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Tinker beats Offutt in OT

  • Published
  • By Mike W. Ray
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Tinker men's varsity basketball squad has dominated Offutt AFB in all six of their meetings this season, but their duel Sunday afternoon went into overtime.

Team Offutt led Tinker by 2 when Earl Moseby sunk a bucket as the clock wound down, knotting the score at 71-71. "I was hoping it hit at the right angle to kiss off the backboard and go in," Moseby said later.

Hawks Head Coach Clarence Griffin quickly signaled a timeout, with 7.2 seconds left in regulation play, and huddled with his squad to map out strategy. When the game resumed, Offutt lobbed a shot but it bounced off the rim, so the game went into overtime.
In the extra period, Offutt tacked on a handful of points but Tinker pumped in a dozen, winning 83-76.

Moseby ended the game with 25 points, including 2 in overtime. Jarail Smith had 21 points, including a free throw in overtime. Brian Johnston had 15 points, 4 of those in overtime, and Corey Clark got 10 points, 5 of them in overtime. Deante Covington, Joshua Richardson and Ryan Florie added 4 points apiece.

Tinker trounced Offutt last Saturday, 75-60, during a game in the Gerrity Fitness and Sports Center in which Tinker collected two technical fouls.

Although Offutt's 6'6" Andrew Stalford blocked several Tinker shots, the Nebraskans's only lead lasted for less than a minute and occurred early in the first half. Tinker led by 10 at halftime, and extended the gap to 15 at one point in the second period.

Hawk Anthony Smith drew a "T" early in the second half for cursing aloud after a teammate was whistled for a foul.

And Jarail Smith got a technical late in the game after throwing a punch at Offutt's Avery Walker and challenging his opponent to some extracurricular activity; Walker, for his part in the scuffle, was whistled for shoving. Smith sunk both of his free throws, while Walker made only one of his charity shots - and fouled out of the game less than a minute and a half later.

Jarail Smith, the leading scorer in the Central U.S. Military Basketball Conference as of Jan. 3, collected 25 points against Offutt, and logged six rebounds and two steals. Ryan Florie had 20 points, five rebounds and a theft.

Tinker's 6'7" center, Brian Johnston, had 11 points, 15 boards, two blocked shots and a steal. Corey Clark also had 11 points, plus four rebounds and a steal. Anthony Smith got 3 points and a rebound; Earl Moseby, 2 points, three rebounds and a theft; Joshua Richardson, 2 points, two boards and a steal; and Kelton Eddins, three rebounds.

Avery Walker paced Team Offutt with 13 points. Offutt's Derek Bryant, the CUSMBC's second-place scorer, was limited to 7 points, and Christian Teague, the league's third-highest scorer, got 10 points. Rashaw Sides had 9 points; player/coach Rodrick Greene, 8; Alan Jones, 5; Ryan Barney and David McFall, 3 each; and Andrew Stalford, 2.
Referees Strolen Bray and Thomas Cheek whistled 35 fouls during the match: 19 against Offutt and 16 against Tinker.

Tinker has beaten Offutt six consecutive times this season: here Oct. 5-6; there Nov. 16-17; and here Jan. 4-5. Nevertheless, Coach Griffin remarked later, "The law of averages nearly caught up with us Sunday."

The Hawks are now 14-2 in the eight-team conference (18-6 overall) heading into the MLK Tournament Jan. 18-19 at Sheppard AFB, Texas.