95th MDG wins championship, 31st TES nurses its wounds

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  On March 30, Edwards crowned the 95th Medical Group as "kings of the hoops" as they clinched this year's intramural basketball championship title at the Rosburg Fitness Center here. 

After grabbing the intramural basketball championship, the medical group also defeated the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron to win the 30-and-above basketball title.
However, the championship game wasn't that easy. 

The testers won the first game, 54-49. They needed to defeat the medics twice before winning the championship. 

But that didn't happen. 

"The games were both hard-fought," said Mike Kinney, 31st TES player. "We did our best, but in the long run, they just wanted it more than we did. They just played better." 

Richard Soto said the same about the games. 

"They showed their energy," he said. "They showed their heart. We were surprised." 

Both teams tried to out-do each other as defense and offense were almost the same during the first half of game one. The testers scored 27 with Kinney, Greg Ahlquist and Mike Frieson leading the pack. The medics meanwhile had 26 with Darryl Mason and Soto scoring 10 and 9. 

The testers pulled ahead during the second half scoring 27-23. Kinney and Frieson scored six points each, Sean Striverson added five while Ahlquist and Jerome Perkins scored four each. Ron Pama scored two to win the first game 54-49. 

The second game saw the medics showing their true form as they pulled 60 points over the tester's 45. 

Both medics and testers were tied during the second game's first half. Soto and Mason led the medics with 12 and nine points, respectively. 

Perkins scored eight points while Kinney and Striverson each had six. 

The second half was the turning point for the medics. They hauled in 36. Soto scored 15 points; Owens had 11 while Turner and Fields each had five to win the game. 

Perkins scored eight while Kinney and Striverson each had four. Frieson made three points to close the gap. 

"We played pretty well just to get to second place," Frieson said. 

Soto said the testers pushed the medics to their limits. 

"We really worked hard for it," he said. "I am proud of my team. They are fun to play with. There was not one person who stood out. They all did their part."