COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Utah Valley made a strong-fourth quarter push against Air Force, but the Falcons held on for a 64-53 win over the Wolverines in the Air Force Classic consolation game Saturday at Clune Arena.
 
Junior Taylor Gordon scored a team-high 15 points for Utah Valley (1-8), who had a combined 36 points from Gordon, Mariah Seals and Sam Lubcke. The Wolverine trio's performance, however, was out-shadowed by 57 combined points from Air Force's Mariah Forde, Kailin Davis and Cortney Porter.
 
"I thought we showed a lot more toughness some possessions," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "That's one thing we've been talking about, which translated to loose balls, offensive rebounds and deflections and charges. But each team has players that can beat you, and today theirs did."
 
With the Wolverines trailing by 13, Lubcke scored her sixth straight UVU point on a layup to spark a 10-2 over the next two minutes that cut the deficit to five in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines received a pair of three-pointers during the run from Britta Hall and Gordon, who was fouled on her shot-clock beating three and hit the ensuing free throw.
 
After another Wolverine stop, Seals drew a foul and hit one of her two foul shots to bring the score to 51-46. The Falcons responded with a 9-0 run after a three-pointer by Forde along with two free throws from Davis and Porter, who also scored on a layup.
 
Following Air Force's own fourth-quarter surge, UVU continued to fight with a 7-2 push capped by a Gordon basket from deep once again in the final minute. Gordon made her second three-pointer of the game and period and added another triple on a layup and foul to pull the Wolverines within 61-53 in the final minute.
 
With time running out, the Wolverines were forced to foul and the Falcons sunk four straight free throws in the final 54 seconds to help hold off Utah Valley's comeback attempt.
 
In addition to Gordon's pair of three-pointers, UVU received its only other made three-pointer from Britta Hall who finished with nine points on the day. Hall's nine points secured the ninth straight game the trio of Hall, Gordon and Seals has teamed up for 30 or more points.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, the Wolverines disrupted the Falcons' offensive sets with 23 caused turnovers to help them finish with an advantage in takeaways for the game. Gordon and Seals led the way for UVU in creating turnovers, as each finished the contest with three steals.
 
On the other end, Air Force converted nine three-pointers on 52 percent shooting from beyond the arc to overcome the UVU deep threat and ball control in the end.
 
"I feel like these girls really focused. Really this came down to the three-point line on defense, which for some reason we haven't been able to solve with people shooting 50 percent against us," Nixon.
 
After posting 16 points against SIUE in the first game of the Air Force Classic, Gordon had her second game with at least 15 points to earn all-tournament honors.
 
Utah Valley will continue its three-game road swing with a game at Southern Utah on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The game against the Thunderbirds is slated for a 12 p.m. start.

Air Force Classic All-Tournament Team
Taylor Gordon – UVU
Lauren White – SIUE
Kailin Davis – AF
Rachel Bell – Vanderbilt
Erin Whalen – Vanderbilt