Falcons dominate Rebels 64-48

Antoine Hood scored 15 points and shot 4-for-4 from the 3-point line Monday night to lead Air Force to a 64-48 win over UNLV. The win extended Air Force's winning streak at home to 24 games, the second longest in the nation.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP)- Air Force (14-7, 5-1 Mountain West Conference) won it in the first half with superior 3-point shooting and the nation's No. 1 scoring defense. Air Force made 10 of its first 15 field goal attempts, including 8 of its first 12 3-point attempts to take a 42-24 lead into the break.

Nick Welch and Jacob Burtschi added nine points each for the Falcons.

The Rebels' Odartey Blankson hit a jumper to pull UNLV to 18-15 with 11:39 left in the first half, but UNLV's next field goal didn't come until Joel Anthony hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Romel Beck led UNLV with 14 points, while Odartey Blankson added 11 points.

Air Force out-rebounded the Rebels 26-24, despite UNLV (9-9, 2-4) entering the game ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in offensive rebounds while the Falcons were seventh. Air Force finished with a 10-7 advantage on the offensive glass.

In the second half, the Falcons substituted liberally and 15 Air Force players saw action.

UNLV (9-9)

Blankson 4-7 2-2 11, Amundson 3-3 0-0 6, Beck 4-10 6-7 14, Umeh 1-3 3-4 6, Blassingame 3-8 0-0 7, Terry 0-2 0-0 0, Morgan 0-1 0-0 0, Hannan 0-1 0-0 0, Anthony 1-1 2-4 4, Villepigue 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-37 13-17 48.

AIR FORCE (14-7)

Burtschi 4-8 0-0 9, Nwaelele 3-4 0-0 7, Welch 3-6 3-7 9, Keller 2-6 0-0 5, An.Hood 5-8 1-1 15, McCraw 3-5 0-0 8, Anderson 0-4 0-0 0, Ad.Hood 0-0 0-0 0, Dillinger 0-0 0-0 0, Swan 0-0 0-0 0, Teets 2-2 0-0 4, Holum 1-1 0-0 2, Peterson 1-2 0-0 2, Buchanan 1-2 0-0 3, Frye 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-49 4-8 64.

Halftime_Air Force 42-24.

3-Point Goals-UNLV 3-9 (Blassingame 1-1, Umeh 1-1, Blankson 1-2, Hannan 0-1, Terry 0-1, Beck 0-3), Air Force 10-27 (An.Hood 4-4, McCraw 2-3, Nwaelele 1-1, Buchanan 1-2, Burtschi 1-5, Keller 1-5, Frye 0-1, Peterson 0-1, Welch 0-2, Anderson 0-3).

Fouled Out-Amundson.

Rebounds-UNLV 24 (Blankson 7), Air Force 26 (Burtschi, Keller, Welch 4).

Assists-UNLV 6 (Blassingame 3), Air Force 19 (Keller 6).

Total Fouls-UNLV 12, Air Force 14.

A-4,435.

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Next up for Air Force:  At Wyoming 4pm, Saturday, Feb 5.