AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.—Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds complimented his Falcons? effort after their season-opening 65-54 win Friday night over Western State, Colo.
Air Force outrebounded the Division II Mountaineers 43-29 and grabbed 17 offensive boards in its ninth consecutive home-opening victory.
“If we can play with that effort all season long, I?ll be happy,” Reynolds said. “I thought our effort was unbelievably good and we had great energy.”
Grant Parker scored a career-high 26 points and Evan Washington added 14 as the Falcons won their seventh straight season opener and improved to 16-1 all time against their neighbors from Gunnison, Colo.
“Offensively I was pretty happy, and I?m glad that I was hitting some shots early, but defensively I think I need to step up,” Parker said. “You always feel like you can play better.”
Parker scored 18 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give the Falcons a 38-27 halftime lead. Parker was 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range.
Air Force never trailed, but the Falcons’ 7-of-27 shooting in the second half allowed Western State back into the game. The Mountaineers tied it twice, the last time 50-50 with 4:34 remaining, before the Falcons closed with a 10-2 run to seal the victory.
“We talked about wanting to come out in the second half and blow them out, but we ended up doing the opposite,” Parker said. “They hung in there, and we weren?t playing our game. At the end we were playing for every possession, and both teams wanted it.”
Sophomore guard Weylan Towns led the Mountaineers with 17 points, while Tyler Miller contributed 10.
Air Force is looking to replace its three leading scorers from a year ago, and Reynolds said Parker and Washington will need some help.
“We?ve got to find two more guys who can score,” Reynolds said. “Michael Lyons is going to be a really good player, but he has to understand that, at this level, you can?t be casual about anything.”
Lyons was limited to seven points and three rebounds.
Reynolds also saw room for improvement for his Falcons, who hit just 18 of 32 of their foul shots.
“We?ve got to make more open shots, and we?ve got to make free throws,” Reynolds said. “We need to be more consistent with our offense. Tonight it didn?t have much flow to it.”
