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FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. (April 8, 2009) - After two
high-scoring games in a row, U.S. Army Central's dreams of being
the Fort McPherson and Gillem 2009 Intramural Basketball Tournament
champions came to an end in an overtime bout April 8, when the
Atlanta Vets put them away with a final score of 54-51.
USARCENT players had good reason to have their eyes on the
championship title, after handily beating all of their opponents in
the 14-team double elimination tournament in a series of games that
were played over the course of three weeks. The only team who had
come close to beating them was the Vets who managed to come within
two points of winning in Game Four April 2.
With a week to rest and reflect, the Vets made it clear they
were not going to let USARCENT walk away with the title without a
fight. They made their intent to shut USARCENT down known early on
in the first game of the night with a three-pointer with less than
20 seconds off the clock. From there, it was all downhill for
USARCENT.
"There was never any chance for us to win the first game," said
Master Sgt. Choatte Taylor, USARCENT.
The final score was a blowout - 67 to 45, Vets.
Jeno Gaston, Vets, said their game plan going into the first
game was "Win, win, win!"
"This is the third year we won the tournament, and we wanted to
let USARCENT know it wasn't going to be easy for them to just take
the championship from us," added Gaston, who was named the
tournament's most valuable player.
The Vets' win forced an automatic sixth and final game of the
tournament.
USARCENT was on surer ground during the second game but still
couldn't pull off an upset.
"The second game was intense," said Sgt. 1st Class George
Orange, coach for USARCENT. "We had an excellent team, and we were
prepared," Orange added, but ultimately the Vets took it.
USARCENT managed to pull ahead on the score board for the first
time in the night with 1:42 left on the clock in the first half,
after Eddie Queen sank a two-pointer putting the score at 28-27.
From there, it was back and forth until the game went into
overtime.
"The second game was exciting," said Barry Williams, coach for
the Vets. "They didn't want to go down, and we didn't want to go
down. It was a championship game and both teams brought their best.
At the end of the day, we just wanted it a little bit more," he
added.
Orange said even though USARCENT didn't win the tournament, he
considered their placing a success.
"Last year, we didn't even place in the tournament. We were 0-2,
so for us to come in second this time around is a great testament
to the guys and their dedication and hard work," he said.
Orange said he is looking forward to next year, but he isn't
sure he and his team will be in Atlanta due to USARCENT's hectic
deployment schedule. However, he said if he and his guys are in
Atlanta, the Vets better be ready for them. There championship
legacy won't extend to a fourth year if USARCENT has anything to
say about it.
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