Turnovers doom MDOS

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Candy Knight
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The road to the 2007 basketball playoffs began Feb. 20 as the 60th Aerial Port Squadron defeated the 60th Medical Operations Squadron 49-44.

For many fans watching, this game resembled a California freeway multi-car crash as both teams committed turnover after turnover and foul after foul.

Nevertheless, there were brief moments of greatness.

The Aerial Porters jumped out to an early 10-7 lead behind center Fred Johnson's six points.

The 60th MDOS, who had only eight members of their team available for the game compared the APS' 15, battled to keep the score close, never allowing the APS' to get more than a seven-point lead.

By the end of the first half, the APS held a 21-14 lead.

After taking halftime to rethink their strategy, the 60th MDOS began the second half with passionate fire, narrowing APS' lead to 32-28 with 11 minutes remaining.

However, the MDOS' "Speedy Gonzales" strategy eventually backfired as multiple fouls and turnovers allowed APS to take a 36-30 lead with six minutes to play.

With four minutes to play, MDOS' point guard Lance McAdams tied the game at 36 with a high-flying, reverse layup over Jesus Calderon, APS shooting guard.

By this point in the game, fatigue and exhaustion began to set in for the MDOS players as they could not keep up with the APS and began committing unnecessary fouls which allowed the APS to take a 44-40 lead with one minute to play.

The score was 47-42 with 30 seconds remaining when Tom Kibelstis, MDOS' small forward made a crucial error, calling a timeout with 20 seconds to play.

While that may not seem like an error, after checking with the scoring officials and learning MDOS had no remaining timeouts, the referee was forced to call a technical foul on MDOS.

APS' point guard Arfel Atis hit the two free throws, making the score 49-44 and consequently ended the MDOS' hopes of a come-from-behind win.