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INDIANAPOLIS — Oregon State embraced the role of the Hickory Huskers — results and all.

Hours before their second-round NCAA Tournament game against Oklahoma State, the Beavers’ basketball Twitter account posted a video of center Roman Silva carrying guard Gianni Hunt to the basket on his shoulders to measure the rim’s height.

It recreated a scene from the 1986 movie “Hoosiers,” in which small-town Hickory’s coach tried to help his team relax about playing at massive Butler Fieldhouse. Hickory went on to win that fictional state title. On Sunday, the building now known as Hinkle Fieldhouse was the site of a real-life underdog story.

Ethan Thompson scored 26 points and No. 12 seed Oregon State neutralized Oklahoma State and star freshman Cade Cunningham, rolling to an 80-70 upset.

Oregon State (19-12) was picked to finish last in the Pac-12 and had to win the conference tournament just to make the NCAA field. The Beavers pulled that off, then cruised past No. 5 seed Tennessee in the first round. They became the third double-digit seed to reach this year’s Sweet 16, joining 15 seed Oral Roberts and Syracuse, an 11.

“We’ve always had that confidence,” Thompson said. “But it kind of took us — we had to go to take a further step and kind of believe in ourselves and trust in each other. And as you can see, these wins that we’ve been having have been great team efforts.”

Maurice Calloo, who transferred from Oklahoma State, scored 15 points and Jarod Lucas also had 15 for the Beavers, who advanced to play eighth-seeded Loyola in a Midwest Region Sweet 16 matchup that few could have predicted. Loyola overmatched No. 1 seed Illinois earlier Sunday.

Cunningham, a first-team All-American and possible top NBA draft pick, scored 24 points for Oklahoma State (21-9), but the fourth-seeded Cowboys rushed shots down the stretch and at times failed to get him the ball.

Cunningham is prepared to move on to the NBA.

“It’s been special,” Cunningham said. “I think that’s the best way to describe it. I think the biggest thing is I surrounded myself around great people, more than anything that’s the thing I’m most proud of. That’s the thing, I feel like I’ve grown up the most by being around good people who pushed me to be somebody good on the court and off the court. I’m going to miss it, for sure.”

Avery Anderson scored 16 points and Keylan Boone added 13 for Oklahoma State in a game that was delayed for 20 minutes at the start by a power outage.

Oregon State went ahead 26-15 after an early 22-6 run.

A 3-pointer by Lucas rolled out, then in to give the Beavers a 32-19 edge. Minutes later, Lucas drove and took contact, drew a foul and scored in close, energizing the Oregon State fans. His free throw pushed Oregon State’s lead to 38-22. The Beavers led 44-30 at halftime after leading by as many as 18 points.

Oklahoma State began pressuring late in the first half with some success, and it continued in the second half. Cunningham made two 3-pointers in the opening minutes — the second of which cut Oregon State’s lead to 50-42.

The Cowboys got as close as two points on a basket by Cunningham before Oregon State responded and went up 11, leading the players to exhort their fans during an Oklahoma State timeout with about five minutes to play.

Oklahoma State made one last rally. Boone hit a 3-pointer, then Cunningham stole the ball and made a 3 to trim Oregon State’s lead to 70-67 with 3:39 remaining. The Beavers pulled away at the free-throw line.

“Kind of just the same thing that’s been getting us through these past few games,” Thompson said. “Just leaning on each other, believing in ourselves. We believe that we’re capable of great things.”

POWER OUTAGE

People inside Hinkle Fieldhouse heard a pop as the building lost most of its power, shutting off arena lights and the scoreboard, as well as the postgame Zoom news conference for the teams after the Texas Tech-Arkansas game.

A Butler University spokesman said a car ran into a pole in an off-campus accident that led to the outage. The power switched from the main supply to the backup and back to the main, causing the lights to flicker.

There were no fans in the arena during the outage. The teams warmed up in the practice gym while the facilities teams checked the systems. The lights and power came back up quickly, with tournament officials gathering on the court before team staffers and a few players returned to the floor for the final game of the day. After that, things went on as normal.

