Air Force earns high praise from coach of BYU

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Feb 25, 2004 | by TODD JACOBSON THE GAZETTE

Brigham Young coach Steve Cleveland's message to Air Force coach Joe Scott after the Falcons' 67-61 Mountain West Conference loss to the Cougars on Monday night was simple.

"I said, 'Hey, go win a conference championship,'" Cleveland recalled. "We are going to try to win the rest of our games, and I can't control what they do, but I think it's a great college basketball story.

"They did outstanding. They are the best team in our league," Cleveland added. "We can say what we want, but they are 9-2. They have proven to be the best team in our league."

Despite the loss, Air Force emerged from its toughest road trip of the season with a satisfying split.

Air Force's win over Utah on Saturday helped ease the pain of last week's disappointing loss to Texas-Pan American, entrenched the Falcons atop the conference and rekindled the team's once-dwindling NCAA Tournament hopes.

And Scott said Monday's loss -- to a hot-shooting BYU team that has lost once at home in its past 62 games -- did little to diminish that.

"You always look for in this league a split on the road," Scott said. "We got that. Obviously it would have been great to get a sweep. We had a chance. Things just didn't go our way.... I don't think we exceeded expectations. We are the first-place team in this league, and I think we showed this weekend that we are the first- place team in this league."

In fact, the Falcons made history, winning Saturday against Utah in Salt Lake City for the first time since 1989, and return home to Clune Arena with a chance to make more.

Air Force (19-5, 9-2 MWC) can clinch at least a share of its first Mountain West Conference title with one win in its next three games. Two wins would clinch the title outright, and tie the conference record for wins in a season (11).

If Utah (20-7, 8-4) and BYU (18-7, 8-4) each lose one more game, that would also clinch a share of the title for the Falcons. The Utes and Cougars play each other March 1.

The Falcons finish the season against UNLV on Saturday and San Diego State on Monday at home before tuning up for the Mountain West Tournament at Pepsi Center in Denver with a road game against Wyoming on March 6.

Air Force is 11-0 at home this season.

"To go on the road to Utah and BYU where nobody has won all year long and to steal one from Utah, that is huge," sophomore center Nick Welch said. "You have to be satisfied with that. We are in the driver's seat in the conference still and we get to go play at home where we haven't lost either."

As for Cleveland, he was happy to see the Falcons leave Provo and head home.

"They are tough to play, I am telling you," Cleveland said. "It's a grind to play those guys."

Kuhle update

Senior A.J. Kuhle was feeling fine, team officials said, after he had to leave Monday's game for a few minutes after a hit from BYU center Rafael Araujo left his upper lip bloodied.

Kuhle did not require stitches.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0256 or tjacobson@gazette.com