Monday, February 2, 2026

By Chris Pennant

Sports Reporter

ON AIR Daily New

The Windy City Bulls were on their way to a win Sunday, January 11, 2026, but a familiar face spoiled their chances.
Former Bulls guard Ethan Thompson scored 16 of his game-high 36 points in a tightly contested fourth quarter, including a tie-breaking three-pointer with two minutes left, and the Noblesville Boom beat the Bulls 128-120. 

Windy City held a 16-point lead at halftime and an eight-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but Thompson, who played in 63 games for Windy City, hit all six of his second-half three- pointers to spark Noblesville’s comeback.  

The two teams traded leads throughout the fourth quarter, before Mac McClung hit a driving floater to put the Bulls up 120-118. After Noblesville’s Kam Jones tied the game with a layup, Thompson and Kyle Guy nailed corner threes on back-to-back possessions to put the game out of reach.  

The loss was Windy City’s third in the last four games and dropped their record to 4-5. All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by McClung’s 20 points. Center Lachlan Olbrich added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Knox II and Emanuel Miller each scored 18. 

Reserve forward Jalen Slawson tallied 27 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Boom (4-5). Sunday’s loss marked the end of a 2-3 homestand for Windy City. They start a six-game road trip Thursday at San Diego.

By Christopher Pennant

Sports Reporter

ON AIR Daily News

Mekhi Lowery and Abdul Momoh scored 17 points apiece to lead UIC over Division III Illinois Institute of Technology 102-64 on Monday, December 29 at Credit Union 1 Arena.

The Flames had little trouble in their last non-conference matchup of the season. Freshman guard Andy Johnson hit a three-pointer at the outset of the game, followed by a trey from Ahmad Henderson II to kick off a 10-0 UIC run. They built their lead to as much as 39 points.

UIC (5-8) used their size advantage to dominate the interior, as they outscored IIT by 30 in the paint and had a plus-26 edge on the boards. Lowery, a product of south suburban Oswego East High School, pulled down a game-high seven rebounds and Momoh added six.

Senior guard John Davis III led Illinois Tech (4-8) with 15 points. Fellow Oswego East product Bryce Shoto added 12 points and five assists for the Scarlet Hawks.

UIC gets back to Missouri Valley Conference play January 1 at home against Southern Illinois.

By Christopher Pennant

Sports Reporter

ON AIR Daily News

The trip to Chicago felt like a homecoming for Cameron Boozer, and he made sure to kick up his feet and get comfortable.

Boozer tied a season high with 35 points to lead No. 4 Duke University to an 80-71 win over No. 22 Arkansas in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic at the United Center. 

Boozer’s father Carlos, who was in attendance, spent four of his 12 NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Caleb Foster added 15 points for the Duke Blue Devils (8-0), who are undefeated through November for the first time in Jon Scheyer’s tenure as head coach.

Caleb Foster, Duke Blue Devils Guard was key to Duke's Thanksgiving Day win agains Arkansas.

They’ll face No. 10 Florida at home December 2 before going on the road to No. 11 Michigan State December 6.

Darius Acuff had 21 points for the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-2), who dropped their second game against a ranked opponent this season..

By Joshua M Hicks

Sports Editor

ON AIR Daily News

After losing against the Sioux Falls on Wednesday, Nov 26, the Windy City Bulls bounced back with a win against the Cleveland Charge on Friday. The win is the first of the two-game matchup against the Charge, putting the Bulls with a 4-3 record. 

The game started with both teams scoring baskets at will. Behind a quick 7-point start from forward Trentyn Flowers, the Bulls had a strong offensive start, shooting above 50 percent from the field. 

But the Charge woke up, shooting 70 percent from the 3-point line. Combining the shooting with former 2020 lottery pick guard Killian Hayes chipping in 13 points, the efforts put the Bulls at a 41-33 deficit. Recently acquired three-time slam dunk champion guard Matt McClung led the Bulls with 10 points and 3 rebounds. 

The Charge’s offensive output continued to put a beating on the Bulls, shooting 50 percent from the 3-point line and 57 percent from the field. After being down by double digits, the Bulls made a comeback cutting the deficit to nine points, 74-69, behind the efforts of McClung and Flowers.

