JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The 531st Intelligence Squadron defeated the Navy Information Operations Command–Texas Gold team 44-34 Feb. 25 at the Chaparral Fitness Center and won the 2015 Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Intramural Basketball Championship.
Staff Sgt. Brandon Hawkins, 531st IS project manager, led the team in scoring with 16 points and Staff Sgt. Mike Stevenson, 531st IS cyber operator, chipped in 11 points.
Hawkins sealed the team’s first championship since 2012 by nailing five of the team’s 10 final free throws and said that he knew the game was over when NIOC started fouling him down the stretch.
"They were trying to get some easy short possessions and hope we miss free throws," he added. "In my head, I just thought it’s time to knock down free throws and if I can knock down most of them it is over (for them)."
Stevenson laid the groundwork for the team’s run, as he scored eight of his 11 points within the rectangular area inside the key during the first half.
"He was what we needed; having somebody who gets rebounds and blocks as a big man is vital and made things easier." Hawkins said about Stevenson’s defensive ability.
The 531st IS entered the second half with an 18-13 lead. A 3-pointer from Senior Airman Vincent Garza, 531st IS cyber operator, jumpstarted a 10-0 run that culminated with Hawkins’s 3-pointer for a 34-24 score.
Garza scored seven points total in the second half, which included a second 3-pointer.
"At the beginning of the game, I wasn’t able to knock down shots, but my teammates told me to shoot so we could break away with the championship and that is what I kept on doing," Garza said.
Hawkins credited the team for being active throughout the game.
"Most of the teams play a zone defense, but we stuck to making things hard for NIOC’s individual players," he said. "Our mantra was to not let any of their shots get open and put them in uncomfortable positions to turn the ball over."
For example, the team’s strong defense that Stevenson contributed to forced five NIOC turnovers in the finale.
Ensign Kevin Doran, NIOC Texas battle war captain, led his team with 11 points and he praised 531st IS’s defense.
"A lot of us didn’t get those easy scores that we normally get when we play offensively," he said. "We had to adapt by driving and getting fouled. They were well kept on defense."
As a result of the 531st title win, the team is advancing to the 2015 JBSA Intramural Basketball Championship, which is scheduled for March.