The Road Dawgs put together a last-minute comeback to tie the game before scoring the go-ahead basket to defeat the Bulldogs in the winner's bracket of the postseason Commander's Cup basketball tournament Tuesday at the Smith Fitness Center.

After the Road Dawgs of the 104th Transportation Company jumped on top with an early 11-6 lead, the Bulldogs of MEDDAC fought back to tie in the game at 23 with 40 seconds remaining in the half. Josh McDonald and Jason Pittman each knocked down baskets with time expiring to give the Road Dawgs a 28-23 lead at the half. In the first half, the Road Dawgs hit five 3-pointers.

The Road Dawgs extended their lead to 30-23 early in the second half, but the Bulldogs' pulled to within a point at 45-44 with two minutes left in the game. With one minute to go and the game tied at 47, the Road Dawgs took control of the game with two free throws by Chad Gomm and a 3-pointer by McDonald to seal the 51-47 win. During the final minute, the Road Dawgs benefited from six missed scoring opportunities by the Bulldogs.

"That was a tough team to beat," said Gomm, who was the Road Dawgs' leading scorer with 15 points. "It was intense out there. The playoffs are always more intense than regular season games, because we all want a chance to win the championship."

Road Dawgs coach Calvin Brown said his team came out with "firepower."

"We hustled, had strong defense and stayed motivated," he said. "We let down some of the pressure in the second half and they were able to tie it up, but we came out (on top) in the end."

With the win the Road Dawgs gained an automatic berth in the championship finals, which was Thursday. This marked the 104th Transportation Company's first appearance in the championship game, Brown said.

McDonald said it's nice to have a spot in the championship game, but there is still more work to be done.

"This isn't a time to relax," he said. "Whoever makes it to the championship game is going to be tough."

With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped to the loser's bracket semifinals.

Scoring: Road Dawgs: Gomm (15), McDonald (13), Jones (11), Harris (5), Pittman (5) Wakefield (2).

Bulldogs: McKinney (16), Thomas (11), Wilhelm (8), Stevenson (5), Sparks (3), Crimiel (2), Hale (2).