SHAWNEE, OK – It was a record setting night inside FireLake Arena as the Potawatomi Fire beat the Western Oklahoma Skykings 116-81.
With the win, the Fire extended two TBL-record winning streak. The Fire have now won 32 games straight, dating back to June of 2023. They have also won 37 consecutive games inside FireLake Arena, a streak that dates back to May of 2022.
“I have to give a lot of credit to our fans tonight,” said Fire head coach and two-time TBL Coach of the Year Mark Dannhoff. “They were here an hour early and really kept their energy level high the entire game. We got off to a bit of a slow start but the fans did a great job keeping us in the game early and then kept that energy going throughout the game.”
Beyond the win streaks, the Fire also set a team record for blocks in a game (14) and tied a team record for steals in a game (16).
“It wasn’t perfect, but I thought we played well defensively,” said Dannhoff. “We were opportunistic and did a great job of getting into the passing lanes. I thought we defended the rim well. I’m sure when I watch the game back, I’ll see things we can clean up but overall I was happy with the defensive effort.”
Individually, Chuck Guy also made history on Saturday. In the second quarter, Guy recorded his sixth assist of the game becoming the first player in TBL history with 1,000 career assists. On the night, Guy led the Fire with 22 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals.
“There’s really not much more I can say about Chuck,” said Dannhoff. “He is the best player this league has seen. I know for a fact that Chuck cares more about this assist milestone than he does the points. He knows what his team needs every night and he’s willing to do whatever he needs to for this team to win.”
Paul Harrison had another strong game for the Fire finishing with 21 points, five rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Jachai Simmons had his best game of the young season, finishing with 17 points and knocking down five three-pointers. Simmons also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. Ricardo Artis II finished with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Off the bench, Isaiah Wade scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, and handed out three assists.
A full box score is available here.
Up next, the 2-0 Fire will host their in-state rivals, the Enid Outlaws (2-0) next Friday night, March 14th at 7 PM. Tickets for that game, and all Fire home games, are available at potawatomifire.com/tickets. You can also watch a live stream of the game at tbltv.tv or listen live on KGFF Radio (100.9 FM/1450 AM).
To stay up to date with all the latest news and notes regarding the Potawatomi Fire, follow the team on social media. You can follow the Fire on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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ABOUT THE POTAWATOMI FIRE
The Potawatomi Fire are the first professional basketball team owned by a Native American tribe (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) in Oklahoma. The Fire compete in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a men’s professional basketball league, with roughly 40 teams across the U.S. and Canada. The Fire play their home games at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Through their first three years, the Fire have established themselves as the premier franchise in TBL. Along with winning the TBL championship in 2023 and 2024, the Fire organization was named the 2022 winner of the Jim Koch Award as TBL’s Best Ran Business. The dance team of the Fire, the Fire Girls, were named TBL’s 2022 Best Dance Team and Central Conference Best Dance Team in 2023 and 2024.