LAS VEGAS – The most improbable postseason run in the history of Air Force athletics concludes tonight when the ninth-seeded Falcons women’s basketball team faces No. 3 Colorado State in the Mountain West championship game.

The game tips at 7:30 p.m. MT on CBS Sports.

Let’s catch you up on everything you need to know.

Matchup information

Air Force (16-17) has enjoyed more sustained success against Colorado State (26-7) than against any of the other upper-tier Mountain West programs, winning nine of the past 17 matchups.

CSU won both games in the regular season, taking the game at Air Force on Jan. 14 (played without fans after a water main break) 65-63, and taking the matchup Feb. 28 in Fort Collins 66-52.

At the tournament, CSU beat No. 6 Grand Canyon 61-59 on a buzzer-beating layup from Madeline Bragg, then took out three-time defending champion UNLV, the No. 2 seed, 66-59.

The Rams lost Lexus Bargesser to a leg injury vs. UNLV and her status is unknown for the championship. It would be a critical loss. The Mountain West Newcomer of the Year leads the team with 15.5 points per game, is second in rebounding (6.0 per game), second in assists, third in steals and is shooting 42% from 3-point range and 82.1% from the free-throw line.

How Air Force got here

The Falcons finished the regular season 13-17 overall, 7-13 in the Mountain West. For a team loaded with experience, it was a disappointing season.

Then came the Mountain West tournament, which has seen…

– A 60-53 victory over No. 8 Wyoming in Saturday’s first round. The Falcons played some of their best basketball of the year for three quarters, building an 11-point lead. The Cowgirls cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but freshman Bhret Clay hit a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining to provide some breathing room.

The Cowboys led the all-time series 64-5 entering the matchup.

– An epic 83-76 upset of No. 1 San Diego State in the quarterfinals behind 33 points from Milahnie Perry. The Falcons set a season high in scoring and made 10-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter.

The Aztecs had gone 19-1 in conference play during the regular season.

– A 68-66 semifinal win over No. 5 Boise State on Monday night, as Perry scored 27 and Keelie O’Hollaren made 4-of-8 3-pointers, including three in the second half that came at difference-making moments. The Broncos had possession in the last 10 seconds but missed an initial shot attempt and failed to get another shot off before the buzzer.

Boise State swept Air Force during the regular season.

Main Air Force storyline (team)

This is the ultimate rags-to-riches story in college sports, and not just because of this improbable three-game run.

The Falcons moved up to NCAA Division I in 1996-97 and over the next 19 years won less than 8% of their conference games.

Veteran coach Chris Gobrecht (along with associate head coach Stacy McIntyre) arrived in 2015-16. For the first two seasons the team went 5-54. Then the win totals jumped from 4 to 6 to 8 to 10. The 2019-20 team closed the season by winning six of its final nine games, an unheard-of run for the team against Mountain West competition.

In 2021-22, the Falcons went 19-14 (11-7 Mountain West), reached the semifinals in the Mountain West tournament (a first for Air Force – men’s or women’s) and won a game in the WNIT.

Gobrecht retired following the 2023-24 season, with McIntyre taking over.

“It’s unlike anything,” McIntyre said after the semifinal victory. “You know, we’ve been building this program at Air Force for many years. Clearly I’ve been here for multiple years. I remember what it was like many years ago.

“So just, you know, not just for this team. I can’t say enough about our coaching staff. But just for everyone that’s here and supporting Air Force women’s basketball, yes, it means a lot to us, but it means a lot to everyone.”

Main storyline (individual)

Milahnie Perry has been the story of the tournament and, if Air Force wins on Tuesday night, just might become a major story nationally.

“Perry is arguably the hottest player in the country right now,” Colorado State coach Ryun Williams said.

The senior from Tampa, Fla., has scored 78 points in the three victories, tying a Mountain West tournament record.

This is just her latest scoring record. She is Air Force’s all-time leading scorer (getting there dramatically with 26 points on Senior Night) and owns the top three scoring seasons in program history at the D1 level. She is 13 points shy of the overall single-season scoring record in team history.

She has been the talk of the Thomas & Mack Center this week.

“Oh, yeah, 100%,” CSU’s Brooke Carlson said when asked if Perry will be the first name mentioned in the scouting report. “But we’re going to get it done.”

Potential issue for Air Force

Exhaustion – The Falcons have not used a deep bench in the tournament, potentially exacerbating the task of playing four games in four days. Perry has averaged 38.3 minutes, Alexis Cortez 36, Jayda McNabb 34.3, Bhret Clay 30.6, Emily Adams 29 and Keelie O’Hollaren 22.3.

Colorado State has played two days in a row and is primarily using seven players, but Bargesser’s injury could change the rotation.

Shooting – Air Force shot 39.7% vs. Wyoming, 48.1% vs. San Diego State and 42.9% vs. Boise State. Those are the three best shooting performances for the team since Jan. 14. The team is shooting 36% overall this season. Is this kind of shooting sustainable? Then again, they’re now used to this gym and they shot 47.9% vs. CSU in January, so don’t dismiss the possibility.

Did anyone see this coming?

If you read The Gazette frequently, you knew a run was possible.

Here are some excerpts from stories this season:

From Oct. 23

The Falcons don’t open the season until Nov. 3 at Denver, but they notched a pivotal victory already when Alexis Cortez and the other four members of the junior class arrived for their first courses of the semester. Cadets can transfer through the end of their sophomore year, but not after starting their junior year. Returning locked the five into their commitment to graduate and serve, and for the women’s basketball program it ensured a roster loaded with experienced upperclassmen.

…

And if the past is any indicator, expect even more growth out of the group now that it has had the time to figure out the time-management skills required to thrive at an academy.

Getting athletes to this point in their career is the goal – a chance to reap what the difficult first two years have sown – but it has been a challenge for Air Force.

From Feb. 4

(Emily) Adams might also hold the key to helping another senior find that extra gear. It’s likely no coincidence that in the past two games, with Adams scoring 37 points, that Milahnie Perry has scored 46.

Perry had 19 points in Wednesday’s victory, pulling to within 17 points of the program’s all-time scoring record as an NCAA Division I program (dating back to 1996-97). She has always been a scorer, but adding a complementary piece like Adams on the interior helps provide her some room to maneuver on the perimeter.

“I hope so. That was my goal,” Adams said. “I think taking that pressure off her was part of my goal in helping the team win more.”

From March 6

Little tangible evidence suggests a run might be in the works for the Air Force women’s basketball team in the Mountain West Tournament.

But this is the time of year for intangibles to work their magic, and that’s the hope this veteran group of Falcons is banking on as they begin action Saturday as the No. 9 seed facing No. 8 Wyoming at 1 p.m. in Las Vegas.

…

Air Force (13-17) is in the enviable position of having two seniors carrying the scoring load of late.

More essential reading on this team

Essential reading on Air Force women’s basketball.

Briggeman | Tears from opponent a telling marker for the growth of Air Force women’s basketball

On rebounding: How Jayda McNabb overcame long childhood odds and learned to seize opportunities

Milahnie Perry’s sudden jump from role player to single-season scoring record holder began at home