RAF ALCONBURY, England – “Don’t give it to them.” Baumholder’s lead had been slipping when a coach implored the Buccaneers boys basketball squad to hold on near the end of the fourth quarter against Alconbury.
Baumholder had something to prove against the team that beat it Friday.
However, the Buccaneers could not follow their coach’s advice enough, eventually falling 49-44.
The game went into overtime and was deadlocked until with only about 1 minute, 30 seconds left on the clock, Alconbury’s Forrest Booker scored two points to bring the score to 46-44. Baumholder took the ball, but was called for travelling. When the Dragons took the ball, Adarius Gallon posted another two points, and that basically sealed the game.
“The main thing is my boys didn’t give up,” said Watende Favors, Alconbury’s head coach.
Favors admitted his boys failed to deliver in regulation, despite having as many “looks as we could possibly want” during the fourth quarter.
But looking to the future he feels “pretty good,” he said.
“Although, once you get to Europeans, you never know,” Favors said.
The Alconbury girls also took down the Buccaneers after the team based in Germany lost its star player. Elzyah Tellman, who scored 15 points, was injured in the fourth quarter after being fouled and was helped off the court. That, combined with two players fouling out, left Baumholder to finish the game with only four players.
Alconbury scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to win 43-24.
LaTrisha Jackson, a coach for the Dragon girls, said their defense held strong, but also pointed out their need to improve scoring.
“We still have to make better shot choices, but communication and ball movement, it’s getting better every game,” Jackson said.
The Baumholder boys did not walk away empty handed from Saturday. They beat Menwith Hill 53-12, led by Kadarius Williams with 18 points.
Twitter: @AMathisStripes