Speedy guards lead Dragon Medics
past 135th FSC

by Reginald Rogers
Paraglide

	photo by Reginald Rogers/Paraglide 135th Forward Support Company’s Okito Kemp leaps for two of his 12 points Monday in an intramural basketball game Monday against the Dragon Medics. Kemp’s team came up short, as the medics took a 49-37 victory in the contest.

For the Dragon Medics, it was all a matter of adjustments.

After finding themselves down by five points early in the first half of their game against the 135th Forward Support Company, Dragon Medics coach Donald Jamison pulled his team out of the 2-3 zone and went to a man-to-man defense.

That move allowed them to capitalize on the speed of guards Gayland Moore and Michael McKeithan and the inside muscle of center Andre Pegues and Jason Melvin for a 47-39 victory Monday at the Hosking Physical Fitness Center.

Moore drove and slashed his way to a 16-point performance and Pegues added 12 to help the medics improve to 4-2 on the season.

After jumping out to a 19-14 lead, the 135th offense went cold for about a two-minute span late in the first half. A three-pointer by McKeithan cut the lead to 17-19 going onto halftime.

At the beginning of the second half, 135th’s Corinthian Parsons drove the lane, stopped and dropped in a short jumper to put his team back up by four. On their next possession, Dragon Medics forward Josh Todd was fouled by Marlow Walker, but only capitalized on one of his two foul shots. Moore grabbed the rebound, drove to the left side of the court and dished it off to Pegues, who was fouled as he dropped in the turnaround jumper to cut the score to 21-20. Pegues hit the free throw to tie the game at 21 with 16:57 left.

Both teams would not score again until the 14:30 mark, when Jason Melvin dropped in a jump hook to put the medics ahead.

One minute later, the 135th changed its lineup and replaced everyone on the floor except point guard Terrell Dixon, who worked hard to keep his team in the game. The change provided a smaller, but quicker, lineup for the 135th, but it still couldn’t stop the inside play of Pegues, who quickly grabbed a rebound and found Moore with the outlet pass to increase the score to 25-21 with 11:21 left to play.

After several misfires, Todd finally drained a three-pointer to increase the lead, but 135th’s Okito Kemp made two free throws to close the gap.

On the very next trip down the floor, Melvin found the bottom of the net to, once again, increase the Dragon Medics lead to 30-23.

Kemp found his stroke as he drained a three-pointer from the left side to cut the Dragon Medics lead to four. He then knocked down the 15-footer to pull to within two at the 7:53 mark.

Then the Dragon Medics summoned its shooters as guard Dewey Ross, Pegues and Moore combined for nine points to put their team up 39-31.

Parsons added six of his 12 points, draining two three-pointers for the 135th FSC down the stretch.

With less than four minutes left, McKeithan fouled Dixon, sending him to the line for two shots. Dixon missed the first, but made the second shot to cut the lead to 39-35. Moore misfired from the right corner, but Todd tipped it high off the glass to add the layup, making the score 41-35 at the 1:22 mark.

Dixon added his final points as he was fouled and converted both free throws.

Kemp was fouled Joseph Haugher while shooting a three-pointer and went to the line for three free throws. He missed the first, made the second and missed the third. The Dragon Medics grabbed the ensuing rebound, which was stolen by Dixon, but stolen back by Ross, who passed it to Haugher. Haugher then executed a well-placed tip pass to Moore for the go-ahead layup, making it 44-39. Moore completed the three-point play and teammate Tory Battle added two for the final margin. Kemp added 12 points for the 135th.

“Our game plan was to push the ball,” explained Jamison, following the game. “We were much faster than their team and we outrebounded them.”

Jamison said he was never worried after his team found itself down early in the first half.

We were behind early in the game because we stayed in the 2-3 zone,” he said. “I knew if I put my guys in the man-to-man, we would be quicker than them. Once again, I told the guards to push the ball on them. Plus we had more players, so I know fatigue would eventually be a factor.”
Jamison said he was pleased with the play of his guards and the front line.

“That’s my main man on the team, he holds us together and he takes charge of the team,” he said of Gayland Moore. “That’s why he’s my point guard.”

Even though the 135th came up short, it was a hard-fought battle, explained Dixon.

“Our plan was to run the court,” said Dixon, who finished the game with 15 points. “We were low on big men, so really we wanted to run the court and spread it out. We’ve got to have a little more heart and hustle more.”

Parson agreed.

“I think we played pretty good but fatigue took over in the second half,” he said.
The Dragon Medics improved to 4-2, while the 135th FSC drops to 2-3 for the season.