Base Airmen, Army National Guard face off in intramural championship

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Harry Brexel
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  Airmen from various Little Rock AFB squadrons faced off with Army National Guardsmen at the intramural basketball championship Feb. 14, 2014, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

Before the game, both coaches seemed confident. Each team had to win more than 15 games to get to the championship.

"Tonight is the deciding factor," coach Peter Elefante, 22nd Air Force Detachment 1 aerospace medical technician. "We have to represent for the Air Force."

It's not the first time that the two teams faced off.

"They won the basketball championship last year, and we won the year before. We've been going back and forth for years," Elefante said.

The Army National Guard started off strong by grabbing the first jump ball and scoring the first few points. However, the Air Force team was unfazed and had home-court advantage. They quickly caught up and even took the lead, with a barrage of 3-pointers.

The two teams were neck and neck throughout the first and second quarter. The air was tense and the rivalry was heated. A slew of foul shots were made by both teams.
At the end of the first half the Army had a slight advantage over the AF at 28-23.

However, tides were about to change during the second half of the game. ANG went into overdrive, keeping a constant lead over the AF.

The Army coach Harlem Hood was right when he said, "Defense wins games."

At the sound of the buzzer, the Army won with a final score of 61-44. Some crowds cheered with excitement as others were quiet in dismay.

Elefante said, "We made it a long way to get to the championship. We're resilient, and the defeat only makes us stronger and better prepared for next year."