FT. BRAGG, NC - In a thrilling come-from-behind upset victory, the "Wolfpack" of the 74th Quartermaster Battalion defeated the "Bulldogs" of the 378th Typist Brigade, 28-26, for the hotly contested Ft. Bragg "B" League Men's Intramural Basketball Championship, Tuesday night in front of a packed house in Patton Memorial Gymnasium. Led by captain and star point guard, J.C. Mendoza, the Wolfpack poured it on in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 18-6. Mendoza, a former Brookfield Community College standout, had twelve of his sixteen points in the second half. He had this to say about the victory:
"At halftime, a lot of the guys started to get down on themselves. Things were pretty quiet when we headed back to the locker room. But then the coach gave a pep talk that I'll never forget. Basically, he summed up our second half strategy like this: 'Get the ball to Mendoza'. Man, that's some pressure, to have the championship, the whole season, resting on your shoulders. But I'm excellent under pressure."
Indeed, Mendoza was better than excellent. "Absolutely stunning," was how the Wolfpack coach described his star's second half performance, particularly the game tying shot, which came with less than a minute left. Mendoza intercepted an errant inbounds pass, then outmaneuvered the Bulldogs leading defensive player, a "tall blonde-haired officer-looking dude with a knee brace", whose name was unavailable at press time, for an easy layup.
"This was absolutely the most challenging game of the playoffs," Mendoza, who also coaches the team, admitted. "For a while I was starting to get worried. But when Mendoza started playing his heart out, I knew the game was in the bag. What an effort!"
The Wolfpack continue their hunt for the Commander's Cup when the intramural softball season opens next Monday. Look for pitcher and leadoff hitter J.C. Mendoza to dazzle on the diamond as the Wolfpack take on the Tigers of HHC, 524th Laundry Services BN at 1900 on Pike Field.