Central Basketball Association

FORT WAYNE 100, ILLINOIS 95: (Danville, Ill.) - Although in their home opener two weeks ago, Fort Wayne routed Illinois with a 40-point defeat, the defending champions did not forget their debacle last year in Danville, as they suffered their worst defeat in team history, falling 100-74 to the Coal Miners in April of 2017. Things appeared to be following that same fateful script, as Illinois jumped to a 12-point lead early in the second quarter and led by double-digits through much of the first half. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter, as the 2014 CBA Most Valuable Player, Antonio Cannon, put his Fort Wayne team on his shoulders. Cannon erupted with five consecutive made three-point field goals in the period, taking a double-digit deficit and converting it into a nine-point lead for Fort Wayne, as unlike their opponents this evening, they did not relinquish their lead and holding on to keep their undefeated record intact. Cannon led Fort Wayne with a game-high 26 points, while Illinois was led by Denzel Smith (17 points) and Tiger O'Neil (16 points). Fort Wayne (3-0) and Illinois (1-3) will square off against each other again next Saturday night in Indiana.