Ramsey: Fow's slam puts exclamation point on victory
By the time Tom Fow returned to Earth, there was no doubt. Air Force was on its way to trampling Colorado State.
Fow took flight with 3:20 left in Air Force’s 74-57 demolition, rising to surprising heights before shaking the rim with a dunk. For the first time this season, the Falcons were flying, really flying, in Mountain West play. The win gives Air Force a 14-13 record and a 5-9 mark in the MWC.
“It was awesome,” Fow said of his slam. “It was a lot of fun.”
Fow, a 6-foot-6 senior guard/forward, has not spent his career soaring. For the past two seasons, he and his teammates suffered while Air Force lost night after night.
All that changed Saturday at Clune Arena. Section 8 boasted a respectable crowd of cadets, and they were joined by several thousand enthusiastic Air Force fans along with several hundred dazed CSU supporters.
As the game ended, Fow and fellow senior Evan Washington sprinted to Section 8 to celebrate. A row of football players hugged the two.
Sophomore guard Michael Lyons watched the celebration with a smile.
“It means we’re doing something right,” Lyons said. “We’re gaining followers. Things are going in the right direction.”
The Rams (18-10, 8-6) arrived at Clune with a realistic hope to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Those hopes all but ended.
With 8:22 left, CSU guard Adam Nigon fired from deep and missed the rim by at least 2 feet. Seconds later, Air Force’s Derek Brooks hit a layup, giving the Falcons a 10-point lead.
The Rams were finished, largely because they missed 24-of-29 3-pointers.
Coach Jeff Reynolds hinted the victory was the most important of the season, but he was underestimating the weight of his triumph.
This was the most important, and most impressive, victory of the four-season Reynolds era. The Falcons dominated a quality conference rival.
They played swarming, intelligent defense. There’s no doubt who was the more motivated team.
“They showed greater will and played with great energy,” Reynolds said.
The win ended a surprising week for the Falcons. They traveled Wednesday to tangle with lowly Wyoming and found a way to lose.
On Saturday morning, Reynolds gathered his team for a brief meeting and challenged them. The Falcons responded with a superb first half and led 37-28 at the break.
But the Rams quickly cut the lead to two points, which inspired Reynolds to make a loud statement during a timeout.
He slammed his clipboard to the wooden court with a loud crack and said, “Here we go again!”
But he was wrong. The Falcons were not headed to their usual destination. They were headed to a resounding victory, which included Fow’s wild ride in the sky to a dunk.
