Air Force men win big at Boise State in conference opener

BOISE, Idaho • Air Force center Taylor Broekhuis got the ball at the top of the key, with the momentum shifting in Boise State’s direction and the Broncos’ crowd starting to sense a comeback.

That might have been a pressure situation had the Falcons not faced it several times — and turned back Boise State every time. Broekhuis calmly hit a 3-pointer with 3:42 left, pushing Air Force’s lead back to 11, which was the final dagger in an impressive 74-59 win for the Falcons at Taco Bell Arena.

Air Force battled through every bit of adversity while snapping Boise State’s 15-game home winning streak Saturday, and did it all without leading scorer Michael Lyons, who could be back as soon as Wednesday against Wyoming. Senior forward Taylor Stewart had a tough time deciding which play was the turning point in Air Force’s victory.

“There were so many of them,” Stewart said. “They kept hitting 3s, getting it down to seven or eight, and we’d come down and hit a big 3 or something. It was a collective effort.”

The Falcons started well, with a great defensive intensity. When Boise State made a run late in the first half, Todd Fletcher hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Air Force took a 31-24 lead into halftime. That wouldn’t be the last time Air Force made some clutch plays with Boise State charging.

Whether it was Stewart hitting a 3-pointer and a layup on consecutive possessions, Sierra grad Kamryn Williams getting a 3-pointer in the corner, a steal and a fast-break layup, or clutch 3-pointers later in the half from Stewart or Mike Fitzgerald, Air Force always had an answer when the Broncos started to make a run.

In a game that had many big shots for Air Force, Broekhuis’ late 3-pointer was probably the biggest. Boise State used its full-court press to get two straight turnovers. The Broncos had cut Air Force’s lead to eight points — certainly a manageable deficit with a little less than 4 minutes left — when Broekhuis found himself wide open at the top of the key. Reynolds said he was hoping Broekhuis shot it.

“Absolutely. Absolutely,” Reynolds said. “We sometimes have told him, ‘If you don’t shoot that, you’re not going to play.’”

Broekhuis’ shot hit nothing but net. An 11-point deficit was far more daunting, and Boise never cut it to less than eight points in the final few minutes.

“I’ve been trying not to think about them as much, I figured that’s when I get in trouble,” Broekhuis said. “I felt open, so I stepped into it and shot it. I knew it was a big moment, because they made a run and we needed to answer back.”

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