast 167, DirecTV 616)

Live Stats/Audio: themwc.com

Series History: Utah leads, 32-0

This Season’s Meetings: Utah swept Air Force during the regular season, winning a 77 40 decision at the Academy on Jan. 5 and a 55-40 contest at the Academy on Feb. 5.

Head Coaches:

        Air Force: Andrea Williams (9-21/First Season; 21-56/Third Season overall)

        Utah: Anthony Levrets (15-16/First Season - Interim)

Last Time Out...

Led by sophomore Alicia Leipprandt and senior Raimee Beck, the ninth-seeded Air Force women’s basketball team upset fourth-seed Colorado State, 66-63, in the first round of the 2011 Conoco Mountain West Conference Championships.

Leipprandt scored a career-high 26 points, including 17 in the opening half, while Beck recorded her second double-double of the year with 16 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. Also scoring in double-figures for Air Force was sophomore Dymond James with 13 points.

Scouting the Falcons...

Air Force, the ninth seed in this year’s conference tournament, currently holds a 9-21 overall record after defeating fourth-seed Colorado State on Tuesday afternoon.

Sophomore Dymond James leads the Falcons with 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, while senior Raimee Beck adds 11.4 points per game.

Scouting the UTEs...

Utah, the fifth seed in this year’s tournament, currently holds a 15-16 overall record. The Utes defeated eight-seed UNLV, 55-44, in Tuesday’s opening round contest.

Iwalani Rodrigues leads Utah with 14.9 points per game, while MWC Freshman of the Year Michelle Plouffe adds 13.8 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest. Also averaging in double-figures scoring for the Utes is Janita Badon, with 12.6 points per game.

LAst Time Against the Utes...

Sophomore Dymond James notched her fifth double-double of the year, but Air Force was unable to get past the visiting Utes, dropping a 55-40 contest to Utah on Feb. 5.

Air Force held a 29-27 lead early in the second half, but Utah’s Iwalani Rodrigues went on a 12-0 run which included three consecutive three-pointers, to put the Utes ahead for good.

James was the only player in double figures for Air Force, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Rodrigues and Michelle Plouffe led Utah with 20 points each.

Air Force at the MWC Championships...

After its win over Colorado State on Tuesday, Air Force has a 2-11 record all-time at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Both of the Falcons’ victories have come against the Rams, including a 47-46 win over Colorado State in 2007.

Air Force has faced Utah more than any other team at the MWC Championships, holding an 0-6 record against the Utes in the tournament. The last tournament meeting between the two teams came last season, when Utah won a 63-40 decision in an opening round game.

A Tournament First...

Air Force’s win over Colorado State on Tuesday marked the first time in the history of the Mountain West Conference Championships that a nine-seed defeated a four-seed.

Alicia Takes Over...

For the second game in a row, sophomore Alicia Leipprandt registered a career-high mark in points scored, finishing with a career-best 26 points against Colorado State on Tuesday.

Leipprandt, who scored 11 straight points for the Falcons in the first half versus the Rams, had 17 points before the break as the Falcons took a 35-31 advantage at the half.

Leipprandt’s 26 points against the Rams set an MWC tournament first-round record, besting the previous record of 24 points, set by Utah’s Taryn Wicijowski and Wyoming’s Aubrey Vandiver.

Raimee’s Double-Double...

Senior Raimee Beck registered her second double-double of the season (and sixth of her career) against Colorado State on Tuesday, finishing with 16 points and a career-best 15 rebounds.

Season-Scoring Record...

With 1,828 points on the season, Air Force has set a program record for points scored in a single season during the team’s Division I era. The previous record of 1,753 points was set during the 2005-06 season.

Single-Season Leaders...

Averaging 6.8 rebounds per contest, sophomore Dymond James now has 201 boards on the season. That total ranks as the third-best single-season mark in the Academy’s Division I history.

In addition, Megan Muniz’s 114 assists are the second-highest single-season total at the Division I level, while Raimee Beck ranks tied for fifth on the list in three-pointers made (52) and fifth in three-point field goal attempts (157).

Dymond In Double-Digits...

With 13 points against Colorado State on Tuesday, sophomore Dymond James scored in double figures for the 15th time in the last 17 games. For the season, James has registered at least 10 points in a team-leading 22 games.

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