Area I guard Zori Drew and Camp Humphreys guard Jamie Jones scrum for the ball during Saturday's women's championship game in the 27th Osan Defenders Pacificwide Holiday Basketball Tournament at main fitness center, Osan Air Base, South Korea. The Bulldogs beat the Warriors 68-61. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Area I guard Zori Drew and Camp Humphreys guard Jamie Jones scrum for the ball during Saturday's women's championship game in the 27th Osan Defenders Pacificwide Holiday Basketball Tournament at main fitness center, Osan Air Base, South Korea. The Bulldogs beat the Warriors 68-61. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Andersen Air Force Base Bombers' Ollie Bradley goes up for a shot against Osan Air Base Defenders' Marlon George during Saturday's men's championship game in the 27th Osan Defenders Pacificwide Holiday Basketball Tournament at main fitness center, Osan Air Base, South Korea. The Defenders pounded the Bombers 84-59. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea – Usual suspects ruled the day as the 27th Osan Pacificwide Holiday Basketball Tournament came to an end Saturday with host Osan winning its second straight men’s title and Camp Humphreys its third consecutive women’s crown.
Led by Most Valuable Player Anthony Showers, the Defenders cruised past Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base 84-59 in the men’s title game. MVP Ebony Cunningham helped lift the Lady Bulldogs over Area I of South Korea 68-61 for the women’s championship.
“You never get tired of winning these,” said coach Tony Jones of the Defenders, who’ve won a region-best 22 Pacificwide open tournament titles since he took over the team 20 years ago, including 11 Osan tournaments.
Rotating in a seemingly endless reserve of guards and forwards, the Defenders pulled away in the second half against a Bombers team which played just seven players. Attacking from deep, Showers hit four three-point goals and finished with 23 points, as did Dez Martin, who hit three threes.
“This is one of the deepest teams I’ve ever had, especially guards. They fueled everything,” Jones said. “And our bigs, those bigs were special today.”
Ollie Bradley led the Bombers with 25 points before leaving with seconds left with a hyperextended right knee. Daniel Zamora added 13 off the bench.
The victory gives Osan titles in its last three tournaments, including the Yokota Warrior Classic in October and the Daegu Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout.
Jones is hoping now his team can capture next month’s Martin Luther King Invitational, the Koreawide post-level tournament in March and Andersen’s invitational on dates to be determined.
“We’re going for six. That’s what we want,” Jones said.
Humphreys’ women, meanwhile, continue to make this tournament a championship showcase, but they had to hold off a late rally by the Warriors, who carved what was an 18-point lead down to six points with 4:55 left.
“Dedication pays off,” said Bulldogs coach Adrian DeVillassee, adding that he knew Area I “would come out and play hard.”
“I told the ladies we had to stay focused, do what we do, swing the ball, play defense and hit free throws and layups. I just make them work hard and they come out and perform.”
Tosha Hollingsworth scored 16 of her 22 points in the first half and Cunningham finished with 21. For Area I, Ashley Gavan scored 17 and former Kadena High School hero Zori Drew had 12.
