Top seeds focused heading into intramural basketball playoffs

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The base intramural basketball playoffs began Monday with each of the top teams plotting strategy in order to be the team to take home the trophy at the Dover Air Force Base, Del., Fitness Center on Wednesday night.

The top team heading into the playoffs, the 436th Security Forces Squadron (11-2), suffered an upset at the hands of the 512th Force Support Squadron, 40-36.

The other scores from the night of the playoffs were 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron B 39, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 36; 436th Communications Squadron 47, 436th Aerial Port Squadron 44; and 436th MXS 56, 436th Force Support Squadron 45.

With the loss, the 436th SFS will now have to take the long and hard journey through the loser's bracket if it wants to win the base title.

"We've got to take the tough road now," 436th SFS coach Jordan Purdue said. "We need to calm down, make shots and play good defense. We had some key guys missing, it shouldn't happen again. We need to box out and hit the boards. You've got to do the big things in order to get the big win."

The other top squad, the 436th MXS (11-3), cruised to the only double-digit win of the first round.

436th MXS coach Anthony Poulin said his team is focused heading into the double-elimination tournament.

"My team's goal is to hopefully win the whole thing," Poulin said. "Our goal all season has been to make a statement. A lot of teams were doing a lot of talking before the season, talking a lot of smack. We talk our smack with the scoreboard."

The 436th LRS B squad coach Scott Chadwick said his team plans to run its way to the title.

"We want to win it all," Chadwick said. "We are a fastbreaking team and we're going to try to run the ball as much as possible. We're going to try to move quick. We've got to communicate out there and we've got to have fun and have a good time. That's what it's been for us all year."

Chadwick said with all the good teams in the playoffs, it's going to be tough for the team who eventually wins.

"There are a lot of good teams out there," Chadwick said. "Comm looked good and MXS is always pretty good. We're right up there with them."

Poulin said the 436th MXS' strategy will be to play together.

"Our three losses, in our eyes, we lost because we weren't playing together," Poulin said. "We're going to bring that team work back. Our guys played amazing ball [Monday night]. "