Christian Sports Ministries defeated both the San Quentin Warriors and Kings in a doubleheader. They beat the Warriors, 70-65, and the Kings, 87-68.
Michael Franklin led the Warriors with 24 points, Maurice Hanks added 14, Anthony Ammons and Allan McIntosh, 11 apiece; however, it wasn’t enough against the pro and college talent sponsors Don Smith and Bill Eplings brought to The Q.
The Ministries’ Green Team included 43-year-old, 6-foot-8 Tedd Hahs, who played pro in Portugal; David King, a Division 2 college title-winner; Pat Lacey, who returned with two teammates from their Claremont-McKenna College basketball team, including team captain and starting center Tejas Gala, and Beau Heidrich.Also there was Mark “Socks” Ivy, wearing dark and lime green, purple, white and black argyle knee-high socks. Plus they brought in first-timer Chris Hanson. Four of the players were over 6-foot-3; however, they had one flaw.
“We have no ball handler,” said David King. “We don’t have a point guard,” echoed Hahs.
“I’m exploiting the lack of a point guard off the top—full court pressure from start to finish,” said Warriors Coach Daniel Wright.
“Hold the ball up high and make smart passes,” Ivy advised his tall teammates.
The weather started off chilly, as the Green Team came out strong, led by Hahs. He hit his first five shots from the field and first free throw. He went on to score 29 points with seven rebounds.
As the weather got warmer, the Warriors responded strong. Franklin slam-dunked the ball with authority off a pass from Greg Eskridge, with 30 seconds left in the first. At half-time, the score was 39-32, Warriors.
“I like where we are. We just have to feed the post and stop turning the ball over to the pressure defense,” said Epling.
During halftime, Epling told a joke about adultery. “Jesus said he who is without sin, throw the first stone. Suddenly a rock hit the adulterer and Jesus yells, ‘I’m trying to make a point dad!’”
Ivy spoke on how many of his friends from Jacksonville, Florida didn’t make it and how everything in his life was going wrong until he starting praying. He said now things are great for him. “It’s no miracle. God is just doing what he said he would,” said Ivy.
The game went back and fourth in the third quarter, ending tied at 51.
Although the pressure defense was working for the Warriors, causing 23 turnovers, they got away from it in the fourth quarter, despite Wright’s coaching them to do so. “Y’all gotta get stops. How are they beating you with no point guard?” Wright exclaimed.
The Warriors were down six with 6:03 on the clock; however, they closed the gap to one, at 61- 60 after Hanks hit a three. The Warriors stole the inbound pass and McIntosh was fouled going up for a layup. He hit both free throws.
Then the game got away, as the Green team went up 65-60 with 47 seconds left, forcing the Warriors to intentionally foul to stop the clock.
The Warriors made a great comeback effort. Franklin put back a shot a teammate missed and Hanks hit another threepointer, bringing the score to 68-65 Green team. However, Green team players Hanson, King and Hahs hit their free throws, going 5/6.
Hahs credited the Ministries’ win in the Nov. 2 game to “just doing what you have to do. Just do your job. It’s fun — the weather, the hecklers. I love playing physical and outdoors. It’s not what they do; it’s what you do.”
Next up were the Kings. Hahs, King and Ivy had to leave, but the rest stayed, with Andrew Strong added and both Smith and Epling acting as the Green Team reserves.
The Kings trailed the whole game, never getting closer than six points. Lacey led Ministries with 37 points and 19 rebounds. He had a double-double with 16 and 11 at halftime. Tejas had 16 and 20. Strong added 15 points.
Newcomer Chris Hanson wasn’t shy. He had 10 points, four rebounds and an assist. “I was a little nervous at first. It took awhile to warm up and focus. I can’t wait to come back,” Hanson said enthusiastically.
The Green team refueled between games by eating chocolate chip cookies. “Y’all ain’t tired? What you give those guys, Bill?” joked Kings Assistant Coach Ishmael Freelon.
Oris Williams had a bad shooting day, missing his first five shots and going six for 20 from the field, but still scored 18 and grabbed nine boards. Aubra-Lamont “Coo-Coo” Moore had another good day from three-point land, hitting four and scoring 14 points. Thad Fleeton hit four of 10 for nine points and nine rebounds.
This was the first time the Green Team beat the Kings in four tries. “The Kings stay playing us strong. We lost four in a row. We had to break the losing streak,” said Lacey.
