FORT MOORE, Ga. –
The Air Force women defeated Army Thursday afternoon in the Armed Forces Women’s Basketball Championship.
The two teams engaged in a tight and aggressive game from start to finish. Army seemed to have the advantage in the first half, maintaining strength under their basket, with their big players repeatedly drawing fouls and going to the line.
In two straight possessions the Army defense ripped the ball out of the Air Force players’ hands and took it back down court.
“They threw everything they had at us,” said Air Force Coach James Lewis.
“We had to get back to our own game in the second half.”
That’s what the Air Force women did. After all, they had beaten Army twice this week in the round-robin tournament.
“In the third quarter they came out a little bit harder than we did,” said Army women’s coach Capt. Cutosha Dilworth. “In the fourth quarter, their shooter started shooting,” she said.
Lewis said Air Force had to come out in the second half tougher than Army had been to start the game.
Air Force won 75-68.
“It’s extremely hard to beat a team three times,” Lewis said.
In the Armed Forces Men’s Basketball Championship, Navy defeated Air Force in a hard-fought defensive battle.
Navy led by a point at halftime, 33-32, and in the second half they slowly built their lead with good shots from the arc and strong play inside by their big men.
“We like to play a traditional style of basketball, and the big men showed up tonight. I told them they would be the difference for us between being able to win a gold medal and not,” said Navy Coach Micah Bonner.
“I’m just so excited we could bring a little old-school back to the tournament,” Bonner said.
Bonner credited Lt. Matt Sellers, who played in Wyoming and professionally in Australia, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Dakota Ayala, who is stationed at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Wilmington and played pro ball in France.
Air Force Coach Ernest Darnell said the big men won.
“We came, we competed. We didn’t really execute. They wanted it more,” Darnell said. “Their bigs showed up. My hat’s off to them.”
Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan McGhee-Coleman led Navy with 20 points.
Senior Airman Draylan Perkins was the leading scorer for Air Force with 15 points.
Darnell said Air Force repeatedly fouled Navy in the last five minutes with the intention of taking the lead.
“We saw them miss those free throws throughout the tournament, but tonight when they needed them, they made them,” he said.
Bonner said all credit for the Navy championship win goes to the players.
“They all worked so hard. They played so well together. They cheered for each other. They bled for each other. They fought for each other. I just couldn’t be happier for a group than I am this group.”