DAU downs Army Geo 45-35

The Defense Acquisition University capitalized on an early rally and took the 45-35 victory over the Army Geospatial Intelligence Battalion Feb. 2 at Graves Fitness Center.

The week-five intramural basketball match-up began, for both teams, as a high-flying exercise in driving mid-air flights through the lane and launching massive jump shots from beyond the three-point line. The scoreboard, however, remained quiet for the first four minutes of the half as DAU and Army GEO both maintained a rapidly shifting combination of zone and man-to-man defenses. Defenders harassed ball-handlers at every shot attempt and the scoreboard showed DAU holding a mere 2-1 lead inside the 16-minute mark.

The focus quickly shifted to offense as point guards began to read the defense and take a more cautious approach to their cross-court passing game. Army GEO showed some promise mid-way through the first half as forwards Darren Mays and Phil James continued to polish an airborne offensive that took the team to a number of wins throughout the season's opening weeks. Mays capitalized on a pair of open-lane opportunities for scores and James hit a long jumper that took their point total out to seven.

DAU, however, quickly began to appreciate the dangers of leaving Mays or James the slightest chance to initiate their Jordan-esque acrobatics sent men out to increase the pressure man-to-man. The shift in strategy succeeded in minimizing Army GEO's fortunes from outside and with successful rebounding, DAU claimed a period of ball-control that frustrated the Intelligence Battalion's ability to renew momentum.

DAU point guard Alexis Concepcion set up an offensive plan that focused on getting the ball across the court and into the capable hands of forwards Delontee Edgerton and Jermaine McKinney who started a three-point rally. Guard Brian Johnson added to the profits with a drive inside that took DAU into the lead 17-7 with five minutes to go in the first period.

Army GEO took a brief break to reorganize and rotate personnel and returned to the court with a newly defined zone defense that kept DAU shooters outside for the remainder of the half. Mays succeeded in snagging a string of rebounds and drove down the court to sink one bucket from near the foul line, but DAU further adjusted to the all-or-nothing strategy right away and went back to man-to-man defense. Dousing GEO's offensive fire, Concepcion and company began a streak of their own. The agile point guard slung the ball back to Edgerton and McKinney who sank a series of unanswered three-pointers that took DAU into the mid-game break with a healthy 25-9 lead.

Army GEO took to the court at the second-period buzzer with a new resolve to break through DAU's 3-2 zone. Mays drove inside through sheer force of will and managed a string of successful layups despite the crowd of defenders constricting the lane. James zeroed in his three-point gun and sank a pair of clean baskets as well, and by the 10:45 mark Army GEO was scratching their way back into the game, trailing 33-23.

Unfortunately for GEO, the rally fizzled and DAU retook command by the six-minute mark, continuing their streak with a pair of three-pointers and intensifying their high mobility man-to-man defense on their increasingly frustrated opponent.

The Intelligence Battalion managed a handful of buckets among the big guys inside as well as a clean three-pointer from near the top of the key, but DAU continued the onslaught and racked up a 42-31 advantage by the two-minute buzzer.

DAU defenders sealed the win by sinking a crowning three-pointer from the baseline and holding Army GEO to a single layup and a short-range jumper in the closing moments of the contest.

The clock ran out with DAU taking the win 45-35.