Flight Controllers top closest rival

Flight Controller Robert Lawrence floats the ball to the basket March 28 as his team beat Showtime 46-43 at the Gerrity Fitness Center. Showtime’s Jarail Smith is guarding him. The undefeated Flight Controllers are the top team in the Monday-Wednesday night league. (Air Force photo by John Parker/Released)

Flight Controllers top closest rival

Published April 11, 2016
By John Parker
Staff Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Flight Controllers upended major contender Showtime March 28 to win the regular season of the Monday-Wednesday league.

The 46-43 final score was relatively low for the top two teams in the league. The undefeated Controllers' scoring was spread mainly among Michael McCray, 10, Ryan Hytche, 9, and D. Finley, 9.

The opposite was true for Showtime (8-1 at tipoff). Jarail Smith, also a varsity Tinker Hawks player, amassed 25 points. Kendall Neeland was next with 8.

Showtime struggled with off shooting in the first half. The Controllers produced steadily, with Finley and McCray posting 14 points together and Sean Trosper and Robert Lawrence each adding 3-pointers.

Down by 10 before a timeout, Showtime narrowed it to four, 22-18, by halftime.
Showtime charged back to within one point early in the second before Lawrence and Hytche sailed back-to-back threes, causing another Showtime timeout.

The Controllers lost their lead - and momentum - at seven minutes. The teams stayed within three points of each other until Showtime had a chance to take home the win with less than a minute to tie the game.

With Controllers leading 44-41, Showtime slowed the tempo to line up a shot at around the 45-second mark. A long pass from half-court to the left wing ended up out of bounds, however, turning the ball over. After the Controllers missed a foul shot, Showtime floated treys twice with misses. Smith later landed a basket to get within one point, 44-43.

Controllers got the last shooting attempt as Trosper passed to an open Ryan Rutledge in the paint for a final layup.

Flight Controllers captain Cedric Street said the team knew Smith would score a lot. "Our game play was to help out on Jarail and limit the role players' open looks," he said.

Player/coach Smith said he felt Showtime was controlling the contest by the end.
"We had the game, just some bad turnovers at the end," he said. "We have to talk about some things as a team, and we'll be ready when the playoffs start."

Earlier in March, the Controllers fended off the league's other top-three team, 72 Med Group, 56-55.