Lady Rebels Outmaneuver Falcons at Clune Arena in Tactical Showdown
The Air Force Falcons, with a record of 0-0, faced off against the 25th-ranked Lady Rebels from UNLV, who came into the game with a record of 0-0. In a hard-fought battle at Clune Arena, the Lady Rebels emerged victorious with a final score of 76-64.
The Falcons opened the contest by keeping pace with their opponents, ending the first quarter just one point behind. However, by halftime, they found themselves trailing after being outscored in the second quarter. The third and fourth quarters saw an improved performance from the home team as they racked up 19 and 20 points respectively but it wasn't enough to close the gap created by UNLV's strong second-quarter showing.
Despite falling short on points, Air Force demonstrated commendable teamwork throughout the match. The team tallied an impressive total of 15 assists and showed defensive tenacity with five steals and three blocks. Their shooting accuracy was consistent from beyond the arc where they converted nine out of twenty-one attempts for a three-point percentage of forty-three percent.
On offense, however, Air Force struggled to capitalize on opportunities inside as evidenced by their forty-two percent success rate on two-point attempts which contributed to their total field goal percentage also being forty-two percent. They were more efficient from the free-throw line making five out of six shots for an eighty-three percent completion rate but had fewer chances compared to UNLV who made fourteen free throws out of nineteen attempted.
Defensively speaking, turnovers proved costly for Air Force; while they managed to force nine turnovers from UNLV leading to sixteen points off turnovers - they themselves turned over possession eleven times. Additionally, rebounding was an area where Air Force was bested by their opponents; collecting thirty rebounds in comparison to UNLV's forty-two which included twelve offensive boards that helped contribute to sixteen second-chance points for Lady Rebels.
Looking ahead after this conference game defeat marked by six lead changes and two instances where scores were tied - fans can look forward to supporting their team when Air Force Falcons take on Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena in Fort Collins on January 17th at 6:30 PM Mountain Time. Followers unable to attend can catch live action broadcasted for fans eager to see how Falcons will fare in this upcoming challenge.