The disappointment of losing Raimee Beck’s final home game was fresh, as was the frustration over a questionable call in overtime, but Air Force women’s basketball players didn’t hang their heads too low.

The Falcons keep taking small steps in coach Andrea Williams’ first season. Their youth might have cost them a win Saturday, when a three-point lead to New Mexico with less than 40 seconds remaining in overtime vanished, but there were some good signs in the 73-70 loss at Clune Arena.

Beck was able to see that, despite her own dejection over losing on Senior Day.

“It’s disappointing, but we played well, and I’m happy for that,” Beck said. “We left it all on the court, and that’s all I can ask for.”

What happened at the end will irk the Falcons, who are 8-21 and 3-13 in Mountain West play heading into the conference tournament, for a while.

Beck’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:03 remaining in overtime snapped a tie and looked like it might be the winning basket. New Mexico scored with 38 seconds left, then got a steal and layup from Jasmine Patterson, which put the Lobos ahead with 13 seconds left.

Alicia Leipprandt hit a bank shot for Air Force, but officials said she traveled – although replays showed that she might have been fouled before stumbling forward and might not have taken extra steps before releasing the ball. The basket was waved off and New Mexico hit two free throws to seal the win.

“We had little mental lapses a couple of times,” Williams said. “But I’m very proud of where they are. You don’t quit, and you try to keep having the answers. We’ll get there.”

That Air Force was in a position to win the game shows the program has improved, because Beck was a non-factor most of the game. The leading scorer in Air Force’s Division I era was shut down by New Mexico’s Amanda Best, but the Falcons played well anyway. Dymond James scored 26 points, a season high for any Air Force player, and had 13 rebounds. Leipprandt, a surprise late addition to the starting lineup, had 24 points. James and Leipprandt are sophomores.

Air Force was much smaller than New Mexico, as the Falcons are throughout their Mountain West schedule, but stayed in the game with its speed and quickness. For a long time, it looked like that might be enough for the win.

“We’re playing hard and tough and if we continue to do that and put it together for a whole game – and even if there’s overtime – in the tournament, that’s all we can do,” Beck said.

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