Cavaliers squeak victory by Nuggets

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kristopher Levasseur
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  The Summer Basketball League was in full swing Aug. 16 as the Cavaliers squeaked by in a victory against the Nuggets midway through the season, winning 57-55.

The game started with both teams on the offensive, bouncing back and forth more than a game of table tennis. The lack of solid defense made it easy for both teams to score two points in the first 30 seconds of the game.

The "attack, attack, attack" mentality continued throughout the first quarter with the Cavaliers running the score to 16-14.

At the beginning of the second quarter, it seemed as if two completely new teams walked on the court. The Cavaliers and the Nuggets remembered defense and balanced their offense. Balanced play was not enough to tip the scales in either direction with the point spread never breaking three points in either direction, the second quarter ended with a tie score of 25.

Coming into the second half, both teams were charged and ready to go. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the momentum of the game shifted in favor of the Nuggets when they broke away and ran up a four-point lead ending the third quarter 44-40.

The tension began to build in the final quarter. The Nuggets were able to pull off six additional points early on in the period, giving them an eight-point lead. It seemed to be all over for the Cavaliers, but they were not going down without a fight.

In the next few minutes of the game, the Nuggets pulled out all the stops trying to hold back the Cavaliers, but couldn't stop their drive to victory. The Cavaliers destroyed the Nuggets commanding lead tying the score at 55. The fight to break the tie was on. The Cavaliers were able to make their final basket leaving 10 seconds on the clock for the Nuggets to try to lock it up. The Nuggets had their chance, driving the ball to the basket, but after three missed shots, the buzzer sounded and it was over.

"The game started off slow, but our point guard really picked it up in the second half," said Jason Lewis, Cavalier team member. "It wasn't just our point guard though; our bench players came in and really pulled us though to the victory."

According to Lewis, the team was very happy with their victory because the Nuggets had defeated them earlier in the season.

"The teams were well-balanced, which is why we didn't see a blowout," said Robert Sedberry, league coordinator and coach of the Cavaliers. "Most of the games we have played so far ended just like this one, right down to the wire. Hopefully, the Cavaliers can keep this up and continue on to the league championships."