Air Force Academy

USAFA, Colo. - Using strong defense to compensate for a lackluster offensive effort, the Air Force women's basketball team grabbed a 58-41 victory over Bucknell in the first game of the Academy Hotel Air Force Classic Friday evening at Clune Arena. The Falcons improve to 4-0, their best start as a Division I team, while Bucknell falls to 2-4 on the season.

Both teams were sluggish at the beginning of the first half, with Bucknell taking a 10-6 lead at the 11:27 mark. However, the Falcons, who missed 14 of their first 15 shots, began to heat it up, as a three-pointer by junior co-captain Andrea Taylor (Sugar Grove, Ill.) ignited a 26-4 run to close out the half. Air Force went into the break with a 30-14 advantage after holding the Bison to just five first-half field goals.

The Falcons eventually increased their margin to 29 points in the second half, leading 49-20 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest. Bucknell began to chip away at the lead, but never threatened as Air Force held on for the 58-41 victory despite shooting just 30 percent from the field.

Air Force was led by sophomore Pamela Findlay (Glenview, Ill.) with 11 points, while Ellen Jaeschke (Cary, Ill.) recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds and Lauren Henderson (Nixa, Mo.) added eight points and three assists. Kesha Champion scored a game-high 12 points for the Bison, while Hope Foster grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Falcons move into the championship game of the Air Force Classic, slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, and will face the winner of tonight's contest between High Point and Stephen F. Austin. Meanwhile, the two losing teams will face off in the consolation game, which tips off at 2:00 p.m.