AFA basketball: Three key players miss game

Three key members of Air Force’s rotation did not dress Wednesday night for the Falcons’ 61-49 victory over North Carolina Central.

For the second straight game Air Force was without its top two centers – sophomore Sammy Schafer (concussion) and freshman Taylor Broekhuis (lower-leg muscle sprain). In addition, junior forward Tom Fow did not play after suffering a concussion in practice earlier this week.

Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said after the game that Schafer still is having headaches. And after they subside Schafer must wait seven days before he returns to action, so that means the sophomore will miss Air Force’s next two games. Broekhuis and Fow are “day-to-day,” Reynolds said.

Exploiting the zone
Air Force scored 40 of its 61 points in the paint Wednesday. The Falcons had 10 layups, including three in transition.

Assistant “coach (Kevin) Carroll had done a really good job scouting them, and we knew where they were going to be vulnerable in their zone,” Reynolds said. “And we were able to get the ball in there early. … And we drove them. We were able to drive the ball tonight.”

Etc.
Air Force used six reserves on Wednesday night. Five were freshmen and the other was a sophomore. … The Falcons made 10-of-14 free throws (71.4 percent), marking the first time in five games this season they’ve shot 70 percent or better from the line.