Photo By Tech. Sgt. Curt Beach | The 2nd Security Forces Squadron championship basketball team poses for a photo at...... read more read more
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Two basketball powerhouses met in a heavyweight battle to decide the base champions at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., April 14, 2016.
After a 12-game regular season, the 2nd Security Forces Squadron Bayou Warriors met the 2nd Communications Squadron Tigers in the championship of a double-elimination playoff bracket.
The Tigers entered the contest as the favorite, having no playoff losses, while the Bayou Warriors had one. If 2nd CS were to win the game, they would be crowned the champs. However, if 2nd SFS were to win, thereby handing 2nd CS their first playoff loss, a rematch game would be played 30 minutes later with the winning team claiming the title.
“The expectation for our squadron is to maintain the highest level of fitness at all times,” said Senior Master Sgt. Cliff Young, 2nd SFS superintendent. “I believe when you have a winning sports program, it correlates directly to maintaining a fit-to-fight force. The level of commitment, determination and overall fitness required to win in intramural sports is the same as having a winning mindset in a combat environment.”
The Bayou Warriors came out hot, looking more like the Golden State Warriors, with a couple of quick 3-pointers.
The Tigers responded with a three of their own, but the Warriors retaliated with a few easy buckets in the paint and two more treys to claim an 18-5 advantage.
The Tigers called a timeout to regroup, which resulted in a modest 5-0 run, but had no answer for the Bayou Warriors’ 3-point snipers and fell behind 26-10.
“Our goal at the half was to slow down the 3-point shooting by changing up our defense which would isolate certain spots on the court and make it harder for them to work around, taking them out of their comfort zone,” said Exzavior Webb, Tigers shooting guard.
Just when it looked like the Warriors might run away with the game, the Tigers began to claw back into the fight. Riding the hot hands of shooting guards Webb and Marcus Toney, they put together a 22-10 run.
With 6 minutes left to play, Toney drained a three, igniting the crowd and cutting the Warriors’ lead to two, 46-44, the smallest since the opening moments of the game.
Aiming to ride their momentum and take the lead for the first time, the Tigers tightened up their defense.
But the Warrior offense proved too strong, and they pitched the upset victory 66-57, forcing a winner-take-all final contest.
In game two, the Warriors’ 3-point barrage continued, as they built a 42-26 lead with 11:22 to play.
Facing a do-or-die situation, the Tigers called a timeout in order to mount a final push.
Webb sliced through the Warrior defense several times for some quick buckets and cut the gap to single digits.
However, the Warriors sank some clutch free throws and hung on for a 55-49 victory, claiming the title of base champions.
The Warriors were led by Josh Porter, who led all scorers with a combined 48 points in the two games.
Webb led the Tigers with 43 points on the night, while Toney chipped in 38.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” said Lt. Col. David Watts, 2nd SFS commander. “The Bayou Warriors are known for our winning attitudes and being a cohesive, high-performance, mission-ready team. This season proves that, and it was a strong testament to the character, heart and competence of everyone supporting our team.”
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2016 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 196459 |
| Location: | BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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