Bunch of Losers aren’t

Published Feb. 5, 2016
By John Parker
Staff Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Turn Up owned nearly three quarters of the game against Bunch of Losers until BOL unleashed a double whammy of late dozen-point runs to snatch the 41-32 win.

BOL's Anthony Smith led overall scoring Jan. 25 with 12 points, including a hat trick of 3-pointers. Turn Up's Dex Murphy and O'Ryan Shannon led their team with nine points each. Murphy's were all outside the arc.

Turn Up claimed the first half 18-13. Shannon single-handedly turned around a 9-11 deficit into a 15-11 lead with back-to-back 3-pointers before the two-minute mark.
BOL's Cedrick Franklin pulled off a notable first-half assist. He drove from the top into the paint, but quickly shifted the play's direction with a bullet pass to Sam Bryant, open in the corner for 3.

Turn Up came out blazing in the second half, running up a 13-point lead. Two treys from Murphy and a Zach Farmer goal put them up 26-13.

The margin didn't last long. Bunch of Losers racked up a dozen unanswered points in the next three-and-a-half minutes. Franklin and Smith each delivered 3-pointers. Franklin hit another basket and Bryson sank two goals before Turn Up scored again. Turn Up's spread narrowed to 26-25.

The game was still close - 32-29 Turn Up - with four minutes left. Bunch of Losers, however, cranked up another scoring spree after Shannon delivered Turn Up's last point of the game with a foul shot.

BOL's second 12-point run launched with a 3-pointer from David Alexander. Smith added two points followed by a trey.

With the clock running and Bunch of Losers in a delay offense to hold their lead, Turn Up repeatedly fouled Smith, who delivered three free-throw baskets. Rob Meyer scored the last foul shot. Refs charged Turn Up with three technicals in the second half.

BOL's Bryant said his team earned the win.

"We had a slow start, but a strong finish," he said. "The turning part was when one of the players got his first tech. After that we knew we had the game."

"We fell off mentally at the very last minute," Turn Up's Shannon said. "We stopped moving the ball around, taking unnecessary shot selections which gave the opposing team a chance to get their confidence back.

"I don't take anything away from the opposing team. They played great defense, but I feel like we gave another one away to another team we should've beat."