INSIDE DOMINANCE

Oregon State outrebounded Oklahoma State 52-32 and blocked 11 shots. Silva, a 7-foot-1 center, had 12 rebounds and four blocks. Dearon Tucker, a 6-10 forward, had four blocks. Warith Alatishe, a 6-7 forward, also had 12 rebounds.

FOUL FEST

Oregon State made 32 of 35 free throws off of Oklahoma State’s 29 fouls. Two Oklahoma State players — Bryce Williams and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe — fouled out. Oregon State committed 24 fouls, and Oklahoma State made 26 of 38 free throws.

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It’s here. It’s finally here. After a few months of conceptualizing and pre-production, UrbanMatter’s flagship podcast ‘Fact of the Matter w/ Brian Lendino’ is now live. I know what you’re thinking: we’re super late to the podcast game. That’s fine. We know we’re starting the race a little late but we aren’t too concerned. Good content is good content and UrbanMatter has that in spades and this is no different.

So what does it mean? Why should you care? Hell, what even is it?

The Fact of the Matter is this: Brian Lendino dives deep into the roots of Chicago’s business, hospitality, sports, music, and nightlife scenes through a series of interviews and conversations with the people directly responsible for them. We’ll discuss their story, how Chicago has shaped them and their legacy, and what their industry looks like moving forward. Tune in for banter so authentically Chicago you’ll be asking if you can have a shot of Malört with it.

We wanted to create a podcast that incorporated the edgy banter Chicagoans are so glowingly known for with introspective conversation with some of Chicago’s most recognizable people and marry that together in one palatable, entertaining hour of content. I’m the person best fit to do that. I’ll create an environment that’s comfortable for our guests and easy-going on the ears of our listeners, a brand that’s attractive to advertisers, and an experience that’ll keep you wanting to come back for more.

To listen and subscribe to Fact of the Matter w/ Brian Lendino, you can visit our Anchor.fm website for a list of streaming platforms we are on. If you want a direct link to our Spotify page, it can be found right here. Follow or subscribe on whichever platform is best for you, and if possible, a 5-star rating and share goes a long way. You don’t have to listen. I won’t be offended. But pass along to someone who might be.

Episode 1 is packed with an intro about the podcast and background about me, fun banter delivering a mid-March report card for all five of Chicago’s major sports franchises, a rundown of my seven favorite selections from Chicago Restaurant Week 2021, and the first honoree of the coveted ‘5th Star’ award.

It’s go time and we can’t wait to have you along for the ride. Enjoy!

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Chicago Bulls: Bulls take a much needed win over the Detroit Pistons by Ryan Taylor

You know that when Sister Jean brings her Loyola University of Chicago Men’s Basketball team to the NCAA March Madness tournament, they are ready to play. The University of Illinois Fighting Illini simply was not as ready. It was clear Illinois is the more talented team but the Ramblers are a much more feisty team. Going into the game, the consensus was that if both teams were at their best, Illinois would win.

It was also clear that if Illinois wasn’t ready and Loyola was, the Ramblers would have a chance. Well, they had more than a chance as they flat out beat them. The final score was 71-58 which is a pretty crazy margin for an eight seed defeating a one seed. Loyola deserves so much credit for the way they played and they deserve every ounce of credit.

Illinois was just outplayed from the very beginning of the game. It felt like they could come back at any time because of how good they are on paper but Loyola really never let it get in danger of slipping away. They hit clutch shots and played defense when it mattered most.

It is something that was their strength all year long. They don’t really have that one tournament superstar player but they play a solid team game. Hitting the shots they take and playing good defense is their key. Illinois didn’t really have an answer for any of it and that is why we are where we are.

We can only hope that, despite some big changes to their roster next year, they will be back in a similar position. They weren’t very good for a long time and then started to show that they can be the elite basketball program that they once were in 2020 before the pandemic. Now, it is up to Brad Underwood and his staff to keep this thing going for a long time.

