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Tyndall outlasts Eglin to grasp 1st Place

  • Published
  • By Courtesy of the Tyndall Tigers
  • 325th Fighter Wing
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The Tyndall Tigers men's varsity basketball team (6-1) traveled to Eglin Air Force Base Saturday to face the Eglin Eagles (6-1) in Southeastern Military Athletic Conference action with first place on the line going into the holiday break. 

The two teams played close throughout the first half until Tyndall committed turnovers on three consecutive possessions, which the Eagles turned into a 10-point lead. The Tigers came roaring back to cut their deficit to two points on a three-point bucket by Chris Walker as the half time buzzer sounded. 

In the second half, the score remained close throughout until the Tigers extended their defensive pressure with eight minutes remaining in the contest, forcing Eglin to commit consecutive turnovers. Tyndall's forward, Marqus Armour, got hot and scored eight points in a row to take the Tigers to a 10-point lead. The Tigers connected on clutch free throws down the stretch, led by guard Melvin Smith, who connected on six free throws in the last minute of the contest to seal the win. 

The Tigers pulled out a 98-82 victory. 

Chris Walker paced the Tigers in scoring with a game- and season-high 21 points, followed by Melvin Smith and Marqus Armour with 18 points each. Armour and Antonio Bazemore led in rebounding with 14 and 11 respectively. Bazemore also led in assists with six. Rasheem Ramsey led the defensive effort with five steals. Eglin's Stanton Simmons paced the Eagles in scoring with 20 points. 

With the their hard-fought victory, the Tiger's record improved to 7-1, as they moved a full game ahead of the second-place Eagles and two games ahead of third place Hurlburt Field. The Tigers will break for the holiday season and return to the hardwood on Jan. 5 when they travel to Fort Benning, Ga. to play the Bandits.