March 5, 2016

CHICAGO – Despite losing reigning league most valuable player Justin Bocot to a foreign contract just hours before tipoff, the St. Louis RiverSharks were able to take down the first-place Windy City Groove 112-100 Saturday afternoon at Kroc Center.

St. Louis blistered the nets from three-point range in the first quarter, hitting six of ten shots from beyond the arc and taking a 35-28 lead at the end of the opening period.

The pace slowed in the second as the Groove twice got to within two points before a Jaylen Fulton three-pointer with :16.4 remaining gave the RiverSharks a 53-48 lead at halftime.

Windy City tied the game at 54 early in the third on a Jordan Johnson layup, and then took a 59-56 lead a moment later on a Johnson three-pointer.  But over the next 2:36, St. Louis answered with a 10-0 run, seven of which came from the hand of Brandon Roberson, and the RiverSharks never trailed again.

A Deveon Jenkins basket cut the lead to five with 8:08 to play in the fourth at 92-87, however, St. Louis answered with another 10-0 run to land the knockout blow.

Aaron Williams led the RiverSharks (6-4) with 23 points, while Jaylen Fulton and Bruce Massey each scored 20.  Three other players scored in double figures for St. Louis.

C.J. Hampton was the game’s top scorer, notching 29 for Windy City (8-3), which has lost consecutive games for the first time this season.  Julian Lewis tallied 15 points and ten rebounds in the losing effort.