Air Force keeps close with strong Nevada squad but falls 67-54
Air Force didn’t earn its first Mountain West win on Tuesday, but the Falcons were much more competitive than they were in their conference opener.
After a 28-point drubbing against Utah State last Tuesday, Air Force lost 67-54 on the road to Nevada. Nevada improved to 15-1 with the win, while Air Force dropped to 7-7.
“We played 100 times better,” Air Force coach Joe Scott said. “We had a game plan, and I think it was a good game plan. It put us in a position where we stayed in the game.”
The final margin — 13 points — is a bit deceptive: Nevada didn’t pull away until the final minutes.
The Wolf Pack took the lead in the opening minutes but never ran away. A combination of strong defense and three-point shooting, kept the halftime deficit at six points.
Air Force continued to compete in the second half. The Falcons got within four points after trailing by as many as 12 points.
Ultimately, turnovers were costly for Air Force down the stretch. The Falcons committed 13 throughout the game, and Nevada scored 21 points off them.
Nevada senior Kenan Blackshear also showed out in the second half. Blackshear, who averages 16.2 points per game, scored just seven in the first half before logging 15 in the second half.
As a team, Nevada shot 52.2% in the second half, while Air Force shot 36%.
Juniors Beau Becker and Ethan Taylor tied for a team-high 14 points, while sophomore Rytis Petraitis logged 13. Byron Brown and Jeffrey Mills both fouled out.
Air Force falls to .500 for the first time since Nov. 17, when the Falcons were 2-2. Along with San Jose State, Fresno State and UNLV, the Falcons are one of four teams who haven’t won a conference game.
Air Force hosts San Jose State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
“We had more of an identity: We need to do it every single game,” Scott said. “The issue is, we’re going to work really hard to have a game plan, and I’m not going to know for certain what team I’m going to see.”
Air Force guard Ethan Taylor drives against Nevada’s Nick Davidson on Tuesday, Jan. 9.