January 24, 2016

PONTIAC, Illinois – The Windy City Groove sit atop the Midwest Professional Basketball Association as the league’s lone remaining unbeaten team following a 147-144 overtime win against the Pontiac 66ers Sunday at Pontiac High School.

The game was high scoring from the outset, as Pontiac put up 28 points in the first quarter—which would ordinarily be impressive, but the Groove (4-0) outdid the hosts by putting up 41.

Both teams continued to burn the nets in the second, with the Groove putting up another 37 and Pontiac adding 43, to send the game into the break with the Groove up 78-71. 

The physical game took a toll on both teams, as the Groove’s Sean Dockery left the game in the second quarter and Pontiac’s Jake Anderson left the game with injuries in the second and third quarter, respectively.  Neither player returned.

The Groove weathered the loss of the former Duke Blue Devil and held onto the lead at the end of three quarters, 108-102.

The 66ers (3-2) caught, and then passed, the Groove and took a four-point lead late in the fourth quarter.  But a driving layup by Windy City’s Dion Cooksey with three seconds left in regulation tied the game at 131 and sent it into overtime.

Cooksey then took control in overtime, scoring nine of his team’s 16 points in the extra frame and helping to secure the win.

Cooksey led all scorers with 39 points on 14-of-24 shooting.  Isiah martin scored 27 and pulled down nine rebounds.  Four other players for the Groove, including Dockery, who finished with 17, scored in double figures.

Alfonzo Houston scored 29 for the 66ers, as did Jake Anderson before he left with the injury.  D’Mitri Riggs added 21, 18 of which came in the second half.  Garrett Jefferson and Marcus Hammonds also scored in double figures.  Thomas Staton led Pontiac with 11 rebounds.