January 25, 2015
Contact:   Scott Beatty, Dir. of Media Relations
(844) THE-MPBA / scott.beatty@champaignswarm.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Despite10 days off, the Champaign Swarm picked up where they left off.

Aaron Weaver came off the bench and scored 24 points to lead the Swarm to a 115-89 defeat of the Windy City Groove on Sunday afternoon at Parkland College.

The Swarm (3-0) remain the only undefeated team in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association.

“I thought I could have played better,” Weaver said. “I didn’t have enough energy in the first half.”

Swarm head coach Chris Daleo felt the same way about the team.

“We were sluggish in the first half,” Swarm head coach Chris Daleo said. “We came out a lot more aggressive in the second half and played more like we are capable of.”

Windy City and Champaign traded runs in the first quarter, and the Swarm held a seven-point lead, which they built to 16 at halftime.

Champaign held Windy City (1-3) to just one field goal in the first six minutes of the third quarter to help put the game out reach, expanding a lead to 36 points at one point.

“I’m grateful to the Leonhard Rec Center and the Champaign Park District for giving us a place to train with 10 days in between games,” Daleo said. “With two games this week (on Thursday and Friday), we’re going right back at it.”

Champaign native Keith Biggers had 16 points off the Swarm bench which contributed 54 points. Arnold Louis added 16 also.  Mark St. Fort had his second straight double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Windy City guard Darrin Johnson led all players with 36 points, including eight three-pointers. Sam Morgan had 10 points and 12 rebounds for a squad that was missing a key player, Nate Fuqua, to a finger injury.

Windy City’s losing streak has reached three games.  The Groove’s next two games are against the Champaign Swarm on Jan. 30 and Feb. 8.

Champaign hosts the Bloomington Flex at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29, at Parkland College.