Photo By Chuck Cannon | Mitchell McDonald (with ball), Forward Support Company, 46th Engineer Battalion,...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — Granted, Forward Support Company, 46th Engineer Battalion, was favored headed into the finals of the Fort Polk Intramural Sports battalion-level basketball tournament finals March 20.
The Engineers had just won the regular season intramural league and tournament titles and appeared poised for a sweep as they were facing basically the same teams they had squared off with all season.
But as they prepared to face the 32nd Hospital Center in the finals, they encountered a major hurdle — they had only four players.
Basketball aficionados will tell you the game calls for five players, although technically, it’s not necessary. But when your opponent has five players and you only have four, it definitely puts the undermanned squad at a disadvantage.
Undaunted, the FSC foursome toppled the medics 38-28 to claim the title as undisputed champions of Fort Polk for 2019.
At the game’s outset, it appeared the hospital squad would use its extra player to its advantage. With about 5 minutes gone in the first half, 32nd HC led 11-2, but the FSC players maintained their composure and gradually cut into the lead, finally moving in front 15-14 with four minutes left in the half. The engineers led 20-18 at halftime.
The score remained close in the early minutes of the second half, but a technical foul called on one of 32nd HC players for shoving a FSC player signaled a momentum change and FSC slowly pulled away to its 10-point win.
Ron Bartley, who tallied 15 points to lead the engineers and served as the team’s coach, said the above-mentioned technical foul was the turning point of the game.
“Once they got that tech, it was a mental buster for them,” Bartley said. “People don’t realize the game is 80 percent mental and only 20 percent physical. Once they began worrying about the refs and calls, we knew they were done and we started using our mental game against them.”
Corey Washington added 13 points to join Bartley in double figures for FSC.
Bartley said having defeated 32nd HC four times earlier in the year gave his teammates confidence they could win again, even with the numbers stacked against them.
“We won the company level, and we all knew each other’s game and accepted our roles,” Bartley said. “That makes the game a lot easier. I told our guys ‘KYP’ — know your personnel. You could have only three guys and you can still win. We all have good basketball backgrounds and that helps, no matter the circumstances.”
And while the earlier wins gave his team confidence, Bartley said he also thinks it got into the heads of the 32nd HC players.
“We had played them before and knew what kind of team they were,” he said. “I think it was a mind thing with them; we had beat them before and that was part of the battle.”
While Bartley and Washington were the big scorers for FSC, the coach said center Brandon Harrell was probably the biggest reason their team won.
“He’s our work horse,” Bartley said of Harrell. “He doesn’t say anything about not getting the ball; he just wants to play defense and rebound, and that’s exactly what he did tonight. It seemed like he grabbed every rebound.”
Bartley said Harrell showed no effects of an ailment he complained about before the game began.
“He said he had a bad back, but he’s young,” Bartley said. “He can take it.”
Jhovane Bailey scored 14 points to pace 32nd HC.
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2019 09:55 |
| Story ID: | 315346 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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