New-look Air Force still a challenge for the UNLV Rebels

Air Force head coach Dave Pilipovich directs his team against New Mexico in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, at Air Force Academy, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Air Force looks like a lot of Air Force basketball teams in many ways.

The back-door cuts are still there. The Falcons still run their offense in a deliberate manner much of the time.

But now the Falcons are so much more. They score off transition more often. They sometimes take quicker shots in the halfcourt offense.

And they’re scoring a lot more, averaging 77.5 points entering Saturday’s 3 p.m. game against UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center. Air Force’s scoring average is up 9.1 points…