COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Army News Service, Oct. 3, 2014) -- In the battle for the rights to advance to the gold-medal round in wheelchair basketball at the Warrior Games, Army played relentlessly against Navy last night, making certain the Sailors would receive the bronze medal.
Coming off a humiliating defeat by the Marines on Wednesday night, 42-21, Army put their A-game together, leading Navy at half-time, 17-13. When the second half started, last year's wheelchair basketball gold medalist team rolled through Navy beating them soundly, 41-24.
The stage is now set with Army taking on the Marines for the gold medal game tonight.
Army's man in the paint and leading scorer against Navy was Retired Sgt. 1st Class Charles Armstead, who suffered spinal cord injuries from a gunshot wound while deployed to Iraq, in 2009. He also had his right leg amputated at the hip.
"Our mindset was simply to stick with the game plan, stay calm, be patient and take what they gave us," he said about the Navy team. "We let one slide with the Marines the other night, but we got what we wanted and that's the rematch. We're really looking forward to getting it on with the Marines."
"We didn't bring any intensity into the Marine game the other night," said Army coach and Paralympic athlete Jermell Pennie. "What happened the other night on the court was left there; it's history. We didn't play 100 percent, but they (the Marines) are going down -- I guarantee we'll bring 100 percent into the gold game."
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