COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior Richard Washington had a career-high 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting but the Spartans fell at Air Force, 95-86, on Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena.
Washington scored 20 of his points in the second half alone, when the Spartans used a big run to cut into a 20-point Air Force lead. But ultimately it wasn't enough as the Falcons pulled away late. Washington nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds. Seneca Knight chipped in 13 points while Brae Ivey and Zach Chappell each had 10.
"Our biggest issue right now is consistency," said head coach Jean Prioleau. "We have these great stretches and then have some bad stretches. We need to improve in that area and play well for a full 40 minutes. We're chipping away at the process of improving this team."
After a back-and-forth first few minutes to start the game, Air Force jumped out to a double digit lead, 25-13, with a three-pointer at the 12:44 mark of the first half. The Falcons made 10 of their first 11 shots in that time span.
Air Force continued to pull away as the Spartans went cold. After a Washington jumper with 12:23 on the clock, the Spartans didn't make a field goal until Christian Anigwe knocked down a shot with 7:48 remaining before half. The Falcons used that scoring drought to take a 32-17 lead.
Air Force led by as much as 16 in the first half but the Spartans went on a furious rally to get back into the game. Washington hit a three with 6:00 left in the first, starting a 15-2 run to cut the Air Force lead to just 39-36. The SJSU run included three three-pointers plus an Anigwe dunk.
Air Force was quick to respond, finishing the first half on an 11-1 run to take a 50-37 lead at the break. Washington had a team-high 11 points at halftime on 4-of-7 shooting with three three-pointers.
After Ivey opened up the second half with a corner three to make it a 10-point deficit, Air Force went on an 11-2 run to take a 61-42 lead with 16:27 left in the game. The Falcons opened up a 20-point lead, 69-49, with 12:32 left in the second as the teams traded baskets.
It was still a 20-point lead for Air Force, 79-59, with 9:23 to go when the Spartans turned it on once again. Washington scored six straight points as part of a 12-0 run to make it a 79-71 lead for the Falcons with 6:07 remaining. An Ivey three-pointer with 5:36 on the clock cut the Air Force lead to six but the Spartans could get no closer in the nine-point loss.
The Spartans return home for a Wednesday night showdown with Boise State. Tip is 7 PM on the Mountain West Digital Network.