AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) Nick Welch led a balanced offense with 13 points and Air Force held Alcorn State without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes of the second half, helping the Falcons win their home opener 67-41 on Sunday.
Air Force (3-1) worked its offense to near perfection, using the high post to set up perimeter shots and layups off backdoor cuts. Tim Keller scored all 11 of his points in the first half the Falcons shot 57 percent to win their 15th straight home game.
Air Force was just as good defensively, forcing 19 turnovers and shutting the Braves down in the second half to turn a close game into a rout.
Alcorn State (0-4) shot 58 percent in the first half, but couldn't keep it up in the second against Air Force's constant pressure.
Swarming the perimeter and collapsing inside, Air Force forced the Braves into bad shot after bad shot, holding them without a field goal until Almaad Jackson's dunk at 15:14.
Delvin Thompson followed with a runner a minute later, but Alcorn State didn't score again until John Chandler hit one of two free throws to end Air Force's 16-0 run with 6:45 left. The next field goal didn't come until Jerist Roberts hit a short jumper with 4½ minutes left.
Alcorn State was just 5-of-22 in the second half and shot 38 percent overall. Jackson led the Braves with 13 points.
Air Force, on the other hand, kept up its hot shooting from the first half.
The Falcons opened the second half with Welch's three-point play and didn't slow down, outscoring the Braves 23-4 in the first 13 minutes. Air Force made 10 of 21 shots in the second half.
Alcorn State's troubles began early going.
Working the ball around the perimeter for open looks at the basket, the Falcons hit their first five shots - all 3-pointers. Air Force also forced five turnovers in the first five minutes on the other end to take a 15-5 lead.
But after their early troubles, the Braves started to get a handle on Air Force's unorthodox style.
Extending its defense and being more patient on offense, Alcorn State trimmed Air Force's lead to 22-18 with about five minutes left and made 10 of 17 shots in the first half.
It still wasn't enough to keep pace with the Falcons.
Air Force was 12-for-19 in the first half and hit 7-of-9 from 3-point range, using a late run to take a 31-24 lead. Keller hit all four of his shots, including three 3-pointers.
