Stay Sharp in the Springs: Lobos Hunt Colorado Road Sweep Against Air Force
Air Force forward Caleb Walkers shoots close to the rim against Wyoming on Dec. 30. Photo courtesy of Air Force Athletics.
Nothing comes easy in the Mountain West, not even a matchup with an Air Force team that has began the year 3–12 and is winless in conference play.
UNM men’s basketball will try to avoid the trap of overlooking the Falcons when it completes its Colorado road trip on Saturday at 1:00 pm in Clune Arena at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Air Force’s vintage Princeton-style offense has taken a step back this season, due in large part to the lack of 3-point shooting production that normally opens up back-cuts and other easy scoring opportunities that are essential to the offensive flow.
The Falcons are shooting just 29% from the 3-point line compared to the 36% they shot when they beat the Lobos in the Pit two seasons ago on Feb. 24, 2024.
“Is our offense ever going to catch up? I don’t know,” said Air Force head coach Joe Scott after the Falcons' 99-62 loss to Utah State on Tuesday. “That’s again where our guys have got to really know well then that means defensively no matter what’s happening, no matter what’s happening on the offensive end… we got to play defense like you can’t believe.”
Air Force has been able to use its defense to stay competitive through parts of its early conference schedule. Against San Diego State on the road on Dec. 17, the Falcons held the Aztecs to 39% shooting in the opening half and trailed just 33-30 at halftime.
SDSU then woke up, forcing 10 turnovers and knocking down seven 3-pointers in the second half on the way to an 81-58 win.
Air Force’s defense locked in against Wyoming on Dec. 30, holding the Cowboys to 20% shooting in the second half and tying the game 41-41 before Wyoming used a late run to put Air Force away.
The Falcons feature three double-figure scorers on the season led by freshman guard Kam Sanders (6-3) at 12 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Sanders is a candidate to make the All-Mountain West freshman team, and had Air Force's go-ahead basket over Alabama State for their first win of the season.
Junior forward Kaleb Walker (6-9) also chips in 12 points per game to go along with five rebounds. He usually comes off the bench, playing 22 minutes per game. Walker’s been in double figures 11 times for the Falcons this season and has two 20-point games.
Sophomore forward Eli Robinson (6-6) leads the team in rebounding with 5.7 per game and is also Air Force’s best 3-point shooter, shooting 47% on the season although on low volume (8-of-17). Freshman forward Lucas Hobin (6-8) is Air Force’s other 3-point threat, shooting a respectable 33% on a much higher volume (33 of 99) and averages 11.4 points per contest.
Lucas Hobon shoots a 3-pointer against Utah State on Jan. 6. Photo courtesy of Air Force Athletics.
“We’re playing New Mexico Saturday,” Scott said. “They’re good. They’re really good. Things aren’t really going to go great offensively all the time. We’ve gotta be good defensively to the best of our ability.”
Bottom Line
UNM must stay focused on Saturday’s matchup with Air Force before turning its attention to Grand Canyon next Tuesday. The defensive approach that stifled Colorado State in UNM's 80-70 win on Tuesday should carry over, as disrupting ball movement and forcing turnovers against Air Force early will be key. After scoring 21 points off 14 CSU turnovers, the Lobos should aim for similar production by applying early ball pressure, generating transition opportunities on offense, and getting balanced scoring from its bench.
