Shots not falling, but AFA is
Air Force's swishes have been replaced by clanks.
Ten games into the season, the Falcons ranked as the nation's second best 3-point shooting team, having made 75-of-160 attempts.
They've made 29-of-103 (28.2 percent) since, including 2-of-19 in Wednesday's 57-36 loss to Utah at Clune Arena. Coach Jeff Reynolds said it's a matter of confidence.
"Right now those guys don't have any confidence," he said. "It's hard to put a thumb on what exactly is wrong from the standpoint of why they're not falling. ... We're not shooting the free throws very well, and we missed several layups. I think that's a confidence thing. We've just got to keep them working and keep their heads up."
Even some of the better shooters in academy history are struggling. Senior guard/forward Andrew Henke, who entered Wednesday's game fourth on the all-time 3-point shooting chart (42.4 percent), missed all four of his attempts. He is 2-of-16 from beyond the arc in the past four games. Senior forward Matt Holland, who came into the game third all-time at the academy with a 42.9 percent mark, made 1-of-8 against the Utes.
The Falcons need to rediscover their faith in their shooting strokes if they want to snap a four-game losing streak Saturday when they play host to TCU at 1 p.m. Air Force is 0-7 when it shoots 33.3 percent or worse from 3-point range. The Falcons are 9-0 when they shoot better than 33.3 percent.
MWC-MVC Challenge foe set
Air Force will play at Missouri State next season on Dec. 5 as part of the inaugural Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge.
Next season will be the first of four in which teams from the conferences meet. Nine games will be played each year, and each conference will host 18 games during the four seasons.
"The development of the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge Series is a great step toward improving the strength of our schedule of our programs and our overall ranking," MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said.
Air Force never has faced Missouri State, which is 8-9 and 1-5 in the MVC.
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Contact the Writer: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com
