Defense was the name of the game and in the Salvation Army Basketball League they’ve initiated an easy way to teach the skill. Players on opposing team wear matching armbands, so that they always know who they’re supposed to be guarding and then switch the armbands during substitutions.

The method was in practice Friday in a game between the Rockets and Suns at the Salvation Army. Rocket coach Richard Herries said he likes the armband method because it makes the game run more smoothly.

“It really helps them spread out the floor instead of bunching up around the ball,” Herries said. “Plus, it makes it easier to emphasize teamwork, especially on the defensive end.”

With armbands in place both teams took the court, but the Rockets lifted off with a 14-0 run to start the game and never looked back. Sloan Thompson sank the first two buckets, but it was a team effort, as all five Rocket starters scored during the run. Sun Zion Bowlin stopped the run with a smooth drive through the lane and dropped in his team’s first two points. Kammal Dowdell added another bucket for the Suns and brought the halftime deficit to 18-4.

In the second half the Suns found a little more offensive rhythm, but the Rockets had built too commanding of a lead for the Suns to mount an effective comeback. Gabe Magee and Aaron Hester contributed to their team’s effort while Bowlin continued his strong play.

It proved to be the Rockets night, as their teamwork and experience propelled them to a 30-12 victory. Most of the Rockets had experience in other leagues. Isaiah James recently finished the Hoopster Basketball League’s postseason tournament. Thomas Uhler has played in both the Lawrence Parks and Recreation League and the former Sport 2 Sport organization.

Sun guard Zion Bowlin Battles a Rocket defender for a lose ball. The Rockets defeated the Suns 30-12 Friday night at the Salvation Army.

“We had a lot of good teamwork, especially on defense, which is difficult,” Uhler said after the win.

Whether the armbands helped with that team defense, Uhler wasn’t sure, but his coach knew that it certainly helped. He would know, too, having coached in various youth leagues for seven years.

“This is the first year they’ve tried it in the Salvation Army League,” Herries said. “But they’ve done it in Parks and Recreation and it really makes a difference.”

Armbands or not, the Rockets controlled the game from the opening tip and never lost their focus during the Suns late-game push. When both teams turned in their matching bands at the end of the game, the score didn’t matter. Everyone had fun and learned something about defense along the way.