As for Loyola, they are a really easy team to cheer for. Sister Jean and her crew have captured the hearts of America before. Now, they looked poised to do it again. They are going to face Oregon State in the Sweet 16. Oregon State got there with a major upset over Oklahoma State.

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Loyola got there as an eight seed by beating a one seed and Oregon State got there as a 12 seed beating a four seed. It is certainly going to be a fun game for all fans of college basketball. It is extremely tough, however, that the Illini had to go out this way. Hopefully, they come out next year better than ever.

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Pat and Nick talk to brothers Mike and Matt Flesch about their amazing documentary on the 1990 White Sox. and their winning 94 games while playing their last season at Old Comiskey Park. We talk Guillen, Thomas, Thigpen, Kittle, Fisk, and so much more.

The post GGTB Ep. 87 – I Still Call It Comiskey first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More

Chicago Blackhawks: It is time to hit the panic button by Vincent Parise

The Chicago Bulls gained a necessary win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. They took it by a final of 100-86 in Detroit.

The Chicago Bulls kept themselves in the playoff race with a big win in Detroit.

Game Summary

The Bulls showed some resiliency, not only in the big picture after giving up a 15-point lead versus the Denver Nuggets last game, but in this game after going down by five points in the first quarter. It seemed like the Bulls were going to dominate the Pistons early in this one after Patrick Williams stole the starting tip-off and jammed it home for the first two points of the game. However, that wasn’t the case.

Jeremi Grant, who put up 43 points in the last meeting between the Bulls and the Pistons, had 14 points in the first quarter shooting 5/6 from the field. He led the Pistons to a five-point lead at the end of the quarter and personally handing Lauri Markkanen two fouls.

The Bulls came back strong in the second quarter, tightening up the game and going up by four points into halftime. Strong attribution to the comeback goes to Daniel Gafford who hasn’t played many minutes since filling in for Wendell Carter in the rotation. Donovan explained that decision post-game.

“He got to a place where he was questioning himself and was disappointed in some of his performances. When he got out of the lineup, he’s been in the gym every day, he’s playing five-on-five,” said head coach Billy Donovan. “I give him a lot of credit for how he performed tonight.”

Donovan also mentioned that the placement of Thaddeus Young at the center position and the return of Wendell Carter Jr. from injury kept him out of the lineup. In response to seeing more time tonight, Gafford put up eight points,11 rebounds, and defended the paint well.

By the third quarter, the Bulls ran away with the game. Zach LaVine put up 11 of his 18 points in this quarter, tacking on three rebounds and one assist to go with his performance. He helped the Bulls gain a ten-point lead which they did not give up for the rest of the game.

Takeaways

The Bulls played excellent defense in the second half of the game. After the Pistons started strong in the first half of the game, they ended up shooting 39 percent from the field and 16 percent from three, making just four of their 25 three-point attempts.

The Bulls dominated hustle stats by winning in rebounds (52-37), assists (26-20), fast-break points (15-8), and nearly points in the paint (42-42). They reverted to their lazy habits, turning the ball over 21 times to give the Pistons 21 points off of turnovers. Coby White struggled in this area, tying LaVine with four in the game playing just 16 minutes.

The bench put up 40 points in the game which accounted for 40 percent of the Bulls’ points. Valentine and Arcidiacono (nine), Gafford (eight), and White (seven) led the bench.

Tomas Satoransky tied his season-high with nine assists in the game and Young tacked on five assists to the team’s 26 total. Both were big reasons the Bulls were able to shoot 50 percent from three, giving their shooters plenty of looks.

Markkanen struggled to start the game. Grant and the Pistons scored the first four baskets against him and he was stuck with a quick two fouls in the first quarter. He ended the game on a positive note offensively by recording 16 points and eight rebounds.

Next: Chicago Bulls: Fans should want these trades to happen soon

The Bulls played down to the Pistons in the first quarter by playing similar to the Pistons’ methodical way of offense. The Pistons average just 102 possessions per game which rank 19th in the NBA. The Bulls average 104.9 possessions per game which are seventh in the NBA. They hardly pushed the ball downhill on transition nor moved too much on offense. Once the second half came, the Bulls quickly adjusted and played their game.

