Tinker Hawks stun Altus twice in weekend games Published Nov. 19, 2009 By John Stuart Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The Tinker Hawks shifted into offensive overdrive, put their sunglasses on and never looked back. Or so it seemed about their Nov. 14 home win against Altus Air Force Base. And with a score of 91-79, it probably looks closer than it was. The score was even after the first half as the teams each had 18 points on the board. But the Hawks pulled away to lead 43-35 when the halftime buzzer rang. They took the lead and never gave it up. Enter overdrive and sunglasses. Assisted by 27 points from Jarail Smith and Phil Hawthorne's 20 points, the Hawks racked up 24 more points in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth. Altus attempted a comeback with their impressive 28 points in the fourth quarter, but to no avail. It was done and done for Altus. Small forward Brandon Collier and Laurence Gray had strong offensive showings for Tinker as well, with Collier's 13 points and Gray's 12. And if the team continues to play up to Saturday's snuff, they're proving a force to be reckoned with in the Southwest conference. Hawks claw back for overtime win in game two It was the free throws that were a problem in the Tinker Hawks' game against McConnell Air Force Base in October. But after Sunday's matchup against the Altus Air Force Base team, it was the Hawks' charity stripe prowess that secured their 84-79 win. Tinker guard Gerard West missed two free throws late in the fourth quarter as the Hawks trailed the Altus team 73-71. It seemed like that was it for the Hawks, who had bested Altus by 12 points the previous day. Hardly the finish Tinker wanted for the double-header weekend, especially when the Hawks had led Altus by as much as 11 points in the third quarter. They were better than this and they knew it. In what could be described as a moment of Hawks magic, they regained possession of the ball with less than a minute to play. Tinker inbounded the ball and put it in the hands of West, who drew the foul for two free throws. His chance to redeem himself was nigh. And with the pressure on West made both shots with 4.8 seconds on the board, forcing an overtime situation. And it was plain the Hawks wanted it more than their Altus competitors did. This game was theirs. Although Altus outscored Tinker 24-10 in the fourth quarter, it was Tinker who came out on top as the team's 11 overtime points bested Altus' six. Phil Hawthorne led the way in scoring for Tinker, as he put up 12 points in the first quarter alone, including one of the team's two three pointers. Hawthorne finished with 21 points for the day. Laurence Gray added another 18 points for the Hawks and made the sole other three pointer. And although West's fourth quarter free throws sealed the deal for Tinker, the Hawks still have work to do at the line. The team made only 13 of 24 free throws for the day and missed four of them in overtime. Seems free throws are still on the docket for the Hawks practice sessions this week. But at least they get to do the routine with a W in their pocket.