FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Travis Franklin scored 21 points and made two late free throws to help Colorado State hold off Air Force 69-66 Wednesday night.
Andy Ogide had 15 points and reserve Pierce Hornung added 13 for the Rams (14-6, 4-2 Mountain West), winners of three of four. The Rams hurt themselves with 5-of-26 3-point shooting.
Michael Lyons scored 14 points for the Falcons (11-8, 2-4). Tom Fow had 13 and Taylor Stewart 11 for Air Force, which is 1-6 on the road this season.
After Franklin’s free throw with 22.7 seconds left, Lyons drilled a 3-pointer to trim it to 66-64. Adam Nigon’s two free throws were quickly answered by a layup from Lyons. Franklin made 1 of 2 free throws with 2.4 seconds left, and Fow missed a 50-foot heave at the buzzer.
The teams exchanged runs at the start of the second half. Taylor Broekhuis’ 3-pointer closed a 7-0 spurt as Air Force extended its lead to 41-33, but the Rams answered with a 13-0 stretch as Franklin accounted for six points to lead 46-41.
The Falcons regained the lead 55-54 on Fow’s 3-pointer with 8:40 remaining. Nigon, who missed his first eight 3-pointers, nailed one to give the Rams the lead for good at 57-55. Hornung’s reverse layup made it 59-55.
Two free throws by Lyons got Air Force within 60-59 with 3:53 left. Another layup by Hornung and a jumper by Greg Smith made it 64-59 with 41 seconds left and led to the first of Franklin’s free throws.
Air Force trailed by 11 points in the first half but led 34-33 at the break. The Rams took an 18-7 lead after 3-pointers by Jesse Carr and Smith, but the Falcons got the game back to four points twice, each time on 3-pointers by Derek Brooks.
Colorado State has won last four regular season meetings with the Falcons.
