Air Force survives against Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Air Force managed an 11-point win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but coach Jeff Reynolds had some pointed adjectives to describe his team’s play.
Sloppy. Rusty. Lethargic.
Air Force won 63-52 at Clune Arena, but had some nervous moments against a Golden Lions team that is now 0-10. The Falcons are 7-2, but Reynolds wants to see more improvement.
“I don’t know that our team has gotten better in the last 8-10 days,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds kept his players in the locker room a few more minutes than usual after the game to voice his displeasure with the performance.
With only four games remaining before the Mountain West Conference opener, Reynolds wants the players to feel a sense of urgency. He said the Falcons looked like a team that had just gotten off of final exams, but didn’t want that to be an excuse.
“We didn’t sustain our energy the whole game,” said guard Michael Lyons, who scored a season-best 24 points. “Even the first half wasn’t as good as it could have been.”
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which had shot 30.2 percent front behind the 3-point line in its first nine games, and hit 3-of-11 3-pointers in the first half against Air Force, suddenly couldn’t miss from deep in the second half.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Allen Smith hit three straight 3-pointers during a 20-6 run. Smith didn’t score in the first half but hit six 3-pointers after halftime.
The Golden Lions hit seven of their first 12 3-pointers in the second half against Air Force’s matchup zone defense, and turned a 30-16 deficit into a 36-36 tie.
The Falcons responded after that. Tom Fow put back his own miss, and then Taylor Broekhuis hit a 3-pointer from the corner to restore the Falcons’ lead. Air Force had an 18-4 run after Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s inexplicable hot 3-point shooting tied the game, and that turned away the Golden Lions’ hopes at a victory.
Reynolds was happy the Falcons had the late spurt, but didn’t like that they let Arkansas-Pine Bluff storm all the way back.
“Not focused,” Reynolds said. “Didn’t play with any focus or intensity, and let them back in.”
