(Chicago Heights, IL.) – Its' been an entire generation, 34 years to be exact, since the last time a Waubonsee Community College team of any sort achieved what coach Lance Robinson's men's basketball team did Tuesday evening. The Chiefs outlasted Prairie State College 99-89 on the Pioneers' court to earn their 21stconsecutive win, equaling the men's basketball program mark set by the 1990-91 squad. Robinson's crew looks to break the record tomorrow evening, Thursday, January 30 when they host McHenry County College. The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up is set to begin at 7:15 p.m. (CDT) and can be seen 'live' streamed at www.Fan.Hudl.com/WaubonseeChiefs
The 11th ranked Chiefs (21-1, 7-0) employed some tenacious defense in jumping out to a quick 21-11 against Prairie State (7-14, 2-4). However, half a dozen offensive rebounds and put back baskets by the upset minded Pioneers allowed them to rally and knot the score at 28-all. Waubonsee trailed by six points before closing out the half on a 7-0 run to take a miniscule 42-41 lead into the locker room. The Chiefs then scored three quick baskets to start the second half but failed on four straight trips down the court to extend the lead, allowing Prairie State to close the gap once again. Waubonsee led just 56-54 with 13 minutes left to play before building that margin back up to nine points a couple minutes later. Again, the Pioneers chipped away and got within striking distance until Pat Robinson nailed a three-pointer from the right corner to give Waubonsee a 78-71 lead.
The Chiefs, which entered the game third nationally among all NJCAA Division II teams in free throw percentage at 76.2 percent, continued to keep Prairie State at arm's length by making their free throws down the stretch. The Pioneers got no closer than nine points in the final three minutes of play, and Waubonsee extended the lead to 13 points with two minutes remaining on a two-handed slam by Christian Meeks. The Chiefs repeatedly broke Prairie State's full-court press over the final minutes and Meeks capped off the record tying win with another thunderous two-handed power jam with 0:16 left.
Waubonsee finished 29 of 37 (78.4 percent) from the foul line. The Chiefs, who entered the evening second nationally in three-point baskets with 222, made just eight shots from beyond the arc in 20 attempts against the Pioneers. Five Chiefs reached double figures in scoring with Meeks leading the way with 22 points to go along with eight rebounds. Robinson booked 15 points and grabbed six boards, while a trio of Chiefs tallied 13 points each. Aboubacar Sidibe was one of them, coming off the bench to score 13 and hand out three assists. Tim Taiwo added 13 points, hauled down six rebounds and made three steals, and Zachariah Hayslett rounded out the threesome with 13 points and five boards.
The 21-game winning streak is the longest in Waubonsee history for any sport. Only the mark of 19 straight games won by the men's soccer team in 2016 comes close to the men's basketball record. The record-setting Chiefs' 1990-91 men's basketball team started their season with six games against NJCAA Division I competitors and was just 7-6 overall after a loss to Sauk Valley Community College on December 13, 1990. Coach Dave Heiss' squad then beat the College of DuPage five days later in their final game before the Christmas break. When the calendar flipped over to 1991, the Chiefs took off and didn't lose again until mid-March. Their average margin of victory during the streak was 19.5 points, with 14 wins of 10 points or more and half of those by more than 20 points. Similarily, the average margin of victory during the current Chiefs' streak is 16.8 points with 16 wins by 10 or more points and seven victories by 20 or more points.
Led by Aurora West High School product David Bacon, who was named an NJCAA First Team All-American at season's end, the 1990-91 Chiefs went undefeated (12-0) to win the Skyway Conference title. Aurora East High School graduate Durrell Williams and All-Region performer Kevin Nichols provided additional firepower for Waubonsee, which also scored non-conference wins over Western Technical (WI) College and Rock Valley College along the way. The Chiefs then proceeded to run the table in the Region 4 Tournament to extend their winning streak to a program record 21 straight victories. Heiss' squad capped off the streak by registering a 17-point victory in the Region Championship game to earn a berth to the 12-team National Tournament for the first time in school history.
Unfortunately, the tournament was not seeded at that time like it is today. Waubonsee, ranked second nationally in the final NJCAA poll, drew top-ranked County College of Morris (NJ) in the first round of the National Tournament. In what many considered the national title game that year, the Chiefs trailed by five points at halftime and stayed within striking distance throughout the contest. But the Titans made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch and held on for a 75-72 triumph to snap the Chiefs' streak and dreams of a national title. Waubonsee went on to place seventh in the nation, finishing 29-8 overall to set the program record for wins in a season that still stands. The 1990-91 men's basketball team was inducted into Waubonsee's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