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One year after holding its draft virtually, the NFL is returning to a venue.

One year after holding its draft virtually, the NFL is returning to a venue.

Monday, they announced the draft will be held at various Cleveland locations — including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center and the Browns’ stadium — from April 29-May 1.

The league said a “select” number of prospects will participate in person, while others will log in virtually. Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce the first-round results from the main stage, with Lake Erie in the backdrop.

“We are thrilled to be heading to Cleveland for the NFL Draft, which has become one of the most highly anticipated events in sports,” NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a release.

The draft will be broadcast in prime time on Thursday and Friday nights and throughout most of the day Saturday.

Originally scheduled to be in Las Vegas, last year’s draft was instead conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Goodell read off draft selections from a chair in his Bronxville, New York basement, while prospects gathered in front of cameras in their homes.

Cleveland was selected as the home of the 2021 draft before the pandemic, though the league didn’t confirm its plans to stay there until Monday. Las Vegas will be the home of the draft in 2022.

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It was so sweet to watch the Chicago Blackhawks play for the first half of the season. We went into the year believing that they can potentially be the worst team in the National Hockey League. It got worse when they started 0-3-1 to get things started. After that, they really turned it on and […]

Chicago Blackhawks: It is time to hit the panic button – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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Four people were killed and at least 16 others wounded in gun violence across Chicago this weekend, including a 10-year-old boy wounded in a triple shooting in East Garfield Park.

The boy was sitting in a vehicle with two other people when someone walked up and fired shots at them about 6:50 p.m. Friday in the 3100 block of West Lake Street, Chicago police said.

Marquel Robinson, 24, was struck in the side and pronounced dead on the scene, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The 10-year-old boy was shot in the leg, while a 25-year-old woman was struck in the thigh and ankle, police said. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

West Town homicide

On Sunday, a man was fatally shot in an apartment in West Town. About 6:30 a.m., the 39-year-old was inside of a 3rd floor apartment in the 1500 block of West North Avenue when someone he knew shot him in the abdomen, police said. The man was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Murder in Bronzeville

Two people were shot, one fatally, Sunday in Bronzeville on the South Side. About 6:40 p.m., a man and woman were sitting inside a vehicle in the 3800 block of South Michigan Avenue, when they were discovered with gunshot wounds, police said.

The woman, thought to be between 25 and 30-years-old, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with gunshot wounds throughout her body, police said. The man, 23, was struck in the head and pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s office has not yet released his name.

Douglas homicide

Saturday afternoon, two men were shot, one fatally, in Douglas on the South Side. About 3:05 p.m., the men, 27 and 31, were in the 3400 block of South Prairie Avenue when they heard shots and felt pain, police said.

Darrell Holiday Jr., 27, was struck in the back and torso, and was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, officials said. The 31-year-old was struck in the neck and taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Nonfatal shootings

In nonfatal attacks, a Chicago police SWAT team arrested a man suspected of shooting two people, including a police officer, Saturday afternoon in Austin on the West Side.

The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Thomas Tracy Jr., was accused of shooting a man in the buttocks, then firing at responding officers in the 200 block of North La Crosse Avenue. One officer was struck in the hand and taken in a squad car to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said. Her wound was not life-threatening and she was released later that day.

Saturday morning, a 17-year-old boy was shot and seriously wounded by a person who then stole his vehicle in Austin. The teen was sitting in his vehicle about 2:55 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Race Avenue when a person shot him and took his vehicle, Chicago police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and leg and was transported to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood in serious condition.

A man was grazed in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Avalon Park on the South Side. He was on the sidewalk about 1:16 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when someone opened fire, Chicago police said. A bullet grazed the 38-year-old in the elbow, and he was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

At least nine others were wounded in shootings between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Forty people were shot, 5 fatally, last weekend in Chicago.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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