Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | Members of the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24’s Black Sheep attempt to block...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Marines and sailors from Combat Logistics Battalion 3’s Originals and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24’s Black Sheep fought for a win during a basketball game March 11, 2015, at the Semper Fit Center gym aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
The Originals led the first half with the Black Sheep trailing close behind at 26-25 and kept the lead throughout the game. This was MALS-24’s second consecutive loss in MCB Hawaii’s intramural basketball league, with CLB-3 ending the game, 56-48.
“We came out fast at first, but slowed down towards halftime,” said Desmond Nance, an all-purpose player with CLB-3. “That being said, we had a good, all-around defense — that’s what it’s all about. It’s what wins games.”
Nance said it’s what he was taught from the time he started playing: That a team couldn’t have a good offense without also having a good defense. Ajuna Rwakatare, a CLB-3 center, agreed.
“Our defense could always improve,” Rwakatare said. “We need to cover the shooters better and identify who they are; that’s what tends to kill us. There were two shooters (who) were getting to us, so next time we need be able to shut them down.”
Rwakatare said most of the team’s games were like Wednesday’s.
“We start off pretty well, and the other team catches up towards the half,” he said. “I’m not sure if we start slacking off or they start making all their shots, but our tempo isn’t where it should be, going into halftime. At that point, we either pull ahead or they just fall behind and can’t keep up.”
Instead of staying in specific areas, Nance said the team could play man-to-man more and make the game a little more personal. He said despite the victory, the Black Sheep had a lot of heart and played a good, hard game.
“We both have a lot of really good players,” Nance said. “Everyone played one heck of a game and we worked (hard) to deserve the win. We’ll just have to make sure we come out and play harder next time. We need to remember that we shouldn’t play at the other team’s level, but we should increase the tempo and play at our level.”
Ben Larivee, a small forward with MALS-24, said they had left too many of the Originals’ shooters open and were beaten from the outside. He said next time, however, the Black Sheep would know who to cover and where to be.
“We make defensive changes after we get accustomed to what the other team is doing, so if we see a team for a second time, it is beneficial to us because we will already know how to play them,” Larivee said. “Athletically, we may be at a disadvantage to some of these teams, but we make up for that by taking the right shots and doing the little things right. We focus on the fundamentals.”
Larivee also said it helped that they were playing against a team like the Originals because they were a good team.
“They weren’t cheap and didn’t play dirty, and that’s something that always makes a good opponent,” he said. “I’m always more than happy to play against a good group of people. Next time, we’ll just have to work harder to win. We have to come out with confidence in ourselves that we can win it and follow through, sinking those shots.”
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2015 16:49 |
| Story ID: | 156996 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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