Air Force men’s basketball secured a 77-63 win over SIUE during the opening day of the Air Force Classic MTE at Clune Arena on Friday night. This victory marks the Falcons’ second consecutive win, bringing their season record to 2-4, while SIUE moves to 3-3.
The Falcons featured balanced scoring with five players reaching double figures. Forwards Eli Robinson and Caleb Walker led the team, with Robinson achieving his first career double-double by scoring a career-high 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Walker contributed 16 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots.
SIUE’s Ring Malith was the top scorer for his team with 17 points.
Air Force maintained control for most of the game. SIUE briefly led at 3-2 early in the first half before Air Force regained the advantage and did not trail again. The Falcons built a lead of up to 12 points in the first half and entered halftime ahead 36-27.
SIUE narrowed the gap to two points early in the second half, but Air Force responded with a decisive 12-0 run to extend their lead to 55-40 with just over eight minutes remaining. The Falcons kept a double-digit margin for the rest of the contest.
Additional contributions came from Lucas Hobin, who scored 12 points and collected four rebounds. Wesley Celichowski and Ethan Greenberg each added 10 points. Kam Sanders provided five assists, while AJ Patterson recorded five rebounds and two steals.
Air Force out-rebounded SIUE by a margin of 41-33 and held an advantage in points in the paint at 32-24. The Falcons also committed a season-low ten turnovers. Defensively, they limited SIUE to shooting just 39 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range.
In other action at the Air Force Classic, Alabama State defeated IU Indy by a score of 101-80.
Looking ahead, Air Force will face IU Indy on Sunday in their next game at the tournament. Alabama State is set to play SIUE in Sunday’s opening matchup at 11 am.
