Falcons find positives after falling to 0-6 in MWC

LARAMIE, Wyo. • Air Force played one of its best games in recent weeks Tuesday night at Wyoming's Arena-Auditorium.

The Falcons ran their offense hard and with purpose, played aggressive defense and did not back down, trading runs with the Cowboys for about three-quarters of their contest in front of an announced crowd of 4,841.

But all that still wasn't enough to prevent a 72-59 loss, the Falcons' seventh straight and eighth in their last nine games. Air Force, which fell to 9-10, is below .500 in the regular season for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign. And at 0-6 in the Mountain West Conference, the Falcons are off to their worst start in league play since 1993-94, when they began their Western Athletic Conference slate 0-13.

And yet there was a different feel to this loss, as the Falcons could take some positives from their showing.

Senior guard/forward Andrew Henke looked as good as he has since nonconference play, scoring a team-high 18 points - his most since getting 23 against Texas-Pan American on Dec. 13. Freshman Taylor Stewart broke a four-game scoreless stretch with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. And the Falcons made more assists (11) than turnovers (seven) for just the first time in five games and second time in 10 games.

"We just said in the locker room, the first 32 minutes of the game, we were step for step with them," said Henke, who also had two assists, two blocks and a steal. "We kept trading punches. But we know we can't trade punches with anybody in this league. So we've got to get stops and keep punching."

Senior Tyson Johnson scored 18 points to lead four Wyoming players in double-figures as the Cowboys improved to 14-6 and 3-3 in the MWC.

Wyoming, now 10-0 at home this season, trailed by one at the half and 36-35 early in the second half after a basket by Stewart. The Cowboys led just 45-43 after Henke hit a jumper with 10:49 left. But Air Force went scoreless on its next six possessions, while Wyoming scored on five of its next seven to build a 54-43 advantage.

"We were missing shots we made in the first half," Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said.

Henke hit 3-pointers to cut the Cowboys' lead to eight and seven, but Air Force would get no closer down the stretch as Wyoming pulled away. The Cowboys sealed the game at the free-throw line, where they made 17-of-25 in the second half.

Air Force now will return home for two games - against UNLV and BYU, the teams picked to finish first and second in the conference, respectively, in a preseason media poll.

"All we can hope for is to continue to get better," senior guard Anwar Johnson said. "And if we're starting to get better, then you can't ask for anything more than that."

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Contact the Writer: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com. Check out our Air Force blog at gazetteafasports.freedomblogging.com

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UNLV at Air Force, 2 p.m., the mtn., 740 AM