By GREG MENGELT

COLORADO SPRINGS — Air Force freshman Jake Heidbreder scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds to help his Falcons knock off Texas Southern 61-57 at home Wednesday.

The Floyd Central graduate went 3-for-5 from the floor, 2-for-3 from the 3-point line and 2-for-4 from the charity stripe as the Falcons improved to 2-1 on the season.

Air Force had four players in double figures. Sophomore guard Joseph Octave led the way with 17 points, senior A.J. Walker added 13 and Heidbreder and junior Camden Vander Zwaag scored 10 each.

The Falcons trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before the closed the deficit to 33-28 at the break. Heidbreder’s 3-pointer with 11:42 pulled the Falcons within a point at 43-42. His layup two minutes later gave Air Force a 46-44 lead. That started a decisive 17-9 run.

Texas Southern (0-4) was led by senior John Walker III, who had 16 points in the loss.

Heidbreder and the Falcons face Holy Cross (1-2) next at the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Fla. That game is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. start. The Falcons will face either Bryant (1-2) or Bethune-Cookman (0-3) at noon or 2:30 in the tournament’s final round.