TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Med Group rallied in the last half of the second period Feb. 9 to overcome a long-held Navy lead and slip by with a 39-38 buzzer victory.
Three-pointers from Strategic Communications Wing ONE’s Kione Morgan and Shane Sapaugh helped propel Navy to a 9-1 lead out of the gate.
72nd Med Group soon narrowed the scoring gap with three consecutive unanswered buckets by Hunter Hessong, Jarvis Bradley and Tahj Fuller to pull within two points.
SCW-1 soon grabbed the momentum from there as Morgan and Koran McCoy combined for nine points. Med Group signed for a time out down 12-18.
Both teams lowered the tempo and held scoring down in the last six minutes of the half. The Navy’s Rosalind Robbins topped off her team’s 22-16 halftime lead with three points from a bucket and subsequent foul shot.
Med Group soared off the boards early in the second half, outscoring Navy three points to nine to tie at 25-25 in the first five minutes. The 72nd’s Jody Lee sank three consecutive in-the-paint baskets to lead the rally.
Play intensified as the teams traded off the lead in scoring by two points or less. The seesaw battle ended with three minutes left after Med Group’s Fuller launched a 3-pointer, followed by Bradley hitting the hoop for two. The baskets put Med Group up 37-33.
After a time out, SCW-1 fired off five unanswered points to retake the advantage 38-37 with 44 seconds left. Med Group regained the ball – and the game – after a missed Navy free throw. Med Group’s Lee snagged a rebound and tossed the ball back through the net for the one-point victory.
The scoring tally credited the 72nd’s Fuller with 13 points, second only to the Navy’s Morgan, with 14.