February 17, 2015

CHICAGO – Think of the rivalry between the Chicago Force and Windy City Groove as a pair of twin brothers in a wrestling match: they live in the same place, have the same friends, and are physically almost identical. As the two twins would be evenly matched and very familiar with each other, the Force and Groove are exactly the same, as evidenced by the fact the four-game season series is tied at one, and that both games have been extremely tight.

 The Force came back to win game one 86-85 on Brandon Price’s last-second jump shot on January 15, while the Groove came back to win in overtime 102-93 on February 15.

Derrick McDonald continues to lead the Force, averaging 24.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, good for second and first in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association, respectively.  Antoine Ware is also becoming a weapon for the Force, as his scoring and rebounding averages are a strong 14.4/9.1 per game.  Tremell Adams, averaging 16.0 points per game, is the third of five Force players averaging in double figures scoring.

Two recent additions for the Groove have helped bolster veteran Nate Fuqua, both offensively and defensively.  Fuqua, averaging 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, has seen Darrin Johnson take over the team scoring lead at 19.0 points per game after three games, and Deveon Jenkins, signed January 29, pitch in 15.5 points per game since his arrival. Jenkins scored 23 points Sunday to lead the Groove’s comeback over the Force, canning six consecutive free throws late in regulation. Christopher Dillard leads the Groove in rebounding at 9.2 per game.

Tipoff for game three of the Crosstown Showdown is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kroc Center.  Fans can watch the game live on the MPBA website, with pregame coverage starting at 6:50 p.m.