Air Force Edges Long Beach State in CBE Classic First Round, 69-68

Burtschi leads offensive effort with 22 points.

Jacob Burtschi (File Photo)
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Nov. 14, 2006

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Dan Nwaelele scored 19 points, including a key 3-pointer with 1:31 remaining to play which broke a tie and led Air Force to a 69-68 victory over Long Beach State in the first round of the CBE Classic on Tuesday night.

Jacob Burtschi added 22 points, including a pair of free throws in the final 12 seconds, for the Falcons (2-0) and Tim Anderson added 11.

Aaron Nixon scored all of his 17 points in the second half as the 49ers played their season opener. Sterling Byrd added a career-high 16 points and Kevin Houston had 11.

Air Force plays the winner of a later game between Stanford and San Jose State on Wednesday night for a ticket to the Final Four in Kansas City on Monday.

Byrd scored off a steal with two minutes left to tie the game at 58.

The Falcons worked the shot clock on its next possession and Nwaelele worked himself open on the perimeter and nailed the long range shot.

Long Beach State closed to within one several times and missed a free throw with 15 seconds left that would have tied it.

Nixon, the 49ers' leading scorer last year, broke his jaw during a pickup game in September and had the wiring removed two weeks ago.

Nixon missed all nine of his first-half shots but made four of his first five tries in the second half to help spark a 49ers' rally that erased a 10-point deficit.

Long Beach State opened the second half with a 12-4 run to take its first lead of the game with 15:49 remaining to play.

The lead changed hands eight times during the final 20 minutes and was tied on five other occasions.

Long Beach State led the nation with an 83.3 scoring average last year, while the Falcons led the nation in scoring defense the past four years, last year with a 54.7 average.

The 49ers are picked to win Big West Conference while Air Force, an NCAA tournament team last year, is picked to finish third in the Mountain West.

Air Force held a 30-25 lead at halftime.