Nov. 11, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Northern Colorado (0-0) vs. Air Force (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 14, 5 p.m. (Mtn.)
Clune Arena - USAF Academy, Colo.
Series: AF leads, 12-1
Live Stats: goAirForceFalcons.com
Radio: KFKA 1310 AM (In Greeley)
Online Radio: www.1310kfka.com
Radio talent - Chris Lewis
Falcons Open Season Hosting Northern Colorado
The Air Force women's basketball team opens the 2008-09 regular season hosting Northern Colorado on Friday, Nov. 14, at Clune Arena at the Academy. The game tips off at 5 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men's team, which plays Western State immediately after at 7 p.m. A live radio broadcast will be available for the game on the internet at www.1310kfka.com.
Air Force In Season Openers
Air Force is 19-13 in season-openers. Last year, the Falcons lost at Oklahoma State, 89-49, in their season-opening game. Air Force's last home-opener was a 91-58 loss to Wisconsin in 2006. Air Force's last home-opener win was in 2005 against Northern Colorado, 67-60. Air Force is 13-8 all-time in season openers at home.
Air Force In 2007-08
Air Force went 10-19 in 2007-09. The Falcons went 4-12 in Mountain West Conference play, finishing in seventh place. The four conference wins and seventh place finish were all-time bests in MWC play for Air Force. Senior forward Alecia Steele led Air Force in scoring and rebounds, averaging 12 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Steele was also named team MVP. Steele and senior guard Pamela Findlay earned all-MWC honors.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last years team. Sophomore guard Raimee Beck is the Falcons' top returning scorer, averaging nine points per game as a freshman. Senior guard Brooke Cultra and senior center Kim Kreke also started last year as juniors. Air Force welcomes five freshmen to the team, two of which hail from Colorado Springs (guard Ariane Brown and forward Amber Wilmore).
Scouting Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado returns eight letterwinners off its 2007-08 team that went 14-16. The Bears' top returning scorer is senior guard Jamie Schroeder, who averaged 13.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a junior. Northern Colorado also welcomes back guard Whitley Cox, who averaged 20 points per game until injuring her knee against Air Force and sat out the rest of the season. UNC welcomes seven newcomers.
Last Meeting
In another game that came down to the last shot, the Air Force women's basketball team (4-4) hung on to defeat Northern Colorado (4-4), 56-53, Wednesday night, Dec. 5, 2007, at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
With eight seconds remaining in regulation, Northern Colorado set up a final play to tie the game but Kate Kevorken could not make her three-point attempt and Air Force came out with the win. The Falcons have had nail-biting finishes several times already this year, as opponents have twice, hit buzzer-beating three's to tie the game.
Air Force was led by senior Alecia Steele, who had a season-high 22 points and nine rebounds in a career-high 40 minutes. Steele took over in the second half, scoring 12 of the Falcons 27 points, including six of their last eight points.
Kim Kreke had a career-high 10 points and Jamie Davis added 11 points. Raimee Beck had a career-high six assists.
Northern Colorado was led by Whitley Cox, who had 13 points in the game. Cox left the game with six minutes left, suffering a knee injury on a drive to the basket. Courtney Stoermer added 12 points and Danielle Hagen scored 10.
In the first half, the Falcons overcame early turnover problems to take a two point lead, 29-27, into halftime. Trailing by nine points with 5:30 remaining in the first half, Air Force utilized a 14-3 run over the remainder of the half. Kim Kreke's left-handed fadeaway runner with 26 seconds left in the half, gave the Falcons their first lead.
Air Force led by as many as eight in the second-half, but UNC stormed back and retook a two-point lead with 10 minutes left in the game. Trailing by one, Steele scored a basket with 5:50 remaining to put the Falcons up 50-49. The Falcons led for the rest of the game.
Opponent Connections
- Air Force has three players on its roster from Colorado.
So. G Candice Chase - Lakewood (Green Mtn. HS)
Fr. G Ariane Brown - Colorado Springs (Palmer HS)
Fr. F Amber Wilmore - Colorado Springs (Falcon HS)
- Northern Colorado has two players on its roster from Colorado Springs.
