Maintenance squadrons battle for basketball championship Published April 16, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Curt Beach 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The 2nd Maintenance Squadron and the 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron faced off in the 2015 Intramural Basketball Championship at the Senior Airman Bryan Bell Fitness Center here, April 9. After fighting their way through the regular season and playoffs, the two strongest contenders went head to head for bragging rights and the coveted championship trophy. "This is a huge rivalry game," said Airman 1st Class Jamier Bazemore, 2nd MXS point guard, before the game. "Maintenance versus maintenance. We see these guys a lot. The game plan is to do whatever it takes to win." As the only team to finish the regular season undefeated, AMXS entered the matchup as the favorite, putting a spotless 13-0 record on the line. MXS, who had several regular season games canceled due to inclement weather, sported a modest 7-2 record. AMXS scored first with a quick jumper. MXS answered with back-to-back 3-pointers, giving them a 6-2 advantage. AMXS followed with a 3 of their own to cut the lead to one. A 6-0 run after a lay-up, a steal on the resulting inbounds pass for an easy basket, and a fast break score gave the underdogs a 12-5 edge. Not to be outdone, AMXS responded with a 6-0 run of their own, thanks to strong rebounding and points in the paint from 6-foot-5 center Senior Airman Andres Aguirre. To clog the middle and stop the bleeding on the inside, MXS called for a 2-1-2 zone defense, which resulted in consecutive steals, but left them vulnerable from deep, as the AMXS team captain drained a 3 from the top of the arc. At the half, MXS clung to a three-point lead, 26-23. The second half game plan for AMXS was to exploit mismatches on the court, but MXS had other plans. With dominant play around the rim and smooth free throw shooting from power forward Leon Carswell, MXS began to impose its will on the undefeated squad. In the bleachers, MXS fans grew louder as their team battled for the upset. AMXS, in desperation mode, put on a full-court press, down 43-53 with 3:35 left to play. It wasn't enough though, as MXS continued to find the open man to build its lead and claim the championship with a final score of 62-46. Bazemore led all scorers with 18 points. Senior Airman Akelyan Rumph led AMXS with 17 points. "Anytime you play a rivalry game, you want to have the bragging rights when it's over," said Carswell. "We talk trash with the other guys, but at the end of the day it's all fun and games. On the court, we're enemies. Off the court, we're friends."