Air Force men’s basketball was defeated by San Jose State, 86-80, in a Mountain West matchup at Clune Arena on Tuesday night. The Falcons, now 3-25 overall and 0-17 in conference play, were led by freshmen Lucas Hobin and Kam Sanders, who combined for 41 points.
The Falcons trailed by 11 with under five minutes left but went on a late run to cut the deficit to four points with less than a minute remaining. After a steal gave Air Force an opportunity to get closer, a turnover returned possession to San Jose State. The Spartans then converted two free throws to secure the win.
San Jose State’s accuracy from the free throw line and three-point range proved decisive. The Spartans made 17 of their 19 free throw attempts (89 percent) and hit 13 three-pointers during the game. In contrast, Air Force shot 64 percent from the line (14-of-22) and made eight threes, with only two coming in the second half.
Air Force started strong, opening with an 11-2 run and leading by as many as nine early in the first half before San Jose State responded from behind the arc. At halftime, the Spartans held a 42-37 lead after Adrian Myers scored 18 points and hit four threes.
Hobin scored 15 points in the first half for Air Force, making five of the team’s six three-pointers before halftime. In the second half, Air Force briefly took a one-point lead but San Jose State regained control and built up to a 12-point advantage. The Falcons’ late rally fell short as time expired.
This contest marked Air Force’s highest point total in a conference game this season; they shot 51 percent from the field.
Hobin finished with 21 points and five threes for Air Force. Sanders had a career-high 20 points along with five rebounds and five assists; he also set a new school freshman record for most assists in a season at 107. Freshman Ethan Greenberg contributed ten points and two threes. Sophomore Eli Robinson added eight points with eight rebounds, while junior Wesley Celichowski had seven points and two blocked shots. Sophomore AJ Patterson recorded a career-high six assists.
For San Jose State, Myers led all scorers with a career-high 34 points—including an impressive eight-for-nine shooting from beyond the arc—and Colby Garland added 23 points.
Air Force will next face Wyoming on Saturday, February 28 at Arena Auditorium in Laramie. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT; coverage will be available on the MW Network.
