Tinker Hawks soar past Altus Patriots, 87-71 Published March 27, 2009 By John E. Banks Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- March Madness is alive and well at the Gerrity Fitness and Sports Center. The Tinker Hawks took the home court March 22 and won 87-71 over the visiting Altus Air Force Base Patriots. Hawks head coach Clarence Griffin said though his team was a little shorthanded, the game with Altus would be a good tuneup for the upcoming Southwest Military Basketball League tournament, which starts today and runs through Monday at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Defense was tight in the first half. Neither team could build a lead of more than five points. At the buzzer, the Patriots held a slim 36-35 advantage. Guard Derron Arnold led the way for the Hawks with 11 points in the first half. "We are giving up too many easy baskets. We need to tighten up on defense," said Griffin. The Hawks turned up the defensive pressure in the second half. They forced five consecutive turnovers, which turned into 10 quick points. That erased the halftime deficit and gave them a 45-36 lead. The Hawks continued their pressure and took advantage of easy fastbreak chances and built a 25-point lead midway through the second half. Forward Cameron Graves and Arnold each scored eight points during the stretch to lead the Hawks surge. The Hawks never lost their big lead and went on to a convincing 87-71 victory. Arnold led all scorers with 22 points, while Graves added 15. "This was a good win for us," Griffin said. "It will definitely get us ready for the upcoming tournament."