AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grinding defense and razor-thin margins, Milahnie Perry’s driving layup with eight seconds remaining lifted Air Force to a 65-64 victory over Grand Canyon in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at Clune Arena.

The final sequence capped a tense fourth quarter that saw five lead changes and embodied the struggle of the entire contest. With the score tied at 63, Air Force’s Jayda McNabb found Perry cutting along the baseline. The 5-foot-7 guard from Tampa, Florida, absorbed contact and finished a difficult layup to put the Falcons ahead for good.

Grand Canyon, which had fought back from a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, had two final chances to win. Following an Air Force timeout, the Antelopes inbounded to Ines Zounia, whose rushed tip-in attempt off her own miss was secured by Air Force’s Emily Adams. After two more timeouts, Grand Canyon’s Chloe Mann saw a potential game-winning jumper from the elbow bounce off the rim as time expired.

The game was a defensive battle from the outset, with both teams struggling to find offensive rhythm. The teams combined for just 46 field goals on 119 attempts and committed 25 turnovers. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Air Force converted 16 of 20 attempts compared to Grand Canyon’s 11-of-12 performance, and from beyond the arc, where the Falcons hit a critical 3 of 12 while the Antelopes went 7 for 25.

Perry led all scorers with 26 points, adding five assists in 37 minutes. McNabb provided crucial support with 14 points and six assists, while Adams controlled the glass with 10 rebounds to go with eight points.

Grand Canyon was carried by the stellar play of Julianna LaMendola. The 6-foot-1 forward from Coppell, Texas, dominated inside and out, scoring a team-high 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots. Zounia added 13 points for the Antelopes.

Air Force established an early lead, closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 21-15 advantage. The Falcons maintained that cushion for most of the game, leading by as many as nine points in the third quarter. Grand Canyon’s persistence finally paid off in the final period, as a 9-2 run, capped by a LaMendola 3-pointer with 6:25 to play, gave the Antelopes their first lead since the opening minutes at 58-56.

The teams traded blows down the stretch. A LaMendola 3-pointer with 1:02 left put Grand Canyon ahead 64-63, setting the stage for Perry’s decisive response on the ensuing possession.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Grand Canyon, which fell to 9-15 overall. Air Force improved to 11-12, securing a hard-fought victory in a game where Interstat’s ELO system had heavily favored the Antelopes with a 76.4% win probability.

The announced attendance at the 5,858-seat Clune Arena was 941.

Grand Canyon next travels to face UNLV on Feb. 14. Air Force will visit Nevada on Wednesday.