Air Force men’s basketball lost to Northern Colorado 71-53 on Wednesday afternoon at Clune Arena. The Falcons, now with a record of 3-5, were led by freshman Kam Sanders who scored 16 points.
The first half was closely contested, with Air Force trailing 28-24 at halftime. The Falcons limited Northern Colorado to 27 percent shooting from three-point range in the opening period. However, Northern Colorado improved their shooting in the second half, making seven three-pointers and hitting 60 percent of their field goals. Air Force was within five points with just over ten minutes left but was outscored 17-5 for the remainder of the game.
Northern Colorado finished the game shooting 54 percent from the field and made a total of ten three-pointers. Guard Quinn Decker led all scorers with 23 points, while forward Brock Wisne contributed 20 points on efficient post play.
For Air Force, Sanders scored most of his points in the second half and also recorded five rebounds and two assists without committing a turnover in his 32 minutes on the court. Junior center Wesley Celichowski added ten points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard AJ Patterson set career highs with eight points and six rebounds.
The Falcons struggled offensively, shooting just 41 percent from the field overall and making only 18 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Air Force will next play South Dakota on Saturday, November 29, in a neutral-site matchup at The Monument in Rapid City, South Dakota.
