Double domination <br>81st FSS-CPTS combo claims 2nd basketball title

Published Feb. 24, 2010

KEESLER AFB, Ms. -- Editor's note: Senior Airman Kimberly Erickson, 403rd Wing Public Affairs, and Sam Miller, intramural sports director, contributed to this report.
The combined team 81st Force Support and Comptroller Squadrons defeated the 335th Training Squadron Bulls 49-42 in the intramural season basketball championship game Feb. 17 at the Dragon Fitness Center.

The title came on the heels of the 81st FSS-CPTS championship in the Over-30 League playoffs the previous week.

The 81st FSS-CPTS intramural championship win followed a strong 9-1 regular season and 4-0 record in the playoffs, an improvement over the 2008-09 season, said coach Ramon Santiago.

"We had a great turnaround from last year, when we were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs," Santiago said. "This year we just breezed right through."

The league's most valuable player, Sean Morgan, led the 81st FSS-CPTS to a 28-point lead over the Bulls in the first half with six three-pointers.

"I was just trying to help my team win," Morgan said of his performance.

With 36-8 on the scoreboard going into the second half, the Bulls fought hard to regain their footing. Picking up the tempo, they exhibited some of the same tight passing and shooting that earned them a 9-1 regular season and 3-1 playoff record.

Lighting up the court, Bulls player Darius Sutter claimed two 3-pointers, then sent the crowd to their feet with a two-handed slam dunk reverberating off the backboard.

Despite racking up 34 points in the last 20 minutes of the game, the Bulls found their second wind too late to make a difference.

Representing the Eastern Division in the postseason playoffs, the 81st FSS-CPTS defeated the 334th TRS, 35-28, and swept the 336th TRS, 56-55 in Round 2 and 61-60 in Round 4, to advance to the title game.

The road to the playoffs was a bit more challenging for the Bulls, representing the Western Division. After defeating the 81st Mission Support Group, 53-48, and the 332nd TRS A-team, 45-36, the Bulls suffered a fourth round loss to the 81st MSG, 50-40, which lead to a rematch with the 81st MSG to fulfill the double elimination playoff requirements. The Bulls won that fifth round game, 52-40, sitting the stage for championship matchup with the 81st FSS-CPTS.