Strong second half raises Hawaii past Olympia

USS Hawaii (SSN 776) guard Chief Logistics Specialist Spencer Crawford tries to finish off a shot inside the lane during the team's Afloat Division showdown versus USS Olympia (SSN 717) at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Feb. 11.

Sports Editor

Post-player Machinist’s Mate Fireman Dylan Utley scored 16 points in the second half to help USS Hawaii (SSN 776) overtake and beat USS Olympia (SSN 717), 32-24, in a battle of Afloat Division teams at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Feb. 11.

The matchup was the first game of the season for both teams.

Trailing by a score of 11-9 at intermission, Utley, who scored on back-to-back treys in the first half, caught fire early in the second half and sank his third three-point shot of the game to help Hawaii pull to within a point at 15-14.

Then on the next trip down the floor, Utley pumped in a basket to take the lead at 1615. In the team’s next two possessions, Utley went on to dish out two assists to cap off a 6-0 run by Hawaii and gain a 20-15 advantage with 13:16 remaining in the game.

“We just tried to pass the ball around quick,” said Utley about his open-court exploits. “I’m faster than a lot of big men, and they had a hard time keeping up. I tried to pass it off if I wasn’t open. Their two-three (zone) wasn’t too solid.”

Hawaii went on the tack on three more points, before Olympia Machinist’s Mate Fireman Roderick Flood broke the streak at nine straight points with a basket at the 7:07 mark to pull to within six at 2317. The margin remained at six with each team trading baskets until Utley delivered the final dagger with a shot that opened up an eight-point lead at 29-21 with only 1:15 remaining on the clock.

Utley, who led all scorers with 22 points, said that he tried to keep things simple and hoped that his play would spark the team.

“If I do simple things like make a shot, our team gets pumped up and hustles,” he said. “That’s all you can do.”

Logistics Specialist Seaman Lajuan Linton, who led the Olympia with 13 points on four field goals, two free throws and a trey, said that although his team got off to a good start in the first half, a lack of practice time on the court hindered its effort late in the game.

The Olympia fell behind at 73 in the early minutes of the first half, but went on an 8-0 run to go into halftime with a two-point advantage.

“Shots wasn’t falling and we started making bad passes,” Linton said. “I don’t know. We just got back, so we’re just working on our first time playing with each other. We haven’t figured it out yet. We just need to practice some more. That’s it, just work on our shots.”

Utley said that after his team fell behind going into the second half, he knew that the team would come back if it kept positive.

Entering the game, Utley stated that the team’s main focus was to just go out on the court and have fun.

“As a team, we don’t yell and get angry. We’re always happy all the time,” Utley pointed out. “We just pretty much thought to have fun. Then we started winning and it was more fun.”

Utley added that with only a few experienced players on the team, it’s up to him and a few others to lead the way.

If Utley continues to provide the strong inside and outside game he brought against the Olympia, then the team should be tough to beat.

“We only have a few people that ever played basketball before,” Utley said. “We got to get the other guys going. We’re going to teach them along the way.”