436th LRS B team wins intramural basketball

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  After losing in the second round of the base intramural basketball playoffs, the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron B team had to fight their way through the loser's bracket if they wanted a chance at winning the title.

They clawed through game after game until they ended up pitted against the undefeated 436th Maintenance Squadron. With the underdog squad worn down from additional matches, could the 436th LRS come out on top?

Mission Accomplished.

Redmond Ellison scored 14 points in Game 1 and 13 points in Game 2 and Lezley Parrish added 10 points in Game 1 and 12 points in Game 2 to lead the 436th LRS B to 53-31 and 40-33 victories against the 436th MXS to win the base championship March 14, 2012, at the Dover Air Force Base, Del., Fitness Center.

"This is special," 436th LRS B coach Scott Chadwick said of winning the title. "We played as hard as we can. We substituted when we could to keep fresh legs out there so we wouldn't be as tired in the second half. My team did all they could to win the title."

The 436thth LRS B put Game 1 away right before halftime, closing out with a 16-6 run taking a 31-19 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the 436th LRS B outscored the 436thth MXS 22-12 to coast to an easy victory.

Victory in Game 2 would not come as easy.

In Game 2, the 436th MXS closed the first half with a 6-1 run to lead 20-13 at halftime. The 436th MXS also opened the second half with an easy bucket to take a nine-point lead at 22-13.

That is when the 436th LRS B defense went to work.

The 436th LRS B forced the 436th MXS in too many turnovers and errors that led to easy buckets. The 436th LRS B went on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 22-22.

After the 436th MXS took a four-point lead at 28-24, the 436th LRS B closed the game with a 16-5 run to win the championship.

For the 436th MXS, it was a bitter disappointment losing two games in one night after going unbeaten through the previous rounds of the tournament.

"Turnovers killed us," 436th MXS coach Anthony Poulin said. "They gave up feeding the ball down the middle and kept turning the ball over. For whatever reason, we gave up."

Poulin added he felt bad his club couldn't finish the season with the title after finishing in first place in the regular season and going undefeated before the championship round.

"I just feel bad for these guys; I wanted this so bad for them," Poulin said. "This is such a great group of guys and they worked hard this season. Our guys are like brothers. It just hurts that I couldn't bring it home for them."

Raul Rodriguez led the 436th MXS scoring 12 points in Game 1 and adding 10 points in Game 2.

For the 436th LRS B it was a great way to end the intramural basketball season.

"I was looking at our trophy case and noticed we didn't have one for basketball," Ellison said. "We wanted this one real bad. It feels great to be base champions."