Basketball: Falcons defeat Yale to open Air Force Classic

  • Published
  • By Melissa McKeown
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Led by a career-high 20 points by junior Pamela Findlay, the Air Force women's basketball team defeated Yale 67-55 Dec. 1 in the opening round of the Air Force Classic. The Falcons, who move onto Saturday's championship game, improve to 3-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-5.

The contest went back and forth for the first four minutes, with no team leading by more than one point before Air Force grabbed a 17-13 lead. However, the Bulldogs came back to tie the score at 17-17 with 7:25 remaining in the half. Nonetheless, the Falcons closed out the period on a 13-2 run to take a 30-18 lead at intermission.

The second half was marked by runs by both teams, with the Falcons leading 42-26 before a Yale run cut the margin to 49-43 with just under six minutes to play. However, Findlay made a pair of free throws to put Air Force back up by eight points and the Falcons never looked back, holding on for the 67-55 victory.

Air Force shot more than 47 percent from the field in the game, while holding Yale to 38 percent. The Falcons also outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-29 for the game.

Findlay, a native of Glenview, Ill., notched her second double-double of the season, with 10 rebounds as well as her 20 points. Senior Jacki Novak from Kewaunee, Wis., hit 8 of 12 from the line and added a career-high 16 points. Sophomore Brooke Cultra from Onarga, Ill., finished with a career-best 12 points and seven rebounds. Also scoring in double-figures for the Falcons was junior Alecia Steele, an Oklahoma City, Okla., native who added 10 points.

Melissa Colborne led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Erica Davis added 12 points.

In Saturday's championship game, slated to begin at 4:30 p.m., the Falcons take on the winner of the contest between Texas-Pan American and Western Michigan. Yale plays in the consolation game, scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m.

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