Falcons hoopsters headed to NCAA tournament Published March 15, 2004 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY (AFPN) -- The Air Force Falcons have earned a spot in the 2004 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, their first postseason appearance in 42 years. The Falcons, with an overall 22-6 record, won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title with a conference-record 12-2 mark. They face North Carolina on March 18 in Denver. The game will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Texas vs. Princeton game, which begins at 5:20 p.m. MST. Air Force, the No. 11 seed in the Atlanta Region, will play its first NCAA-tournament game since losing to Texas Tech, 68-66, March 12, 1962. The Falcons' only other NCAA-tournament appearance was after the 1959-1960 campaign. This will be the first meeting between Air Force and North Carolina, which is seeded sixth in the region. "This is a great reward for our players," said Air Force head coach Joe Scott. "We have worked hard since Oct. 15 for this moment, and it says a lot about what kind of season we had and how hard our guys have worked." The winner of the game will face the victor of the Texas vs. Princeton game March 20 in Denver.