Air Force Falls to Nevada Remains Winless in Mountain West Action

The Air Force Falcons men’s basketball team can’t seem to find a win in Mountain West action one-third of the way through league action.
Jan 11, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons guard Ethan Taylor (5) controls the ball as San Jose State Spartans guard Will McClendon (1) guards in the second half at Clune Arena.
Jan 11, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons guard Ethan Taylor (5) controls the ball as San Jose State Spartans guard Will McClendon (1) guards in the second half at Clune Arena. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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The Air Force Falcons had their opportunities to claim their first Mountain West men's basketball victory, but it slipped through their fingers in a 68-62 loss to Nevada on Tuesday night.

The Falcons (3-14, 0-6 in Mountain West) had their last lead of the game with 3:21 to play, as they were up 60-59. That was because Nevada’s Justin McBride hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one.

From there, the Wolf Pack (9-7, 1-4) went on a 10-0 run to build a six-point lead with 21 seconds left. Kobe Sanders scored a jumper, followed by a 3-pointer by Daniel Foster and two free throws from Sanders.

Kyle Marshall scored Air Force’s last basket with 17 seconds left, but it only cut the lead to four points. Tre Coleman made two free throws for Nevada with 11 seconds left to push the lead back to six points.

Before that, Air Force had its own rally as the Falcons scored 11 straight points to turn a 50-45 deficit with 10:39 to play into a 54-50 lead with 8:08 remaining.

That run included a Wesley Celichowski jumper, a free throw by Jeffery Mills, followed by a Mills jumper. Celichowski had another layup, followed by two free throws from Marshall.

In the first half, Air Force built its largest lead, 11 points, as an Ethan Taylor jumper with 5:06 remaining pushed Air Force ahead, 31-20. Nevada chipped away with a 10-0 run down the stretch to tie the game before Marshall made two free throws to give the Falcons a 35-33 lead at the break.

Taylor finished with 22 points for Air Force, which included five 3-pointers, six rebounds, three steals and an assist. Marshall added 12 points, along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Coleman paced Nevada with 18 points, as he grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists and had three steals. Sanders added 11 points, with five assists.

Air Force has now lost six straight games while Nevada has won two straight games.

Nevada has historically been a tough opponent for Air Force. The Falcons dropped to 3-18 against the Wolf Pack all-time, with a 1-10 record on the road. Nevada has won the last five meetings.

Air Force travels to Fresno State on Friday, with tip set for 7 p.m. mountain. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.


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