(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College women's basketball team held on for a hard fought 55-53 win over the College of Lake County on Tuesday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. For the second straight game the Chiefs (10-6, 3-0) utilized a big second quarter to help propel them to victory. Waubonsee then let the lead slip away and had to rally in the fourth quarter to knock off the Lancers (14-4, 2-1) in their Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up.
The Lancers won the tip and jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the opening minute of play. Savannah FitzSimons drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key to get the Chiefs on the board. Two minutes later Lake County's 5'11" guard Maren McCallister hit a high arching triple as the visitors took a 10-5 lead halfway through the first quarter. Utilizing their height advantage the Lancers then went on a 7-0 run closing out the quarter with a 17-6 lead.
Waubonsee then turned up the defensive pressure as the second quarter commenced and it sparked their offense. FitzSimons buried another trey to get Waubonsee going. A minute later a putback basket by Makayla McNally and the ensuing free throw to complete a three-point play helped the Chiefs get within 19-17. However, the Lancers responded with a quick 6-0 run to again make it a three-possession game. Waubonsee battled back and pulled within one point on a three-pointer from the right corner by Josie Rader. McNally then converted a pair of free throws to put the Chiefs in front 26-25 with three minutes to go until the halftime.
A pair of baskets by Anyae Newson extended Waubonsee's lead to 32-27 with a minute left. A short time later Anna-Marie Godina splashed a three from the right corner to make it an eight-point lead. McCallister made a couple of charity tosses for the visitors in the finals seconds as the Chiefs took a 35-29 lead into the break. Waubonsee outscored Lake County 29-12 in the second period and won the battle of the boards 30-18 for the half.
The Lancers then employed a full-court press to start the second half looking to disrupt Waubonsee's offensive rhythm. Both teams were quite deliberate in their half courts offenses with the Chiefs clinging to a 37-33 lead midway through the third quarter. A three-pointer by Emily Mengerink and a turnaround jumper in the lane by McNally gave Waubonsee a 42-35 lead with three minutes left in the stanza. However, on the strength of five made free throws the Lancers proceeded to get the deficit down to 43-41 heading into the final quarter despite cold shooting by both teams. Waubonsee shot just 13 percent (2 of 15) and Lake County shot only 8 percent (1 of 12) from the field in the third period.
The Lancers started the fourth quarter with three quick baskets to grab a 47-43 lead. Another three-pointer by Mengerink got the Chiefs within three at 49-46 with six minutes remaining. Moments later Godina connected on a long triple to knot the score midway through the period. McNally then hauled down an offensive rebound and was fouled by the Lancers' 5'11" center Kennedee Clark, sending her to the bench with her fifth foul. After each team tallied a free throw McNally scored inside to give Waubonsee a 52-50 lead with three minutes to go. McNally booked two more from the line to give the Chiefs a four-point lead a minute later.
The teams traded turnovers as the game headed into the final minute of regulation. McCallister then calmly sank a pair of free throws with 0:31 left to make it 54-52. Godina was then fouled on the way up court and made the second of two free throws. The Lancers had a potential game-tying three-pointer rim in and out. However, Lake County corralled the offensive rebound and called timeout with 0:11 remaining. A Waubonsee foul then sent Chloe Sisco to the line with 0:06.9 left. The Lancers' guard made the first shot and then purposely missed the second in hopes that Lake County could get the rebound. Instead Waubonsee corralled the ball and FitzSimons was fouled with 0:02.4 remaining. After a timeout the Chiefs threw a long inbounds pass that FitzSimons ran down allowing Waubonsee to run out the clock and hold on for the win.
McNally finished with a double-double netting 20 points and grabbing a dozen rebounds, to go with four assists and three blocks. Godina was the only other Chiefs' player in double figures with 10 points. Newson scored seven points and grabbed eight boards, while Rader snagged seven rebounds and handed out four assists. The Chiefs are in action again this coming Thursday, January 18 when they travel to north suburban Des Plaines to clash with Oakton College. The Chiefs and Owls are scheduled to tipoff at 5:15 p.m., with the men's contest to follow at 7:15 p.m. Waubonsee returns home this coming Saturday, January 18 when they host Harper College. The women's game is set for 1:00 p.m. and the men's contest at 3:00 p.m.