Fr. G Cassie Lambrecht (Golden HS)
So. G Paige Ricker (Harrison HS)
Series History vs. Northern Colorado
Air Force is 21-13 all-time against Northern Colorado. The two teams first met on Jan. 8, 1980, a 71-64 Air Force win at the Academy. Air Force has won the last four meetings between the two schools.
1-8-80 USAFA, CO* W 71-64
2-29-80 Greeley, CO* L 61-62
1-20-81 Greeley, CO* W 61-57
2-17-81 USAFA, CO* W 82-69
1-26-82 Greeley, CO* L 54-62
2-9-82 USAFA, CO* W 77-65
3-11-82 Greeley, CO** L 70-72
1-18-83 USAFA, CO W 67-62
2-11-83 Greeley, CO^ W 83-76
3-4-83 USAFA, CO^^ L 57-66
1-31-84 Greeley, CO^ W 78-67
2-22-84 USAFA, CO^ W 90-80
1-29-85 Greeley, CO^ L 72-75
2-26-85 USAFA, CO^ W 70-63
1-17-86 USAFA, CO^ W 75-52
2-25-86 Greeley, CO^ L 55-83
1-7-87 USAFA, CO^ W 71-67
2-3-87 Greeley, CO^ W 84-76
1-23-88 Greeley, CO^ L 68-70
2-23-88 USAFA, CO^ W 91-82
1-17-89 USAFA, CO^ L 73-76
2-7-89 Greeley, CO^ L 70-72
12-9-89 USAFA, CO L 69-74
12-8-90 Greeley, CO W 73-67
12-10-91 USAFA, CO W 78-73
11-21-92 Greeley, CO W 64-56
12-1-93 USAFA, CO L 53-57
11-29-94 Greeley, CO L 52-72
11-29-95 USAFA, CO L 72-90
12-18-03 USAFA, CO W 75-60
12-13-04 Greeley, CO W 67-62
11-18-05 USAFA, CO W 67-60
11-17-06 Greeley, CO W 72-59
12-5-07 Greeley, CO W 56-53
* Intermountain Athletic Conference Game
** District Seven Regional Playoffs
^ Continental Divide Conference
^^ Continental Divide Conference Playoffs
Adams State Exhibition Recap
The Air Force women's basketball team opened its 2008-09 season with a 55-40 exhibition win over Adams State Thursday night at Clune Arena. The Falcons broke open a 21-21 halftime tie by outscoring the Grizzlies 34-19 in the second half. Air Force center Kim Kreke notched a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Sophomore Raimee Beck and junior Kathleen Schjodt also reached double-figures in scoring for the Falcons, with Beck scoring 11 and Schjodt 10. Vera Jo Bustos was Adam State's leading scorer with eight points.
The Falcons never held a lead in the first half and trailed by as many as seven before scratching their way back to a halftime tie. Air Force struggled to hold onto the ball in the opening stanza, committing 11 turnovers and thus taking nine fewer shots than Adams State.
The Falcons took their first lead, 22-21, at the 19:23 mark in the second half on a Dana Loveless free throw. After Air Force upped their lead to 24-21, Adams State came back with a 7-0 run to take a 28-24 lead with 13:57 left to go in the game.
That's around the time the Falcons took over the ballgame, rallying to outscore the Grizzlies 31-12 over the remainder of the game. The Falcons first went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 34-30 at the 11-minute mark. Air Force then had another surge, out-scoring Adams State 8-2 over the next three minutes to take a 42-34 lead with eight minutes left to play.
Beck and Schjodt led the second-half charge for the Falcons, as Beck scored all 11 of her points in the latter half and Schjodt added seven, including several clutch jumpers in the lane.
Kreke had a dominant night inside the paint for Air Force, getting to the line nine times and sinking seven of her free throws. The senior made it hard to Adams State to get any easy looks inside, blocking three shots. The Falcons out-rebounded the Grizzlies, 42-30 with Beck adding eight Schjodt six boards.
