USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - The Air Force women's basketball team opened its 2008-09 season with a 55-40 exhibition win over Adams State Thursday night at Clune Arena. The Falcons broke open a 21-21 halftime tie by outscoring the Grizzlies 34-19 in the second half. Air Force center Kim Kreke notched a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Sophomore Raimee Beck and junior Kathleen Schjodt also reached double-figures in scoring for the Falcons, with Beck scoring 11 and Schjodt 10. Vera Jo Bustos was Adam State's leading scorer with eight points.

The Falcons never held a lead in the first half and trailed by as many as seven before scratching their way back to a halftime tie. Air Force struggled to hold onto the ball in the opening stanza, committing 11 turnovers and thus taking nine fewer shots than Adams State.

The Falcons took their first lead, 22-21, at the 19:23 mark in the second half on a Dana Loveless free throw. After Air Force upped their lead to 24-21, Adams State came back with a 7-0 run to take a 28-24 lead with 13:57 left to go in the game.

That's around the time the Falcons took over the ballgame, rallying to outscore the Grizzlies 31-12 over the remainder of the game. The Falcons first went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 34-30 at the 11-minute mark. Air Force then had another surge, out-scoring Adams State 8-2 over the next three minutes to take a 42-34 lead with eight minutes left to play.

Beck and Schjodt led the second-half charge for the Falcons, as Beck scored all 11 of her points in the latter half and Schjodt added seven, including several clutch jumpers in the lane.

METRO NOTES:  Raimee won again led the Falcons playing a game high 39 minutes.  Raimee was 4-8 from the field, 2-3 from the 3 had 8 rebounds, 3 assists and only one turnover.