McClung and Flowers combined for 29 of the team’s 65 points in the first half. Forward Emmanuel Miller contributed with 11 points, while center Lachlin Olbrich scored 8 points. 

The Bulls comeback continued in the second half, with the team eventually taking the lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Guard Kevin Knox helped lead the comeback, coming alive in the scoring department by scoring 12 points, including a layup at the buzzer to help the Bulls get an 11-point lead on the Charge. Leading 105-94, Knox finished the quarter with 19 points, with five other players in double figures. 

Knox picked up the same way he ended the third quarter, starting the fourth quarter with two open 3-point jump shots to extend the Bulls lead to 17 points. Knox’s scoring and defensive presence provided the Bulls an extra boost of energy that brought the Bulls the momentum to continue building on their lead. 

he Charge continued to fight back, at one point cutting the lead to single digits, but despite Hayes’ 40-point night, Miller scored some timely buckets in the final minutes to keep the Bulls afloat to maintain the lead and secure the victory. 

Knox led all scorers with 25 points, while Miller finished with 24 points, McClung chips in 22 points, Olbrich scoring 18 points and Flowers and Bulls rookie forward Noa Essengue with 15 points each.

Head coach Billy Donovan III was proud of the team’s efforts, including the third quarter where they held the Charge to only scoring 20 points and scoring 40 points themselves. With the fast style of pace, the team knows that turnovers will play a factor in games (they had 22 turnovers in this game), but they also know that playing tough defense positions them to play the style of play that they want. That is part of what Donovan wants to implement into the team.

“The guys like to play fast and get on the run, but if you want to get out and run, you have to give your best effort on the defensive end,” Donovan said. 

In regards to the third quarter, Knox played a major role in helping the team win the quarter by scoring over half of his 25 points during that time. He is known for being a starter in the league, but coming off the bench, he’s showing that he is  a team first player who understands his role and is doing whatever it takes to win. 

“I can play [either starter or bench role],” Knox said. “In the G-League I usually start but I talked [head coach Billy Donovan III] and I know we got a couple two-way players so I’m being professional and doing whatever the team needs me to do. Whether I start or come off the bench, I have to stay aggressive regardless.”

Donovan praised Knox for her professionalism, stating that his work ethic, humility and leadership are what makes him stand out in times like this. 

“[Kevin Knox] is one of the best professionals I’ve ever been around,” Donovan said. “He’s humble and all about the team, which I really give him credit for. The Sioux Falls game for the whole team was kind of a down game, but [Kevin Knox] got right back in the gym the next day, getting shots, putting in his work, and that was a result of what you saw today.”

The Bulls next home game is Sunday, Nov 30 at 2 pm against the Cleveland Charge.

By Christopher Pennant

Spors Reporter

ON AIR  Daily News

For most people, the winter blues start to hit right after the New Year’s holiday. For the Windy City Bulls, the doldrums came right after tip-off Sunday afternoon.
The Cleveland Charge outscored the Bulls 43-20 in the first quarter and never trailed on the way to a 135-117 victory. The win earned Cleveland a split in the two-game weekend series, after the Bulls won Friday night 142-135.

Former NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes, who dropped 40 points on Friday night, finished with 26 points and eight assists. Kevin Knox led Windy City with 37 points and Mo Gueye added 25 and 15 boards.

The loss dropped the Bulls to 5-3. All three losses have come in their last four games.

“Outside of the first quarter, we won the game by five,” said head coach Billy Donovan III. “What drives me nuts is the body language, and when adversity hits, we don’t respond the right way.”

Windy City was without two-way players Lachlan Olbrich, Trentyn Flowers and Emanuel Miller, all of whom were called up to the Chicago Bulls’ roster for their Saturday game in Indianapolis. Those three totaled 57 points and 19 rebounds in Friday’s win.
Their presence was sorely missed in the return match. Cleveland went ahead 16-5 early in the first quarter as they were able to limit the Bulls’ inside game and second-chance opportunities.

They also finished with a 32-3 edge in fast break points.

