February 28, 2016

ST. LOUIS – The Champaign Swarm, after starting the defense of their 2015 championship 1-7, have now won two games in a row after a 118-104 defeat of the Gateway Steam at Emerson Performance Center Sunday.  The Swarm are now 2-0 under new head coach Daniel Ruffin.

Gateway used an 11-1 run to take a 38-31 lead at the end of the first quarter, and went up twelve halfway through the second period.  But the Swarm exploded for a 20-9 run over the second half of the quarter and closed the gap to one at halftime, 63-62.

The Swarm took their first lead of the game on the first basket of the third quarter by Silas Mills.  However, Gateway newcomer Anthony Jones spurred the Steam to regain the lead and extend it to seven at 76-69 with 6:27 to play in the third.  Five straight points by Champaign’s Adrien Coleman got the lead down to two, and then Aaron Weaver tied it at 80 on a thunderous dunk with 4:19 remaining in the period.  The Swarm then pushed the lead to seven before the third quarter ended with Champaign up five at 93-88.

Michael Rogers and Jonathan Mills then took over for the Swarm on the offensive end, while Champaign’s defense resembled its 2015 championship unit and held Gateway to 16 fourth-quarter points.  Connell Crossland got the Steam to within two points at 102-100 with 4:26 to play, but Oliver McGlade answered with a three-pointer and the Steam would get no closer.

Jonathan Mills led the Swarm with 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Aaron Weaver scored 25 and dished out five assists.  Rogers added 17 points and ten rebounds, while McGlade, Coleman and Robert Broughton all scored in double figures for the Swarm (3-7).

Anthony Jones, in his first game with Gateway, scored 29 points.  Connell Crossland added 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Steam (3-5).  Brent Schuck had eleven, all in the first quarter.