Valley Suns Seek to Snap Skid Against Windy City Bulls

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (Interstat) — The struggling Valley Suns look to halt a three-game slide when they visit the Windy City Bulls in a G League matchup on Thursday night at Sears Centre.

Valley (12-31) enters on the heels of a 103-109 road loss to Wisconsin on Monday. The Suns have lost eight of their last 10 games and own the league’s worst record. Windy City (19-22) has also hit a rough patch, dropping its last four contests, including a 100-137 home defeat to Rio Grande Valley on Sunday.

A key matchup will feature two of the league’s most consistent performers. Valley will lean on forward Sean McDermott, who is coming off a stellar 31-point, 12-rebound, 7-assist effort against Wisconsin. Over his last five games, McDermott is averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

For the Bulls, forward Mouhamadou Gueye has been a bright spot during the losing streak. He is averaging 21.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 blocks over his last four games, including a 28-point performance last time out.

The Suns’ offense has shown flashes, scoring 122 points or more in three of their last five games, but their defense has consistently struggled. Windy City’s defense has also faltered recently, allowing an average of 133.3 points during its four-game skid.

In their most recent meeting earlier this season, Windy City secured a 121-112 victory over Valley on Jan. 15. The teams will meet again at Sears Centre just two days after Thursday’s contest, on Saturday, March 14.

For Valley, center Kaleb Johnson (18 points, 7 rebounds Monday) and guard Jaden Shackelford (25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) provide secondary scoring. Windy City counters with guard Mac McClung, who scored 27 points with 9 assists against Rio Grande Valley.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.