Force opens home season in Aurora

Fox Valley Park District's Prisco Fitness Center is no stranger to high-flying basketball, but it's never seen the likes of the game Kenny Battle is bringing Saturday night.

Battle's Aurora Force will make its home debut in the new version of the American Basketball Association at 6:30 p.m. in the main gym at 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora.

Fresh off back-to-back road victories over the Cleveland Rockers last weekend, Battle said he's excited to launch the team's 13-game home schedule.

"As a team, we've been coming along great and we're putting a competitive product on the floor from the get-go," Battle said. "We may be new to the league but that doesn't mean we can't be crowned champions this year."

The Force join the Northeast conference in the 48-team league, which has no relation to the original ABA that disbanded in 1976 other than the red, white and blue ball. The team will compete against others from Chicago, Cleveland, Dayton, St. Louis and Gary.

With many of his players being products of the basketball systems at East and West Aurora high schools, Battle said he's expecting an energetic fan base to give them a "solid" home court advantage.

Battle, a standout on West Aurora's 1984 Class AA third-place team and a starter on Lou Henson's Illini Final Four team in 1989 before entering the NBA, said he's also excited about giving local guys a chance to shine.

"By bringing this team to Aurora, we are giving guys a chance to reach their goals of playing professionally," Battle said. "I think we're going to have a bright future in Aurora."

ABA rules

Some rules you'll need to know when watching the Aurora Force:

3-D Rule

When the 3-D Rule is on, an additional point is added to the point value of a field goal. The 3-D Rule remains on until the team scores; attempts a free throw for a personal foul; or the other team gains control of the ball.

The rule goes into effect when the offensive team loses possession of the ball while in the backcourt or the ball goes out of bounds after touching the frontcourt.

6th Foul Rule

When a player has committed a sixth foul he may continue to participate in the game as a Sixth Foul Player. When a Sixth Foul Player commits a personal foul, the penalty is one free throw for the other team, plus the ball for a throw-in at a designated spot, nearest the foul.

3-10 & Out overtime rule

Overtime starts with a jump ball and consists of one three-minute period. If the game is still tied after three minutes, the first team to score 10 points wins.