Spangdahlem’s Robert Leggett gets through the Hohenfels defense of Jacob and Joel Idowu in the Sentinels 65-63 win in the boys Division III final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – The Spangdahlem boys basketball program slowly has climbed its way up the podium over the past three years.
Two years ago, the Sentinels took third place in the Division III tournament. In 2023, they dropped the championship game to Baumholder to finish runners-up.
On Saturday afternoon at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne, Spangdahlem finally placed itself on the top rung. The Sentinels survived a back-and-forth affair with Hohenfels, coming back late in a 65-63 title-winning victory at the DODEA European Basketball Championships.
“We were hungry,” Spangdahlem sophomore Cameron Lewis said. “We had that greed for a W. We didn’t want to get that feeling again. We knew it was our year this year.”
That loss last season to Baumholder powered the Sentinels (19-0) all season. The players and coach Mark Jackson said the motivation from that result helped them recover while trailing, which they did in the first matchup with the Tigers (17-4) on Jan. 26, when Spangdahlem was down for most of the game at home.
“That’s what our coach has been telling us all year: Remember that feeling and use it as energy to fuel us and win our games,” Spangdahlem senior Robert Leggett said.
On Saturday, Spangdahlem faced multiple big deficits, beginning with a 9-0 Hohenfels run to start the game.
The team recovered quickly and didn’t trail for 18 minutes, 36 seconds after a Leggett reverse off a pass from sophomore Zander Doulder made it 24-22 at the 6:09 mark in the second quarter. The Sentinels boasted an eight-point advantage with 5:56 remaining in the game when Lewis spun in the lane and scored a bucket.
The Tigers responded by dropping a 12-0 run over a three-and-a-half-minute span to make it 59-55 in their favor. They crashed the offensive glass, led by brothers Joel and Jacob Idowu, to extend possessions, scoring eight second-chance points.
With 2:22, the Sentinels dug deep and turned it around yet again. Spangdahlem went on a 10-2 spurt that started with a goaltending on a Lewis layup and ended with Lewis hitting both attempts from the charity stripe with 9.7 seconds left to seal the win.
“They couldn’t want it more than we wanted it,” said Lewis, who popped off for 10 of his 13 points in the fourth frame. “Everybody was saying we need this. We’ve been here way too many times.
“We watched some of our previous games; we tended to argue a little bit. We made sure to shut that down today because we needed it.”
Spangdahlem’s Jeremy White, Makario Drummond and Messiah Smith, from left, celebrate their Division III title after defeating Hohenfels 65-63 in the division final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Jacob Idowu of Hohenfels and Spangdahlem’s Messiah Smith fight for a rebound in the boys Division III final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Spangdahlem beat Hohenfels in a close game 65-63. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem’s Cameron Lewis drives against Theo Reyes of Hohenfels in the boys Division III final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Spangdahlem won the the game 65-63. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels’ Jacob Idowu goes to the basket against Spangdahlem’s Jeremy White in the boys Division III final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Spangdahlem beat Hohenfels 65-63 to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels’ Joel Idowu gets an off balance shot against Spangdahlem’s Robert Leggett in the boys Division III final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. The Sentinels beat the Cougars in an exciting game 65-63 to take the DIII crown. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Along with Lewis, a pair of seniors played a key role in the run.
Guard Makario Drummond put the Sentinels up for good at the 1:25 mark after stealing the ball and dribbling the length of the floor for a layup. It was two of his 13 points, and that steal was one of six for him in the game.
Drummond also assisted on a Lewis bucket that tied the game at 59 with 1:41 remaining.
Leggett, meanwhile, had a monster game, amassing 29 points. On the possession after Drummond gave Spangdahlem the lead, Leggett repeated the same play with a steal and a layup of his own.
For his efforts, Leggett was named the Division III tournament MVP.
“This senior bunch is special,” Jackson said. “They came to play.
“They finally exorcised some demons by taking out Baumholder, and we still had a big test here with Hohenfels.”
Leggett, Drummond, fellow seniors Michael Landers and Javian Rivera (four points) and Lewis will be leaving. Lewis is PCS-ing out of Spangdahlem.
Hohenfels, meanwhile, has plenty of reasons for optimism.
The Tigers have just one senior on the roster, and multiple freshmen in Joel Idowu and Lucas Gibbs who played roles on Saturday.
Joel Idowu especially came through with a top performance in the losing effort. The freshman posted a double-double of 24 points and 17 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. The 6-foot-4 forward exploded in the final 8 minutes with 10 points to lead the Tigers’ surge.
Brother Jacob Idowu, a 6-3 junior, also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.
“Putting him in a position with this much pressure and seeing how well he performed, it’s impressive,” Hohenfels coach Michael Weston said of Joel Idowu. “We were excited to see how well he did, and we’re excited to see how well he’s going to do in the next three years at Hohenfels – hopefully.”