Force come back to win nail-biter over Groove
Late shot by Price, 26 by McDonald seal win
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2015
Contact: Alvin Washington, Dir. of Media Relations
alvin.washington@chicagoforcebasketball.com
CHICAGO - The backdrop of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday helped provide a "dream" matchup between the Windy City Groove and the Chicago Force in the first "Crosstown Showdown" at the Kroc Center on the city's west side. The teams did not disappoint as the Force used a last second shot by Brandon Price for their first-ever win, 86-85.
The Groove (1-1) controlled the first half of the game and blazed out to a 41-34 lead behind the hot shooting of Christopher Dillard, who earned 12 of his 24 points in the first half. The Force (1-2) made some defensive adjustments and controlled the second half, outscoring the Groove 25-17 in the third quarter and taking a 59-58 lead into the final stanza.
Darius Smith let his backcourt defense shine through as his four steals and three blocks buoyed the Force to a five point lead midway the fourth quarter. Nathan Fuqua of the Groove drove coast to coast with a layup at 15 seconds left in the game to give the Groove an 85-84 lead. The Force then called timeout and set up a play by half court. Erin Pryor missed a sure-fire shot left of the rim, only to have Price snag the offensive rebound and drop in the game winner with 4.4 seconds left.
The Force are off until January 25, when they return to Family Arena in St. Louis to battle the RiverSharks. The Groove are back until returning to the Family Arena in metro St. Louis to battle the St. Louis RiverSharks on January 25. Meanwhile, the Groove are back at the Kroc Center Wednesday, January 21, to host the Bloomington Flex. Tip off is set for 7pm.