March 27, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Windy City Groove had three goals going into  Friday night’s game against the Bloomington Flex, according to Groove coach Handy Johnson: pressure the Flex guards, run them off of their spots, and hold them to under 20 points a quarter.

                    Through two-and-a-half quarters, Johnson’s game plan worked to perfection as the Flex offense could not find any consistency.  But after falling behind by eight points in the third quarter, Fabyon Harris and C.J. Hampton finally found a way to get some points, and eventually led the Flex to a 101-93 Midwest Professional Basketball Association win.

                    With the win, the Flex moved to 14-4 on the season, and can still claim the number one overall seed in the MPBA playoffs.  Windy City fell to 3-15, and while the Groove are still alive for the fourth and final playoff spot, they need lots of help to sneak in.

                    The Groove jumped out to an early eight-point lead at 13-5 before A.J. Hardeman led the Flex on a 9-0 run and gave them their first lead of the game with 1:53 to play in the first quarter at 14-13.  The Groove pulled back ahead and closed out the quarter with an 18-16 lead.

                    The teams then exchanged the lead over the opening minutes of the second quarter, with the Flex going up by as many as four.  Windy City, though, outscored the Flex 15-6 over the rest of the second period to take a 43-38 lead at halftime.

                    A Deveon Jenkins three-point play to open the third gave the Groove an eight-point lead, but a 13-2 run by the Flex, capped off by a Hampton three-pointer gave the Flex the lead at 51-48 with 7:02 to play. 

                    Yet, the Groove would not go away, taking a 59-58 lead with 3:27 to play in the quarter on former Flex star Nate Fuqua’s layup.  Four Hardeman free throws got the lead back for the Flex, and sparking Bloomington to a 68-63 lead after three.

                    Fabyon Harris then ignited Bloomington during the fourth quarter with a three-point play during an 11-4 run  to balloon the lead to a dozen.  Jenkins, as he did numerous times throughout the game, again answered for the Groove, getting his team to within four at 97-93 with 3:22 to play. 

                    The Flex defense stiffened, and held the Groove scoreless for the remainder of the game.

                    Harris led the Flex with a season-high 24 points.  C.J. Hampton added 19, while Justin Bocot scored 15.  Hardeman finished with a dozen.

                    Windy City’s Nate Fuqua led all scorers with 27.  Lavante Douglas finished with 25 before fouling out, while Jenkins finished with 20.

                    Bloomington hosts the Chicago Force on Sunday at 4:05 p.m., while the Groove travel to St. Louis to take on the Gateway Steam Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  The Flex and Groove then close out their regular seasons in a rematch in Chicago on Thursday, April 2 at Kroc Center.