The Fort Riley basketball team played Soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, April 9 and 10, in preparation for Central United States Basketball Conference games April 15 and 16. The games were non-conference play.
The teams played two games with Fort Riley falling to Fort Carson in both: 72-55 on Saturday and 71-56 on Sunday.
Sgt. Maj. Darryl Dunbar, Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, said the games weren't about the score, but about how the team played as a whole.
"Saturday's game we didn't play like ourselves, and we didn't play like we practiced the last few weeks," Dunbar said. "Sunday we came out and played well. We kept the game close and competitive"
He said the two-on-two scrimmages weren't about winning or losing.
"It's about preparing ourselves for the tournament," Dunbar said, adding that he thought the team learned a lesson during the scrimmage games.
"I think they saw how they have to work better as a team than as individuals who want to do everything themselves," Dunbar said.
Spc. Dontarrius Pugh, 601st Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., said the team did not play like they normally do and they didn't do what they practiced.
"I'm disappointed in myself and my team," he said following the first game of the weekend. "We practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday and we come here and we play nothing like we practice. We're going to do a lot better tomorrow."
Spc. Dung Danh, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, agreed with his teammate.
"We didn't play as a team," Danh said. "They were a lot bigger team, and we didn't expect that."
Pugh said the team won some games earlier in the season, including a game against top ranked Fort Sill, and lost their humility.
"We stopped playing with a chip on our shoulder," Pugh said. "This loss put us back where we need to be."
Dunbar said the team is scheduled to depart Fort Riley for the tournament April 15. During the conference, Fort Riley's team may be facing new opponents from the south league. He is a little nervous about playing new teams, but he has confidence in his team.
"It comes with the sport," Dunbar said. "If we couldn't went down and looked at some of the guys, but it's too far."
He talked with Fort Carson's head coach after the games last weekend, and the coach gave feedback that matched Dunbar's confidence.
"We have improved greatly since we started this program up," Dunbar said. "Even Fort Carson's head coach told me from the beginning of the season to now our team looks great."
To follow the team's success, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortRileyPostBasketballTeam.
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