Lyons lifts Air Force to win over VMI, All-Military Classic title

Michael Lyons is too humble to admit it: This is quickly becoming his Air Force team.

That’s OK. He doesn’t have to say anything at all. His productive play speaks for itself.

Lyons poured in 20 points, and Taylor Broekhuis registered 18, as Air Force atoned for a lapse midway through the first half with a strong finish going into intermission Saturday to beat Virginia Military Institute 75-65 and win the All-Military Classic at Clune Arena.

Showing no effects of a sprained right thumb that he suffered Thursday during practice, Lyons made 7 of 12 shots, and he had seven rebounds and was 4 of 5 from the free-throw line, a night after he had 24 points in a season-opening win over Army, which lost to The Citadel 83-72 in the third-place game of the inaugural tournament, contracted to 2014.

A Colorado Springs Christian School graduate, Broekhuis also collected 12 rebounds for his first double-double, on 7-of-9 shooting after he was kept to 19 minutes in the opener with foul trouble, and Air Force (2-0) got eight points from Kamryn Williams; six points and a career-high seven assists from Todd Fletcher; and six points from Mike Fitzgerald.

The Falcons, who host Western State, of Gunnison, on Friday, shot 50 percent, making 6 of 22 from 3-point range, and their relentlessness in attacking the basket, running after VMI misses and forming a transition game created a 41-29 edge on the boards, a 38-16 edge in paint points, a 10-0 edge in fast-break points and 16 points off 14 VMI turnovers.

Lyons converted a layup and drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner in the opening three minutes, as Air Force jumped out to a 13-6 lead that deteriorated into a 21-16 deficit after VMI (1-1) hit three 3-pointers in a 13-0 run. Then Lyons had another layup and a three-point play in helping Air Force to a 17-0 burst that ignited a 33-21 lead – and eventually a 38-28 halftime advantage, as VMI didn’t pull closer than eight points after the break.

“I’ve gotten better at just finding the open spots in the offense,” said Lyons, named MVP of a six-person all-tournament team that included Fletcher. “Getting to the free-throw line is something that I want to do a lot more. Last year, I was a good free-throw shooter, but I didn’t get to the line enough. And this year, I’m getting to the line more.” He added that he has “a lot of confidence. Coach (Jeff Reynolds) has given me that confidence. He has given me the green light to create for myself and others, so I’m taking advantage of it.”

There undoubtedly will be some growing pains for Air Force, still adjusting to the loss of three seniors to graduation and a sophomore to a departure who accounted for almost 50 percent of the scoring and 46 percent of the rebounding last year, when the Falcons went 16-16, placed sixth in the Mountain West and cracked the collegeinsider.com tournament.

Air Force has just two seniors in Shawn Hempsey and Taylor Stewart, who marked seven points, six rebounds and five assists. But Lyons has shown he can score from all over the floor, riding momentum from a sophomore season in which he averaged 13.7 points. And the Falcons are looking stingy on defense, holding VMI to 39.3 percent shooting – 10 for 30 on 3-pointers – a year after the Keydets, picked to finish third in the Big South, led the country with averages of 87.9 points and 11.3 makes from 3-point range.

Reynolds said Lyons “has gone to the free-throw line and been consistent, and I think he has handled the ball and handled the pressure pretty good” in switching from a swingman last year to a true shooting guard this season. Broekhuis added, “He has the ability to do things most people aren’t able to do, and he brings that extra intangible onto our team.”

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Twitter: @gazetteolympics. Facebook: Brian Gomez.