The taste of victory on this court was the main thing from this night, because the opportunities for those bites are so limited.

The Air Force women dispatched of Portland State 65-55 at Clune Arena on Tuesday evening. It probably should have been more lopsided, as the Falcons led by 17 at one point but could never fully run away and hide. The Vikings stayed within earshot largely because they outscored the Falcons 16-5 from the free-throw line.

But, again, it was a win in front of a crowd bolstered by several hundred cadets incentivized to attend.

It was the second victory in four days for the Falcons on their home floor. The next home game isn’t until Dec. 13.

That’s the extent of the nonconference home slate.

“We knew these two games at home were critical and we had to get those W’s,” coach Stacy McIntyre said. “We do have a lot of road games this year.”

Scheduling is a complicated process. The Falcons had several return trips from last year to fulfill, locking them in to games at South Dakota, UC San Diego and Utah Valley. Then the Mountain West added Grand Canyon and bumped the conference slate to 20 games from 18, knocking out some flexibility. The program generally likes to play close to the hometowns of upperclassmen, so that fills a few dates. Also, the Falcons have a veteran roster. Opponents see that and are hesitant to play.

You want a schedule that boosts the win/loss record but also presents challenges.

It’s a lot, and sometimes, like this year, it takes you away from home for seven of the 10 games outside of conference play.

“It is just as challenging as recruiting,” said McIntyre, in her second year at the program’s helm after nine years as predecessor Chris Gobrecht’s top deputy. “You’re constantly on the phone, contacting coaches. … While you try to stay in control of scheduling, sometimes it can be out of your control.”

All of which magnified the need to capitalize on the rare home dates.

This one was never in much doubt as the Falcons (3-2) sprang to a 13-2 lead in the first quarter. Portland State (1-3) never drew closer than 10 points following a 9-0 Falcons spurt in the final two minutes of the first half.

Milahnie Perry led the way with 20 points, moving up a spot to No. 8 on the program’s all-time scoring list in its Division I era that began in 1996-97.

“It gives us a lot of confidence, and we have a great time every time we play at home,” said Perry, no stranger to Clune Arena as a four-year standout.

For freshman Bhret Clay, this was home game No. 2. She followed her nine-point, five-steal performance in Saturday’s victory over Manhattan with 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

“It’s been amazing to come out and play at Clune,” said Clay, a four-time state champion at Hobbs, N.M. “It’s definitely an amazing experience; nothing I’ve ever felt before. I feel like the crowd is very electric. Just getting these home wins means a lot because we’re on the road so much.”