February 21, 2016

ST. LOUIS – The Champaign Swarm probably wish they could play every game against the St. Louis RiverSharks, after earning a 111-104 win over the hosts at Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe State University.

After defeating the RiverSharks for the 2015 Midwest Professional Basketball Association championship, the Swarm had come into today’s game with just one win on the 2016 season—and it was against St. Louis.

The Swarm, winning in Daniel Ruffin’s coaching debut, are now 2-7, while St. Louis fell to 3-4.

St. Louis built up a six-point lead in the first quarter before the Swarm came storming back on a 16-4 run to take a 29-22 lead at the end of the period.  The RiverSharks answered with a run of their own to go back up by four in the second, but a Jordan Walker bucket gave the Swarm the lead back with :58 to play in the half.  Champaign would take a 51-49 lead into the intermission.

The RiverSharks exploded for a 16-5 run early in the third quarter to take a 67-56 lead midway through the period.  Champaign cut the lead to five at 77-72 heading into the fourth.

Oliver McGlade gave the Swarm the lead at 93-92 on back-to-back three-pointers with 6:15 to play, and Champaign would never trail again, as Walker, Aaron Weaver, and Jonathan Mills scored down the stretch to balloon the lead to eleven with 1:13 to play.

Weaver led all scorers with 33 points, while Walker poured in 27.  Jonathan Mills and James McClain each scored ten.

Justin Bocot and Bruce Massey each scored 23 for St. Louis.  James Edmond added 17, while Brandon Roberson notched 15 for the RiverSharks.  Aaron Williams pulled down ten rebounds in the loss.