FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 15, 2014) -- The 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion moved one step closer to the Commander's Cup Preseason Basketball championship Monday by defeating A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Brigade 38-35 at Smith Fitness Center.
In a defensive game where neither team gained an advantage or controlled the boards, A Troop controlled the scoreboard in the first half and led at halftime 13-11.
BSTB held their first lead in the game halfway through the second half, but A Troop went on a six-point run to lead BSTB 24-18 as the clock wound down to less than eight minutes remaining.
Turnovers plagued both teams as the offenses struggled to score, but with five minutes remaining, BSTB took back the lead 33-31.
With less than a minute left on the clock, A Troop tied the game 35-35 with back-to-back baskets, but with 39 seconds left, fouled BSTB's Anthony McMillian.
McMillian sunk three consecutive free throws to give BSTB the 38-35 win and advance the team to the winner's bracket finals.
Following the game, BSTB coach Javon Moore said the team's low scoring in the game was attributed mostly to turnovers.
"Once we got settled in and jelled better, we were able to make better decisions (with the ball)," he said.
Moore said at halftime he reminded the team they were a better team than they showed in the first half and were trailing at the half because of mistakes and they needed to "go to work" in the second half.
BSTB played a 2-3 zone throughout the game and never considered going to a man-to-man defense.
"This is a preseason tournament," he said. "We will probably use a 2-3 until we become comfortable with running a man-to-man. Everyone is new on the defense so I want them to get a feel for it. Later on in the season we will run a man-to-man."
When A Troop took a six point lead late in the second half, Moore said he wasn't worried.
"We basically new where we were making our errors," he said. "But we corrected those."
BTSB's McMillian hit two 3-pointers in the game and was the high scorer in the with 16 points. Christopher Flippin also hit on two 3-pointers for BSTB.
Moore said the team will have to work on turnovers as the tournament and season progresses, but was encouraged by the way the team is seeing the court this early in the season.
When asked how he believed the team would do in the winner's bracket championship and where he expected the team to be at the conclusion of the preseason tournament, Moore was clear and concise.
"No. 1," he said.
Social Sharing