Tinker Hawks score impressive 87-74 win

  • Published
  • By John E. Banks
  • Tinker Public Affairs
The Tinker Hawks men's varsity basketball team scored an impressive 87-74 win over the Fort Sill Cannoneers March 15 at the Gerrity Fitness and Sports Center. 
   The Hawks built a 7-0 lead thanks to the hot shooting of forward Gerard West. He scored all seven Hawks points off two field goals and two free throws. 
   The Cannoneers rallied over the next three minutes and outscored the Hawks 13-4, giving them a two-point lead. Guard Earl Moseby led the way for the Cannoneers with seven points. 
   The rest of the first half was nip and tuck. Each team went on mini-runs and the other team responded. At the close of the first half, the Cannoneers held a slight 41-36 advantage. 
   The Hawks came out of the locker room blazing in the second half. 
   West hit a three-point field goal and a driving layup to cut the lead to 46-42. The Hawks then went on a 17-5 run over the next four minutes. West, forward Phil Hawthorne and reserve guard Marquis Mitchell led the way for the Hawks. 
   The Hawks defense -- led by Mitchell, Matthew Mullins, Jeff White and Carlos Hopkins -- held the Cannoneers to 25 percent shooting and 11 points over a 10 minute span in the second half. The defensive pressure enabled the Hawks to race out to an insurmountable lead, en route to their 87-74 victory over the league leading Cannoneers. 
   "Our defensive pressure was the key to victory," said Fred Griffin, Hawks head coach. "We were able to convert on our free throws and made key defensive stops en route to victory." 
   Hawthorne led the way for the Hawks with 22 points, while West added an additional 17. 
   Guard George Tatum's 28 points led the Cannoneers. 
   "We played well in the first half; however we got selfish and did not play team ball in the second half," said Brad Jenkins, Cannoneers head coach. "The Hawks put enough pressure on us and they deserved the win."