1-16-19…The night at Clune Arena the Air Force Men’s Basketball announced to the rest of the Mountain West Conference it has the potential to make life absolutely miserable for any team they face the rest of the season. The 106-88 win over UNLV set a school record for points against a conference foe. The dismantling of the Runnin Rebels was a classic-like watching Billy Joel at the Piano, or Bob Ross painting on PBS (you old timers may remember that one). 6 players in double figures…outrebound one of the top rebounding teams in the nation…leading for close to 38 minutes….From this memorable night 2 things emerge…#1) When the Cadet Wing makes an appearance with over a thousand students, they have a profound effect on the outcome. This game harkened back to the days when the Falcons had regular sellouts and “Section 8” as it was known, was teeming with cadets hanging from the rafters unleashing misery on teams like Utah with Rick Majerus, and BYU. This is from Marvin Menzies, UNLV’s Head Coach, after Wednesday night’s loss “We did a lot more switching than we normally do, and that didn’t work out too well for us because we couldn’t communicate it on the floor,” Menzies said. “They couldn’t even hear themselves barking out the screens and barking out the switches. The crowd really affected the game tonight. It’s rare that I say that at Air Force, but they had a great crowd.” And Air Force fed off that and played their best basketball in years. #2) The Falcons, when they play with urgency, energy, desire, and passion, can make that Wednesday Night performance more than just a “One Night Only” event. Sure it’s not easy to shoot 59% and have 6 players in double figures, and run your offense to near perfection, and rebound like your life depends on it. And it’s doubly tough to do that on the road where larger crowds and bigger student bodies await Lavelle Scottie, Ryan Swan and company. But………But…….Why can’t it happen? Why can’t the Falcons run their offense with quick passes and urgency? Why can’t they be the team to set the tone? Why can’t they outmuscle teams, like they did to UNLV, and San Diego State 4 nights earlier? Why can’t they emerge from a 12 or 14 win spin cycle they’ve been in the past 5 years? Why can’t they make life just the pits for any team they face? They can. We saw it. January 16th 2019. Over 1000 cadets were more than witnesses. They were part of it. They set the tone. But it’s up to the team on the floor. Was 1-16-19 a starting point, a foundation, a template for success? Or was it just a one hit wonder? Only the Falcons have that answer…Stay Tuned.
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