110th Trans Co defeats 4/3 Avn. in comeback

By Jennifer Hartwig, Hunter Army Airfield Public AffairsJanuary 26, 2011

4/3 Aviation basketball pic
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HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. - Down 13-5 halfway through the first half, the men from the 110th Transportation Company (2-0) came together to overtake the team from 4/3 Aviation (1-1) and earn themselves a hard-fought 31-28 win in Hunter Army Airfield Intramural Basketball action, Jan. 20.

"We didn't have our legs at the beginning of the game," explained Rae Roberts, 110th Trans Co.

The Aviators opened the game on fire - taking a 6-0 lead with four points from leading scorer Blake Kelley, who finished the game with 16 points.

Ditavein Brown sank a jumper for 110th Trans Co.'s first points of the game, but 4/3 Avn. answered with a pass from Coty Reams to Kelley, who buried the fast-break layup, bringing the score to 8-2.

Marqus Lawton stole the ball from a 4/3 Avn. player and sent the ball to Brown, who swished the three-pointer. Brown finished the game as co-scoring leader, with 16 points.

But again the Aviators had an answer with a three, and increased their lead to 13-5 with two free throws from Kelley.

In the first half, it seemed every time 110th Trans Co. got some momentum, the Aviators were there to squash it. Roberts nailed a field goal, but 4/3's Ryan Quantas answered with a three of his own.

Things finally turned around for 110th Trans Co. towards the end of the half, as they went on a 5-0 run, and closed the half with a three from Brown, narrowing the score to 20-16 in favor of 4/3 Avn.

But it was all 110th Trans Co. in the second half, as 4/3 Avn. scored only eight points in the 14 minutes. The 110th Trans Co. began their comeback with four unanswered buckets to open the half, taking their first lead of the game, 24-20.

It took the Aviators about seven minutes to get back in stride, when Kelley, despite being double teamed in the paint, banked in a close jump shot off the glass, and Joshua Frank sank an easy layup to tie the game at 24-24.

Roberts and Kelley traded back-to-back baskets, but Darryl Brown gave 110th Trans Co. the lead with three minutes left in the game.

After a timeout, 4/3 tied the game 28-all with a Kelley bucket down low from an in-bound pass.

But a free throw gave 110th Trans Co. a lead they wouldn't give up, and two more from Ditavein Brown sealed the deal.

"It was a hard-fought battle," Roberts said after the game. "But we fought through adversity in the first half and made it through."