FORT COLLINS — Every men’s basketball team in the Mountain West Conference has taken turns inflicting losses of varying degrees on Colorado State.
After the Rams led Air Force by a double-digit margin at the 25-minute mark Saturday night, CSU coach Tim Miles insisted their latest loss was different.
“That was a self-inflicted loss tonight,” Miles said after Air Force escaped Moby Arena with a 61-59 victory. “Flat out you can bounce the ball off your foot only so many times before it ends up costing you. You miss so many free throws before it ends up costing you.”
The Rams (6-20, 0-12 MWC) committed 15 turnovers, made only 10-of-18 free throws and lost to Air Force for the eighth consecutive time. They haven’t defeated a Division I team since Dec. 5, a 44-40 victory over the University of Denver.
“We can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves and have a pity party,” Miles said. “You have to earn victories, and we did not do that. Effort is one thing. How about some execution, for crying out loud.”
Air Force (14-12, 6-7) recovered nicely after dropping four of its previous five.
Officially, it was Anwar Johnson who iced the Falcons’ victory at the foul line with 12.7 seconds left. But it was Tim Anderson who fueled a 9-0 run by Air Force that erased all but two points of CSU’s commanding early lead.
Even a five-minute silent phase by the Falcons, allowing CSU to retain a 47-39 lead halfway through the second half, wasn’t enough to kill AFA’s hopes.
Air Force junior swingman Andrew Henke, who had a double-double off the bench, respectfully begged to differ from Miles’ assessment of the game.
“We sat on the bench and willed ourselves to win,” Henke said after his 14 points and 10 rebounds. “We told ourselves we were not going to give up.”
Senior center Keith Maren dropped in an unrushed 3-pointer with 6:38 left to put the Falcons ahead for good. CSU tied the game at 57-57 with 2:48 left, but the Falcons hit four of five free throws in the last 2:23.
Down by one point, the Rams set up a shot for league scoring leader Marcus Walker, but the junior guard misfired and Johnson grabbed the rebound.
The Rams had one of their best games behind the arc, shooting 11-of-20 — including 8-of-9 accuracy in the first 13 minutes.
AIR FORCE (14-12, 6-7 MWC)
Holland 3-5 0-0 7, Maren 2-9 1-3 6, Anderson 3-8 3-3 9, Washington 2-4 1-1 5, Johnson 4-8 6-6 14, Henke 4-9 4-6 14, Hood 0-0 0-0 0, Kenzik 2-5 0-0 6. Totals 20-48 15-19 61.
COLORADO STATE (6-20, 0-12)
McFarland 4-9 2-4 14, Creason 4-8 2-3 10, Walker 5-13 4-5 18, Simmons 2-4 0-1 5, Gardner 1-5 0-0 3, Clayman 0-1 0-0 0, Cohen 1-1 0-0 3, Nigon 2-3 1-3 5, Woodard 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 19-45 10-18 59.
Halftime — CSU 35-27. 3-point goals — AFA 6-21 (Kenzik 2-3, Henke 2-5, Holland 1-3, Maren 1-7, Washington 0-1, Anderson 0-2); CSU 11-20 (McFarland 4-6, Walker 4-9, Cohen 1-1, Simmons 1-1, Gardner 1-2, Woodard 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — AFA 26 (Henke 10), CSU 33 (McFarland 6). Assists — AFA 12 (Anderson 6), CSU 17 (Gardner 6). Total fouls — AFA 21, CSU 17.
A — 3,513.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