For the Falcons, Loveless and sophomore Stevie Puentes started along side senior Brooke Cultra, Kreke and Beck. Loveless scored five points and added five rebounds in 19 minutes. Puentes scored eight points and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line to go with two assists in 25 minutes.
Freshman Anna Gault played 11 minutes as a reserve point guard for the Falcons. Gault tallied two points and two assists. Sophomore Liz Dunsworth also saw action for Air Force, scoring eight points and pulling down a rebound in 23 minutes.
Air Force shot 42.5 percent from the field and held Adams State to a 26.3 percent shooting night. The Falcons made 3-of-9 three-pointers for a 33 percent clip. The Grizzlies were 2-of-21 for a dismal 9.5 percent success rate.
Air Force-Adams State Notes
- Despite attempting 17 fewer shots, Air Force made two more baskets than Adams State (17-15).
- AFA out-rebounded ASC 33-19.
- AFA took 28 free throws, making 18.
- Air Force starters combined to score 37 points (18 by bench), which accounted for 67 percent of the teams' points.
Falcons Picked To Finish Ninth In MWC
In the preseason conference poll released in October, Air Force was chosen by the coaches and select media to finish ninth in the Mountain West.
1. Utah (16) 206
2. San Diego State (6) 184
3. TCU (2) 161
4. New Mexico (2) 148
5. BYU 117
6. Wyoming 113
7. UNLV 80
8. Colorado State 44
9. Air Force 36
(First Place Votes)
Seven Regular Season Games on TV
A record seven Air Force women's basketball regular season games will be televised. The Falcons will have four games on the Mountain West Sports Network (Mtn.) and games on CBS College Sports (CBS C), Fox Rocky Mountain (Fox RM) and BYU TV. Air Force could also have games televised at the MWC Championships.
Air Force WBB TV Schedule
Nov. 29 Army Mtn.
Dec. 10 at Denver Fox RM
Jan. 3 Navy Mtn.
Jan. 7 at San Diego St. CBS C
Jan. 20 Colorado St. Mtn.
Feb. 4 at BYU BYU TV
Feb. 21 at Colorado St. Mtn.
M 10-14 MWC Tourney Mtn./CBS C/VERSUS
Team Captains
Seniors Brooke Cultra and Kim Kreke have been named team co-captains for the 2008-09 season. Cultra is a three-year letterwinner and returning starter at shooting guard. Kreke is also a three-year letterwinner and returning starter at center.
Nine Letterwinners and Three Starters Return
Nine letterwinners and three starters return for the Falcons.
Sophomore Raimee Beck, senior Brooke Cultra and senior Kim Kreke are Air Forces returning starters.
Senior Dana Loveless, junior Kathleen Schjodt and sophomores Jenny Bandi, Candice Chase, Liz Dunsworth and Stevie Puentes round out the other returners.
Falcons Welcome Five Newcomers
Air Force welcomes five freshmen in 2008-09.
G Ariane Brown - Colorado Springs, CO (Palmer HS)
G Anna Gault - Aurora, IL (Waubonsie Valley HS)
G Kira Gonzalez - Olathe, KS (DeSoto HS)
G Jamela Satterfield - Sacramento, CA (Sheldon HS)
F Amber Wilmore - Colorado Springs, CO (Falcon HS)
Kreke, Cultra Moving Up Blocks List
Seniors Kim Kreke and Brooke Cultra are moving up Air Force's top-10 chart for blocked shots. Kreke needs five more blocked shots for the Div. I record.
Most Blocks Career
1. 122, Mary Manning 1981-85
2. 88, Chris Clausnitzer 1988-92
3. 79, Leigh Wilbanks 1988-91
4. 70, Carrie Carrow 1993, 95-96
5. 64, Stacy Goss 1983-86
6. 56, Ellen Jaeschke 2004-05
7. 52, Kim Kreke 2005-pr.
52, Pamela Findlay 2004-08
9. 46, Brooke Cultra 2005-pr.
10. 41, Mollie Peters 1996-00
Up Next
Air Force hosts Chadron State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee next week. The Falcons take on Chadron State on Thursday, Nov. 20 at UWM on Saturday, Nov. 22.
