(Sugar Grove, IL.) - Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team gradually pulled away to down Moraine Valley Community College 91-81 on Thursday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium, extending their winning streak to 20 games. The 11th ranked Chiefs (20-1, 6-0), leaders of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC), moved within a game of the program record of 21 straight wins set by the 1990-91 team. That squad went 29-8 overall and finished seventh at the National Tournament that year. Waubonsee travels to Prairie State College on Tuesday, January 28, with a chance to tie the record. A win over the Pioneers in Chicago Heights will give Coach Lance Robinson's squad the opportunity to break the mark a week from now when they host McHenry County College on Thursday, January 30. The Chiefs and Scots are slated to tip off that evening at 7:15 p.m.
Waubonsee, which entered the evening third nationally among all NJCAA Division II teams with 212 three-point baskets, made 10 more in knocking off the Cyclones (8-12, 3-3). Great ball movement by the Chiefs led to a Pat Robinson three-pointer to start the scoring in the opening seconds. A two-handed dunk in transition by the Cyclones' 6'8" Amarion Johnson gave the visitors a 4-3 lead a minute later. Waubonsee responded with an 8-3 run highlighted by a three-pointer by Zachariah Hayslett. Another triple by Hayslett suddenly pushed the Chiefs' lead to double digits at 16-6 six minutes into the game. Moraine Valley chipped away and trailed just 20-15 at the midway point of the first half. A three-pointer from the top of the key by Juvon Crawford pulled the visitors even at 22-all with 8:15 to go until halftime. After a timeout by Chiefs' head coach Lance Robinson, Malik Petty dropped in a high arching floater in the lane to put Waubonsee back in front. The lead changed hands several times over the next few minutes of play. A spinning bank shot in traffic by Hayslett that resulted in a three-point play gave Waubonsee a 35-29 lead as the final three minutes of the half wound down. A short time later Hayslett drilled another trey and Christian Meeks connected on a pair of free throws to secure a 47-37 halftime lead for Waubonsee.
The Chiefs continued to wear down the Cyclones extending their lead to 16 points early in the second half. The Cyclones again battled back and cut the lead to nine points at 56-47. However, Tim Taiwo stopped the momentum swing with a triple from the left corner to put Waubonsee ahead by 12 points five minutes into the second half. Moraine Valley head coach Kyle Huppe called timeout in an attempt to get his crew back on track. Instead Waubonsee responded with Tylon Toliver nailing a three-pointer and getting fouled as well. The sophomore guard completed the rare four-point play as the Chiefs built the lead back up to 16 points at 67-51. Waubonsee still led by 13 as the midway point of the second half passed by. Moraine Valley went on a 7-0 run to cut it back to a 10-point contest before Waubonsee answered once more. A drive and dish by Hayslett to Meeks for an easy inside basket staked the Chiefs to an 80-65 lead with 5:40 remaining. Each time Moraine Valley looked to get within striking distance the Chiefs had an answer. Toliver splashed another three from the left corner and then converted two free throws to give Waubonsee its biggest lead at 87-69 with just under three minutes remaining in the game. The Cyclones would get no closer than 15 points until booking a couple baskets in the waning second for the final margin.
Meeks paced the Chiefs with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Hayslett also booked 20 points, while Taiwo added 12 points, seven boards and three assists. Toliver chipped in with 11 points, and Aboubacar Sidibe contributed 10 points, four assists and three steals. Robinson and Petty tallied nine and eight points, respectively.