Falcons play like masons, bow to Northern Colorado

The Air Force men’s basketball team never got into an offensive rhythm, shooting 32.6 percent from the floor, including missing all 17 3-pointers, in a 70-46 loss to Northern Colorado on Saturday at Clune Arena.

On their first 11 possessions, the Falcons missed four shots from the field, missed two free throws and had five turnovers. Their first basket came nearly 6 minutes in and put them down 12-2.

It didn’t get much better from there in the championship game of the Reggie Minton Air Force Classic, as Northern Colorado (5-0) won for only the third time in the teams’ 15 meetings.

The Falcons hadn’t gone without a 3-pointer since Dec. 4, 1991.

“They took us out of our offense,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said. “Their pressure bothered us. It forced us to speed up a little bit.”

Evan Washington scored seven consecutive points for Air Force early in the second half, trying to get the Falcons back in the game. He sank two free throws and hit another shot from the field and the Falcons closed the gap to nine, 37-28. Following a Bears basket, Washington completed a three-point play with 15:38 remaining to close it to eight.

But Bears guard Devon Beitzel, the tournament MVP, countered with his own three-point play to grab a 42-31 lead. Beitzel sandwiched a pair of 3s around two Air Force free throws to open up a 15-point lead, 48-33.

He finished with four 3-pointers on his way to a game- and season-high 26 points.

“He’s a great player,” Washington, who scored 14 points, said of Beitzel. “We tried to make our little run and he produced big time.”

Grant Parker personified Air Force (2-1) from the field Saturday night. A night after being a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, Parker went 0-for-10, missing all seven 3-pointers.

Air Force’s Taylor Broekhuis, a Colorado Springs Christian School alum, was helped to the locker room with 3:01 remaining with an apparent lower right leg injury.

Texas Southern 77, Dickinson State 65

Texas Southern got 21 points from Deandre Hall to win the consolation game.