“We were just coming off [three games in five days], which is hard physically and mentally,” said Donovan. “But I told the guys this before: we have a lot of veteran, experienced guys that know how to win and have been a part of winning, at the NBA and the G League level.”

A winter storm that dropped nine-plus inches of snow on the Chicago area may have kept the crowd sparse on Dog Day, as only 2,595 fans (plus pooches) came through the doors. The opportunity to take pictures with Bluey was about the only thing fans had to cheer about until the third quarter, when a 27-10 Windy City run cut the deficit to 23 points.

Still, the Bulls have equaled their win total from last year’s Tip-Off Tournament, a bright side in Donovan’s second season leading the team. They have two more games at home December 5 and 6 against the Motor City Cruise before heading on the road for the final four games of the tournament.

“We’re going to take it day by day, practice by practice, game by game, and see if we can get a little bit better,” said Donovan.

Windy City Bulls' Lachlin Olbrich (#47) goes up for a dunk against the Wisconsin Herd. Photo by Brandon Collier/ON AIR Daily News.

By Joshua M Hicks

Sports Editor

November 8, 2025

 The Windy City Bulls start the 2025-26 season with a close win, defeating the Wisconsin Herd 110-107. The win puts the team at 1-0. 

The Bulls got off to a rough start, going cold from the field shooting 33 percent from the field and struggling to slow down the Herd’s attack defensively. The Herd’s 55 percent shooting led to the Bulls taking a timeout, having a 13-5 deficit with 8:32 in the first quarter. 

Despite the early deficit, Bulls guard Kevin Knox II kept the team afloat, scoring 10 of the team’s 32 first quarter points. Thanks to his leadership, the Bulls came back through consistent scoring in the paint. They ended the first quarter tying the game at 32. 

The game continued in a back and forth fashion, with the Bulls starting the second quarter strong behind guard Trentyn Flowers’ 3-point shot. Flowers' offensive display kept the Bulls close while Knox was off the floor dealing with foul trouble for the majority of the quarter. 

With additional help from center Lahllan Olbrich and forward Emmanuel Miller, the Bulls continued to make the game interesting, keeping up with a high powered Herd offensive that prevented the Bulls from getting over the hump and taking the lead.

Thanks to a 3-point play by Olbrich in the final Bulls possession of the half, the Bulls went into halftime tying the game at 53, finishing the half shooting 41 percent from the field and 26 percent from the 3-point line.

Olbrich leads the Bulls with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Knox followed right behind with 10 points and 3 rebounds.

The Bulls began an offensive attack in the third quarter, thanks to Caleb Grill leading the charge behind the 3-point line with 6 points after going scoreless in the first half. 

The Bulls scored 34 points in the quarter to officially take the lead and expand the lead to double-digits, defeating the Herd 87-72. 

The Herd didn’t go down without a fight, cutting the deficit down to 4 points, keeping themselves within striking distance. However, behind the leadership of guard Ryan Woolridge and Olbrich, the teams’ offensive output and defensive focus maintained, giving the Bulls the edge to seal the victory. 

Windy City Bulls' Ryan Woolridge #3, Kevin Knox II  #7, Lachlin Olbrich #47, and RJ Nembhard,#8 prepare to defend their lead against Wisconsin. Photo by Brandon Collier/ON AIR Daily News

Olbrich finished the game with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Knox contributed with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Head coach Billy Donovan III praised Olbrich, stating that his efforts are essential to the team’s success on both ends of the floor, and he’s comfortable with putting him in situations as a focal point of the offense. 

“He’s had a great summer,” Donovan said. “He wants to learn. He wants to grow. He wants to be the player he can be. His physicality on the offensive glass, through screening, he’s not afraid of contact. He connects both sides of the floor for us and is a focal point of our offense. We like playing through him.” 

Olbrich appreciates the faith that Donovan has in him to make him a person he can rely on to go to in late game situations. However, he believes he can take his game to another level, and plans to do more in future games.

“Props to [Billy] for putting faith in me,” Olbrich said. “I appreciate it. I’m hoping in the future I can do better. That’s not my best, and I can give a lot more.”

The next Windy City Bulls home game will be Sun. Nov 16, 2025 at 2 pm.