Seasons
1987-88
Record: 30-24, third in Western Division of 12-team league.
Playoffs: Ousted by Rockford 4-3 in best-of-seven, first-round series.
Scoring leaders: Mitchell Wiggins 27.2 points, Ray Hall 22.8, Jamie Waller 22.5, Kevin Gamble 21.1, Greg Jones 20.9.
Rebounding leaders: Cedric Henderson 10.2, Eddie Lee Wilkins 9.5.
Assist leaders: Greg Jones 6.2, Greg Monroe 4.0, Brent Carmichael 2.9.
Year in review: The Thunder lost their all-time opener 123-104 to the La Crosse Catbirds in front of 6,047 fans at Wharton Field House. ... They lost their first six games before former Bull Mitchell Wiggins scored 39 points to lead a 123-111 win over Rochester on Dec. 2. Wiggins averaged 27.2 points before being suspended by the league for failing a drug test. ... The Thunder were 6-12 after a Christmas Night loss to arch-rival Rockford but finished 24-12 the rest of the way. Mauro Panaggio’s postgame mantra that year was “We’re going to have to make some changes,” and the Thunder did, dressing a total of 30 players that year. ... The playoff series was heated and epic, with Lightning coach Charley Rosen, who had dubbed Wharton “The Phone Booth,” hearing bells and fueling the fire.