Air Force 63, Colorado State 59

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- Antoine Hood had 15 points and

converted two clutch free throws as Air Force ended its regular

season with a six-game winning streak and a 63-59 victory over

Colorado State on Saturday.

Matt McCraw led Air Force (24-5, 12-4 Mountain West Conference)

with 18 points. In gaining a school-record 24th win, the Falcons

also claimed the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament next week.

With 1:34 left, Stephan Gilling's 3-pointer gave Colorado State

(15-14, 4-12) a 59-58 lead, but Hood gave the Falcons the lead

right back with two free throws. Seven-foot Stuart Creason missed

badly on an uncontested 15-foot jumper with a minute left and Tim

Anderson sealed the win with a 3-pointer.

Dan Nwaelele erased a five-point halftime deficit and tied the

game at 41 when he converted two free throws awarded him when

Colorado State's Freddy Robinson was ejected and assessed a

technical foul for leaving the bench with 11:44 left. Robinson was

coming to CSU coach Dale Layer's defense after Jacob Burtschi, who

was trash-talking with the CSU bench, ran over Layer. Burtschi said

after the game that his contact with Layer was unintentional.

Three-pointers by Burtschi and McGraw put Air Force ahead 52-45,

but the Rams trimmed the lead back to 52-51 on Jason Smith's layup

4:50 remaining.

Nwaelele's layup put Air Force ahead by 58-53 before a

conventional three-point play, but 3-pointers from Cory Lewis and

Gilling gave Colorado State its last lead with 1:34 left.

Smith led Colorado State with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Creason added 13 points and had two free throws in the final 1:18

of the first half that put the Rams ahead 31-26 at the break.