Army Retains Armed Forces Womens' Basketball Title

Courtesy Photo | Navy players Seaman Odetta Johnson, Petty Officers 3rd Class Helen Brown and Leslie Moore and Lt. j.g. Kim Gallagher watch Navy defeat Marine Corps 67-53 in first round play of the women's armed forces basketball competition. Wayne Smith  

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

04.11.1996

Courtesy Story

Defense.gov         

Army bombed Air Force, 60-38, and cruised to its third straight armed forces women's' basketball title at Memphis Naval Air Station, Tenn.

Navy (2-2) claimed third place in the double-elimination tournament, losing an 80-61 decision to Air Force (2-2) in the consolation bracket final. Marine Corps (0-2) took fourth.

Paced by Spc. Tammy Brown of Bamberg, Germany, Army (3-0) broke a 21-21 halftime tie to win the basketball title. Brown, who nailed four three-pointers in the championship game, canned 12 of her game-high 21 points in the first period. She continued her hot shooting with nine second half points.

Spc. Demetria Barr (Fort Hood, Texas) and Pfc. Sylvia Cummings (Kaiserslautern, Germany) combined for 14 second half points as the Army forwards dominated the backboards. Barr scored nine of her 11 points in the final period, while Cummings tallied half of her 10 points in the second half.

Staff Sgt. Terry Crumpler (Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.) paced Air Force with 12 points. Senior Airman Tracy Kinton (Vandenbeg, Air Force Base, Calif.) added nine points.

Defeated by Army 66-46 earlier in the tournament, Air Force kept the championship game close through the first half. Crumpler and Kinton played solid defense against the Army front court of Cummings, Barr and Staff Sgt. Gail Potts (SHAPE, Belgium), limiting them to five first half points. While playing well defensively, Crumpler and Kinton also combined for 14 of Air Force's 21 first half points.

However, while Air Force controlled the front court during the first 20 minutes, Army dominated the second half. Cummings, Potts and Staff Sgt. Cassandra Howard (Fort Hood, Texas) limited Air Force forwards to 11 second half points and controlled the offensive boards, leading to many easy Army layups.

Army placed seven players on the all-armed forces basketball squad. Besides Barr, Potts, Cummings, Brown and Howard, Army added Spc. Sharon Lyons (Fort Hood) and Pfc. Tracye Coursey (Fort Bragg, N.C.)to the 13-member team. Army head coach Sgt. 1st Class Johnnie Pickett (Fort Hood) also earned an all-tournament slot.

Three Marines and three Navy players also earned spots. Pacing the Marine Corps entries were Cpl. Linda Richmond of Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Sgt. Carlotta Moore of Marine Corps Base, Hawaii, and Cpl. Trinia Allen of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

Earning Navy slots were Petty Officer 2nd Class Ammie Harris of Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, N.C.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Rhonda Thompkins of Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center, Va., and Seaman Shenita Waddle of North Island Naval Air Station, Calif.

Championship Game

Army (60)
Cassandra Howard 3 1-1 7, Sylvia Cummings 3 4-8 10, Tracye Coursey 0 0-0 0, Sharon Lyons 1 0-0 3, Gail Potts 1 0-0 2, Tammy Brown 8 1-3 21, Paula Page-Virgen 1 0-0 2, Sabrina Thomas 0 0-0 0, Carol Burgess 1 0-0 2, Demetria Barr 5 1-4 11, Kawamoto 0 2-2 2. Totals 23 9-18 60.

Air Force (38)
Tracy Kinton 3 2-4 9, Sherry Crumpler 4 4-4 12, Stephanie Garner 2 0-0 4, Pam Noble 2 0-0 4, Veda McNeal 1 0-0 3, Jennifer Vanheertum 0 0-0 0, Veronica Harris 1 0-0 3, Stephanie Crawford 0 0-0 0, Felicia Young 0 0-0 0, Stacy Williams 0 0-0 0, Trisha Vorachek 0 1-2 1, Juanita Osby 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 7-10 38.

Halftime -- Army 21, Air Force 21. Three-point goals -- Lyons, Brown 4, Kinton, McNeal, Harris. Total Fouls -- Army 14 , Air Force 22. Fouled Out: Harris.

Tournament Results
Army 66, Air Force 46
Navy 67, Marine Corps 53
Army 65, Navy 64
Air Force 76, Marine Corps 42 (Marines eliminated)
Air Force 80, Navy 61 (Navy eliminated)
Army 60, Air Force 38 (Air Force eliminated)

Story by Master Sgt. Stephen Barrett, USA, American Forces Press Service

• Date Taken: 04.11.1996
• Date Posted: 07.04.2025 00:25
• Story ID: 528906
• Location: WASHINGTON, US