Air Force will gladly take an 87-71 win against Army in its season opener. There were some frustrating moments during an uneven first half, but the Falcons eventually started clicking in the second half as they pulled away.

“I like where we’re going,” coach Jeff Reynolds said.

Here are some positives: Taylor Stewart played his best game as a Falcon, with 16 points and seven assists. Michael Lyons had 24 points and added a career best nine rebounds – a big stat, considering the Falcons need to replace Evan Washington’s rebounding. Mike Fitzgerald got off to a great start before foul trouble put him on the bench, and Todd Fletcher played very well too. Freshman Chris Carter might have been the biggest revelation of the night, with nine points, seven rebounds and seven steals. The last time an Air Force player had as many as seven steals was Tim Anderson against San Diego State on March 13, 2008.

The team-wide improvements come from a long offseason spent in the gym.

“I think it shows our work ethic in the offseason,” Stewart said. “We were pushing each other in summer, and it shows how competitive we are in practice.”

There were some issues that need to be fixed. The offense bogged down in the first half. Reynolds said he wasn’t pleased with how easy Army penetrated to the basket at times. And while the freshmen played a lot, Carter was the only one that put in a consistent game. Nerves were a factor. Marek Olesinksi, who has been touted as a good shooter, was 0-for-4. Kamryn Williams, already one of the team’s best athletes, blew two easy shots at the rim.

Five freshmen played (Colt Barnhill and DeLovell Earls were the others) and they’ll be a big part of Air Force’s season this year. The Falcons played more man-to-man defense than usual, in large part because of the athleticism of that group. The improvement of the freshmen will be important for Air Force.

“I thought they played like freshmen, with the exception of Chris Carter,” Reynolds said. “As a staff, we’re going to have to nurture them along.”

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