COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Mavericks came up two points short for the second-straight game, falling 58-56 to the Air Force Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 19 in the finale of the Air Force Classic from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Omaha's record moves to 2-4 in the loss, while Air Force improves to 4-2 on the year. The Mavericks finished the Air Force Classic with a record of 1-2. Omaha opened the tournament with an 89-83 win over William & Mary, but lost 72-70 to Lindenwood on Friday.
Leaders for Omaha
Nick Davis led the Mavericks with 13 points, falling one point shy of his career-high in scoring as the senior went 5-7 from the field. Tony Osburn scored a season-high 11, with nine of those points coming from beyond the arc. Osburn led Omaha with six rebounds, tying his career high in boards. Frankie Filder was held in check with just seven points, but led the team with three assists.
Leaders for Air Force
Ethan Taylor led the Air Force offense with 16 points going 6-12 from the field. Kellan Boylan also made 50% of his field goals, going 4-8 for 13 points. Taylor and Boylan were outshot by Corbin Green, who made 3-5 baskets for 11 points and picked up a team-high nine rebounds.
Team Stats
The Falcons outshot the Mavericks 43.2% to 35.1% and 76.5% to 68.8% at the free-throw line. Omaha led Air Force in points from turnovers (22-15), points in the paint (28-22), fast-break points (10-1) and points from the bench (30-13). The Mavericks led for just 30 seconds as Air Force controlled for the other 35:57 that the game wasn't tied.
Inside the First Half
Out of the gate, Air Force took the lead and was up to a 9-3 advantage by the first media timeout. The Mavericks climbed out of the early hole with a seven-point run, capped off by a three-point play from Nick Davis that gave Omaha a 13-12 lead at 12:24. The Falcons responded with a triple to take the lead back, and went on a six-point run that lasted through 6:53. Omaha and Air Force would trade buckets for the remainder of the half as the Falcons found themselves up 30-24 at the midway point.
Inside the Second Half
The Mavericks cut the into deficit with a bucket from Davis before Grant Stubblefield knocked down his first three at 18:44. Omaha would get within one off free throws from Fidler and would take a 39-37 lead off a three-pointer from Luke Jungers with 13:36 to play. After a three-point play from the Falcons at the other end, the Mavericks would take their last lead of the game at 42-41 off a dunk from Marquel Sutton at 12:45. For the next seven minutes, it was all Air Force as they used a 10-point run to gain a 53-43 advantage with just 5:03 to play. Good free-throw shooting and a huge three from Osburn at 2:17 shrank the Falcons' lead to 53-52. Davis tied the game at 56 with just 44 seconds left on the clock, but Air Force made a layup with 15 seconds left to retake the lead. Omaha had a good look on the last shot of the game, but couldn't get it to fall as the Mavericks fell 58-56 to the Air Force Falcons.
Game Notes
- Grant Stubblefield notched a career-high three steals to go along with two assists and four points.
- Omaha was down by 10 points with under five minutes remaining but was able to tie the game up with 44 seconds left.
- Frankie Fidler was the lone Maverick named to the all-tournament team as Frankie scored 42 points and recorded 17 rebounds in three games, and picked up his first double-double of the year against William & Mary.
Up Next
The Mavericks return to Omaha for a midweek-clash with Mid-America Christian. Tipoff from Baxter Arena is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
