Lightning Take Seven For First Place Tie
March 1, 2006 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
Rockford Lightning News Release
Ronnie Fields led the Lightning with 24 points including 11 in the first quarter as
Rockford went on to beat the Michigan Mayhem 113-88 on Tuesday night at the
MetroCentre.
Fields connected on a three-pointer with 7:25 to go in the first quarter to give the
Lightning a 12-10 lead that they would only increase as the game went on. Rockford
won all seven-quarter points for the first time this season and moved into a first
place tie with the Gary Steelheads in the Eastern Conference.
With a twenty-point lead at halftime, the Lightning came out in the second half
determined to win big and not just settle. "We needed seven and we got seven", said
Lightning Head Coach Chris Daleo. "We have four more games to go and we need to
win."
The Lightning were never in jeopardy of losing the game in the second half. After
starting the quarter up 20, and leading by as many as 28 points in the third
quarter, the Mayhem fought back to within 19 with 0:31 remaining. After a foul by
Jamar Brown, Fields sank two free throws to give the Lightning a 1-point lead for
the quarter. Two free throws by Dale Miller increased the lead to 3, and the
Lightning won the third 25-24 after Michigan made a field goal in the final
seconds.
The Lightning went on to win the fourth quarter 27-23 and picked up their first 7-0
victory since December 19, 2004 when they defeated Michigan 127-93 at home.
Lawrence Nelson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as he recorded his first
double double of the season. Six Lightning players scored in double figures
including Fields' 24, Roger Powell with 20, 12 each by Cordell Henry, Brant Bailey,
and Dale Miller, and Nelson's 11. Henry and Fields both celebrated their birthdays
with a victory on Tuesday night, and Ronnie played in his 250th regular season game
in a Lightning uniform.
Rockford finished 10-0 against the Michigan Mayhem this season. No team has won 10
regular season games against a single opponent since the 2003-2004 season. Rockford
went 10-1 against the Great Lakes Storm, and the Dakota Wizards went 10-1 against
the Sioux Falls Skyforce that season.
The Lightning will take a few days off before they get back to work against the Yakama Sun Kings on Tuesday night, March 7th, at the MetroCentre. Game time is 7:05 P.M. (CST) with doors opening at 6:00. Kids tickets are half price, and there will be a limited number of seats sold for $1.49 courtesy of WXRX. Group tickets can be purchased at a discounted price through the Lightning offices at 815-874-4232. For single game tickets, contact the MetroCentre box office at 815-968-5222 or online at www.centreevents.com.
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Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from March 1, 2006
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- Lightning Take Seven For First Place Tie - Rockford Lightning
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