Photo By Ronald Wolf | First Lt. Chris Parks, Fort Hood, Texas, gets off a shot for Team Army against the...... read more read more
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By Ron Wolf, U.S. Army Medical Command
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – Team Army had a chance for a bronze medal in wheelchair basketball at the 2015 DoD Warrior Games on June 22. A strong second half by the Air Force team put an end to that dream, as Team Army fell short, 52-45.
Earlier in the evening, Team Army also fell to the team from the Marines, 52-21, in the game that would have put them in the gold medal game had they won.
Despite the disappointing evening, Team Army displayed stamina and resilience, often bouncing back up from the floor after collisions tumbled them in their wheelchairs.
Team Army scored first against Air Force and had leads of 6-0 and 13-3. Air Force chipped away and at the half the Team Army lead, after a fundamentally sound first half, was 24-20.
The second half was a different story. The Air Force team had numerous second chance opportunities after Team Army did not get in position to rebound, providing uncontested baskets for Air Force. Team Army also missed a number what should have been easy layups.
A seven-minute stretch when Team Army did not score allowed Air Force to build a lead that Team Army could not overcome.
Coach Rob Williams, after the game, said he was disappointed for himself and his players.
His team “fought the good fight,” but ultimately he said he thought fatigue set in and affected their level of play.
Team Army had played eight games in the past three days.
Williams also said he hoped the loss would be a motivator for the team to improve and come back the following year at the next DoD Warrior Games.
Top scorers for Team Army were veteran Spc. Dustin Barr, Jamesville, North Carolina, with 14 points, and Sgt. Nicholas Titman, Fort Carson, Colorado, with seven.
In the semi-final game earlier, a red-hot shooting Marine team raced to an early lead that was too much for Team Army to overcome.
The Marine team jumped to an 8-2 lead at Barber Gymnasium that was nearly packed with cheering Marine Corps fans. The Marines pulled away at the end of the half to lead 33-14.
While the Marines shooting was torrid, Team Army had a great deal of trouble finding the hoop. Poor shooting was compounded by 10 first half turnovers.
Leading scorer against the Marines was retired Staff Sgt. Alexander Shaw, Clarksville, Tennessee, with nine points.
The 2015 DoD Warrior Games, June 19-28, are an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. Approximately 250 athletes, representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the British Armed Forces are competing in archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2015 08:16 |
| Story ID: | 167745 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CLARKSVILLE, TN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Hometown: | JAMESVILLE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 149 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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