Air Force getting comfortable in close basketball games

Saturday’s win against TCU wasn’t a perfect game by Air Force, but that allowed the Falcons to show some character.

If the Falcons seemed unfazed by the mistakes they made late in the game and in overtime, that’s because they were. If they seemed battle tested after a number of close games earlier in the season, that was true too.

If tonight’s game against New Mexico comes down to the final possessions, Air Force should be prepared.  

“Those close games are definitely paying off now,” senior guard Evan Washington said. “They gave us experience.”

Every one of Air Force’s four Mountain West losses has been within single digits with less than 10 minutes left. The Falcons also had a tough test in a win against Utah that wasn’t decided until the final couple of minutes.

When the TCU game tightened in the final minutes, Air Force stayed mentally tough. When it missed all four free throws in overtime, or when other shots wouldn’t fall, Washington said the team refused to repeat mistakes it made in a three-point loss at Colorado State three days earlier.

“We’re not as nervous – we know what to expect,” Washington said. “We know not to change up the way we play or force a shot. We’ll look for the best shot, just like the beginning of the game.”

Coach Jeff Reynolds looked back to Air Force’s win at Wofford, a 2010 NCAA Tournament team that took the Falcons to overtime, as an important lesson as well. That was Air Force’s fourth game of the season. The Falcons played in plenty of blowout losses last year, and lost the second game of the season in overtime to Colorado College. Against Wofford, the Falcons won by six in overtime.

“I think our guys are resilient and more confident than in previous seasons,” Reynolds said. “I think that comes with being able to win those close games.”

Against TCU, Reynolds saw that progress. The Falcons got some key stops, and even though they didn’t lead in overtime until 11.8 seconds remained, they remained calm and stayed in the game.

“They never faltered,” Reynolds said.