Cops upend CE/MSS/SVS, force finale

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brian Jones
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  What a difference a year makes, then again ... maybe not.

The 39th Security Forces Squadron upended the 39th Civil Engineer/Mission Support/Services Squadron, 68-60, in intramural basketball to force a championship finale at 7 p.m. tonight at the Fitness Center.

The title game is a rematch a last year's championship which was claimed by the CES/MSS squad, 65-64, in double overtime and just like in 2006, SFS escaped the loser's bracket to make it to the final.

Over the past two seasons ... it's developed into a rivalry," said Dwayne McCoy, CES/MSS/SVS' coach. "Everyone wants to be the best, but these two teams are definitely the cream of the crop. It's only fitting that we find ourselves in the finals again."

"For me, it's not personal. They have pretty much the same team from last year and we're pretty new," said SFS' Marvin Harris. "We knew they'd probably be the team to beat. It'd be a great feeling to come back and beat them."

CE/MSS/SVS seemed poised to win their second crown in as many years riding sharp three-point shooting from Demarco Poole en route to a 10-point first-half cushion. Harris answered with two treys of his own to cut the CE/MSS/SVS lead to four, 40-36, at the half.

"It's definitely a more competitive game when we play," said CE/MSS/SVS' Rob Smith. "They come to play and we come to play."

CE/MSS/SVS came out of the gate cold in the second half and allowed SFS to knot the game at 45, and when back-to-back lay-ups by Harris and Chonsae Howard put SFS up four, the Defenders did not looked back. CE/MSS/SVS never made it closer than a two-possession game for the duration.

"The game was decided because of our defensive change to a box-and-one that they couldn't figure out," said Christopher Greek, SFS' coach.

SFS drained 10 shots from beyond the arc and CE/MSS/SVS knows whether or not they slow the Defenders perimeter production in the final could be the difference between a second consecutive title and championship bridesmaid.

"We allowed them to hit too many three-point field goals and too many deep penetrating drives," said McCoy. "(Tonight) we will identify and exploit the mismatches quicker and play better team basketball. Our experience should overcome their edge in athleticism and they won't shoot as well as they did."

SFS believes the team who leaves it all on the court will wear the crown.

"The team that is able to implement their philosophy will win the championship," said Greek. "Tonight's game will boil down to wants it more and I believe we have that inner drive to succeed."

"The team most determined to get the loose balls and rebounds is going to be the team holding the trophy at the end," he said. "And it's going to be us."