LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS –
The 37th Security Forces Squadron "Horsemen" won the basketball base championship, defeating the 690th Alteration and Installation Squadron "Roadrunners," 42-28, March 4.
The game featured tough defense by both teams, with a relatively low number of points coming from inside the paint.
"We weren't really concerned with our offense to start the game, we were just concerned with our defense," said Horsemen coach Jesse Jenkins. "We knew that if we played well defensively, that would turn into offense for our team."
With 8:38 left in the second half, small forward Dwight Taylor elevated for a dunk attempt, but was fouled hard by Roadrunner Damien Seals.
Taylor still managed to score the basket and completed the three-point play with his free throw.
The sequence ended with Seals fouling out of the game and gave the Horsemen a 33-25 lead they would not relinquish.
"We knew they had two good players. We thought if we could keep those two in check that we could get into their heads and create problems for them," Jenkins said.
Taylor finished the game with 19 points.
Taylor's dramatic play led to a flurry of points for the Horsemen created by numerous steals. In a 60-second span, the lead ballooned from eight points to 14 points.
"We went from a 2-3 zone into a 1-3-1 zone and that created a lot of turnovers for us," said Jenkins.
After the Horsemen acquired their comfortable lead, they slowed the game down, methodically waiting for an easy layup.
Roadrunner small forward Paul Jones led his team in scoring with 10 points. He scored the first basket for his team on a back-door layup with eight minutes left in the first half.
Still, Taylor had the most exciting play of the game right before the first half ended. He stole the ball, traveled the length of the court and soared for a dunk as time expired.
Consequently, the Horsemen only trailed 19-16 at intermission.
This was the Horsemen's first base championship in over a decade.
"We haven't won a championship since before Kelly shut down," Jenkins said. "I've been putting e-mails out all year for our seven or eight members who are deployed and we like to keep them informed. This meant a lot to us."