Flight Controllers handle 552 MXS 56-43 Published March 4, 2016 By John Parker Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- 552 MXS put up a good first-half against the undefeated Flight Controllers Feb. 24 before their opponent jetted off to a 56-43 triumph in the second. Three Flight Controller players posted the majority of points, 42, for the team. D. Finley was the game's lead point maker with 16. Squad mates Ryan Hytche and Ryan Rutledge followed with 15 and 11, respectively. Top scorers for 552 MXS were Cameron Wight, 11, and John Schaaf, 10. Flight Controllers, 6-0, took off fast from the tipoff to a 10-2 lead that included 3-pointers from Cedric Street and Hytche. 552 MXS, 2-4, recovered quickly, though, with three unanswered baskets to narrow it to 10-9. Zack Garner found Schaaf under the basket for a fourth score that put 552 MXS ahead 11-10. The score remained close for the next six minutes, reaching 24-23 in Flight Controllers' favor at the two-minute mark. The Controllers then pulled away, dropping the last three baskets of the half to finish 30-23, including a Finley trey from the top of the key. Flight Controllers unleashed a scoring blitz in the second half's first five minutes. It stretched to its highest margin, 19 points, at 46-27. Although scoring briefly fell off on both sides, the Controllers kept up their double-digit lead to finish 13 ahead. Team captain Josh Gonzales said 552 MXS aimed for trying to play smarter against a great team with a physical advantage. "The second half we came out a little sluggish and they came out guns blazing and their 3-point shooters were very hot," he said. "I believe we could have stayed with them the whole game but we let the pressure get to us when they came out with a 9-0 run straight out of the gate." Flight Controllers captain Street said the team adjusted its attack in the second half "to defend, limit the other team to one shot, and get out in the open court so we could push the ball and get easy baskets."