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Rocks win streak snapped
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By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
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Thom Sigel immediately voiced his displeasure. "We played dumb in a lot of stretches," Sigel, the Rock Island boys' basketball coach said after the Rocks' 68-65 loss to Bloomington on Saturday at the Rock Island Fieldhouse. "I'll give Bloomington credit for making plays and working hard, but I felt we beat ourselves." The closing stretch tells the whole story, a four-minute span that infuriated Sigel. Leading 61-56 after a C.J. Carr bucket, Sigel said the Rocks (7-1) started doing "grade school basketball stuff you're not supposed to do." Unforced turnovers, missed foul shots and the inability to finish on the offensive end led to Rocky's first first loss this season. After that basket, Rocky went 2 of 4 from the foul line, converted one of its three shot attempts and committed five turnovers. The Rocks missed two 3-point attempts on their last possession that could have tied the game. "When we had them on the ropes, we don't make free throws," said Sigel, who received 16 points from Bryce Jones and 13 from Carr. "We didn't make any plays." Meanwhile, the Purple Raiders (5-2) seized their opportunity when Rocky fumbled its away. In the final four minutes, Bloomington went 12 of 13 from the foul line and committed two turnovers. All that gave the Purple Raiders the comeback win. Even more interesting is they did not take their first second-half lead until 1:21 remained in the fourth quarter. "I don't consider it an upset," said Bloomington coach Micheal Mosley, who was ejected after receiving two third-quarter technical fouls. "My team plays hard. We prepare them for that. I credit my coaching staff and my players because they just continue to fight. ... We won because I felt we were the better team." In the fourth quarter, that was evident. Trailing 54-47, the Purple Raiders answered each time Rocky attempted to extend the lead. Then they seized control when the Rocks started turning the ball over. Rocky had eight fourth-quarter turnovers and three field goals. "We looked like we played tentative with the lead," Sigel said. "Instead of being smart, we're flying around and turning the ball over." One sequence, though, was especially frustrating. Leading 65-63, Brian Richardson fouled Bloomington guard Antonio Sims on a 3-point attempt from the right wing. Sims, who went 0 for 10 from the field on the night, converted all three fouls shots to put the Purple Raiders ahead 66-65 with 1:21 left. "There were a lot of big moments, but that one was pretty huge," Sigel said. "We've got to know the little things and what we've got to do." For the first time this year, the Rocks did not make a 3-pointer, missing all nine attempts. Eleven times in the second half, Rocky had two-shot foul chances, but split or missed both attempts eight times. On the other end, Bloomington converted 17 of its 21 foul shots. "Some nights, you're not going to play your best," Sigel said. "But if you're consistent and make winning plays, you find a way to win. We made a lot of losing plays." 
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Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2013. There are 222 days left in the year.
1863 — 150 years ago: Messrs. J. and M. Rosenfield have moved their leather and hidestore to the building formerly occupied by Temple Bufords's store. They buy and sellhides, pelts, furs, wool, beeswax, lard, tallow, etc.
1888 -- 125 years ago: The Rock Island Lumber Company has recovered 5,000 of the8,000 logs that were carried away by the Mississippi River flood last week.
1913 -- 100 years ago: John J. Ullemeyer has been awarded the contract to furnish RockIsland fire and police department members with uniforms, at the city's expense.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Work on Aledo's new $38,000 swimming pool was started thismorning at South Park when ground for the pool was broken by Mayor John W. Murphy.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Students and teacher at Moline High School called today "MissLeona Day" day at the school in honor of the government teacher who retires at theend of the school term. Although she's been teaching for 43 years at the school, Miss Dayfound a new way of arriving at the school this morning. At 7:30 a.m., a police squad carpulled up in front of Miss Day's home and escorted her to school. A caravan of students' cars joined the procession along the way.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Barbecue cooking and riverfront antics are planned for Discover the
River Day Saturday in Leach Park, Bettendorf. A 5K run, wind surfing, a canoe race, hogcalling and more will round out the day under the Interstate 74 bridge.
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