(Sugar Grove, IL) – After struggling at times in the first half Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team got on track in the second half and recorded an 89-69 win over the College of Lake County (6-13, 0-5) on Thursday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The 13th ranked Chiefs (17-2, 5-0) opened the second half with a 20-6 run to spark them to their 17th win of the season while remaining unbeaten and on top of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) standings.
Twenty seconds into the contest Duane Doss scored on a lay-up in traffic to get things going. However, the Chiefs' shooting was cold early on while the upset minded Lancers connected on a trio of three-pointers in taking an 11-5 lead after five minutes of play. Waubonsee finally started to find the range as Donovan Brown splashed a high-arching three and David Robinson buried another one from the right corner to get the Chiefs within 16-13. A minute later a steal and one-handed flush by Brown cut the Lancers' lead to one point. A moment later Fernando Perez converted a pair of free throws to give Waubonsee its' first lead at 19-18 as the midway point of the first half approached.
The game remained close as the teams' traded baskets over the next few minutes. But the Chiefs went cold once more, going scoreless for over three minutes and booking only one free throw in a five-minute span as Lake County pulled ahead 30-25. A triple from the top of the key by Dylan Fuzak finally broke the ice pulling the Chiefs to within a point at 32-31 with a minute left in the half. The lead changed hands four times in the final minute of the half with Lake County securing a 37-35 lead at the break.
The second half started just like the first half did with Doss scoring on a drive to the basket. Moments later Doss kicked the ball back out to Fuzak who drilled a trey to put Waubonsee ahead 40-39 and the home team never trailed again. The Chiefs suddenly found the range and surged ahead 46-39 on triples by Robinson and Fuzak triggering a timeout by Lancers' head coach Tim Bowen. Waubonsee continued to click on offense building a double-digit lead with a 17-4 run over the first five minutes of the second half. The Chiefs still led by 11 points at 60-49 midway through the half and eventually took a 15-point lead with six minutes to go. A turn around, 15-foot jumper by Perez helped Waubonsee maintain that double-digit cushion heading down the stretch. Fuzak then drilled three-point shots on consecutive trips down the floor to extend the lead to 21 points with two minutes left.
Doss posted a triple-double to pace Waubonsee. The sophomore guard tallied 13 points, dished out a dozen assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds. Perez led the Chiefs in scoring with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Brown added 19 points and Fuzak nailed five threes on his way to booking 17 points and handing out five assists. Robinson gave Waubonsee a fifth player in double figures with 11 points as the Chiefs shot 66.7 percent (18 of 27) in the second half. The Chiefs are at home again this coming Saturday, January 27, when coach Jim Williams' women's squad host Carl Sandburg College at 1:00 p.m. Coach Lance Robinson's men's crew is set to play Harper College immediately afterward at 3:00 p.m.