The Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 ‘Maintenance’ team recorded their fourth straight win during the third week of the intramural basketball season against 3rd Radio Battalion at the Semper Fit Center gym, Feb. 4, 2014.

Both teams showcased their speed on the court, but MALS-24 proved to be the quicker team and remained undefeated with a final score of 49-39.

Dressed in white jerseys, MALS-24 gained an early edge by receiving possession of the ball off the opening tipoff, which lead to a speedy layup. From there, their offense ran loose as they moved down the court to get several more layups followed by a couple of two-point shots.

Five minutes into the first half, 3rd Radio Bn. struggled to put points on the scoreboard. They attempted to get their legs moving, but quickly found themselves sinking as they fell behind 9-3.

After 3rd Radio Bn. fouled MALS-24, allowing a few free throws to slip by, the time on the clock was running down. They caught a break away down the court, where they were fouled. They took advantage of the opportunity, scoring three of four free throw shots.

MALS-24 players maintained the momentum and focused on shooting more two and three-point shots. By the end of the first half, MALS-24 led 26-16.

“Through the first half we were working as a team and moving the ball well,” said Jujuane Hairston, center for MALS-24. “We’ve got some fast guys, so playing a faster game worked well for us.”

At the beginning of the second half, 3rd Radio Bn. looked like a completely different team. Similar to MALS-24’s play in the first half, 3rd Radio Bn. surged down the court with quick passing and quick feet and scored several three-point shots.

Although the first half primarily belonged to MALS-24, the second half leaned toward 3rd Radio Bn. for a while. As the 3rd Radio Bn. players began sinking more shots through the net, MALS-24 called a timeout in the middle of the second half.

“We came out in the second half and showed a lot of heart,” said Tyler Francis, point guard for 3rd Radio Bn. “During one of the timeouts we just told ourselves to not give up, and we were able to make it a close game.”

However, not every team gets a fairy-tale ending. 3rd Radio Bn. players intensity brought them within four points of MALS-24, but they couldn’t manage to catch up in time. In the final minute of play, 3rd Radio Bn. attempted a three-point shot, failed and grabbed the rebound. After the second three-point shot attempt, the ball bounced off the rim of the basket and into a MALS-24 player’s hands, and with a quick pass to a teammate they were able to net two points in the basket with a jump shot.

By the final buzzer, MALS-24 had sustained their lead, keeping them undefeated with a final score of 49-39.