FORT COLLINS — It was a breathtaking ending for Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds, but it didn’t take him long to catch his breath after a 61-59 victory Saturday night over Colorado State.
“Hopefully, this will build some confidence and make our players continue to believe we still have a shot to do something special this season,” Reynolds said. “We had 62 possessions on offense and turned it over only eight times. If we can find a way to make some shots, I think we’ll be better down the stretch.”
Reynolds and the Falcons are striving to maintain a credible place in Air Force basketball’s surge during the past five seasons. A winning season would be the minimal accomplishment, and the narrow triumph over CSU provides a two-game cushion over .500 (14-12) and a solid chance to go into the Mountain West Conference tournament with a winning record.
“We’ve got to keep the tradition going somehow,” senior center Keith Maren said. “Staying above .500 and having a winning record would be ways to do it.”
Before the 2003-04 season, Air Force had had only 10 winning seasons in 47 years, but none in 23 years in the MWC. Air Force joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1980-81, and its best overall record since then was 14-14 in 1988-89 before Joe Scott’s 2003-04 Falcons finished 22-7. Air Force moved from the WAC to the Mountain West Conference in 1999-2000.
The victory over CSU improved the Falcons to 6-7 in conference play, with three games to go. The Falcons play Saturday at BYU, then finish the regular season March 5 against TCU and March 8 against San Diego State in Clune Arena. Air Force has won as many as six conference games only five times, including the current four-year stretch and a 6-10 mark in the WAC in 1988-89.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
