(Grayslake, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team had this game circled on their schedule for some time. The College of Lake County, which received votes in the top-25 of last week's NJCAA Division II poll before suffering back-to-back losses, looked to be one of the favorites for the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) crown as January began. However, by the time the final horn sounded the Chiefs let a great opportunity slip through their hands as the Lancers pulled out 109-100 victory in double overtime. The loss dropped Waubonsee into a tie for first place with Moraine Valley Community College at 4-1, while the Lancers stayed in the hunt for the conference title moving to 3-2 in league action.
Waubonsee (14-7) shot the ball well in the first half building a 12-point lead on a number of occasions. Lake County (15-5) kept battling back and ended the half trailing the Chiefs 46-37. The Lancers then clawed their way back to tie the game at 56-all with 12:45 remaining on a three-pointer. Waubonsee called timeout and then proceeded to go on an 11-2 run over the next two minutes of play to take control of the game again. Two minutes later Cam Irvin hit his fourth long-range trey to give the Chiefs their biggest lead of the game up to that point at 75-62. However, the Lancers again fought back to get within three at 78-75 with five minutes to go.
The final minutes went back and forth with each team having prime opportunities to score, but coming up empty after big defensive plays. With the Chiefs ahead by four points Irvin drilled another three-pointer from the top of the key with a minute left to put Waubonsee up 86-79. Once again the Lancers fought to within three points with 0:28 left and called timeout. Waubonsee then was unable to get the ball inbounds giving Lake County the ball back after the 5-second violation. The Lancers then tied it on a three-pointer with 0:20 to go. On Waubonsee's final possession D.J. Ellis drove the lane and was fouled with 0:01.3 left. However, Ellis missed both free throw attempts sending the game into overtime.
Waubonsee's Asa Williams nailed a pair of three-pointers, one from each corner to give the Chiefs the early lead in the extra session. Again Lake County battled back and took their first lead of the entire game at 93-92 with 2:36 to go. A minute later the teams traded three-pointers with Williams knotting the score at 96 with 0:56 left in overtime. After a Lake County miss the Chiefs snagged the rebound with 0:28 left but turned the ball over on the outlet pass. The Lancers then got off three contested, close range shots in the final seconds that all came up short sending the game into a second overtime.
A pair of free throws, a fast break lay-up and two more free throws put Lake County in front 102-96 two minutes into the second extra session. A minute later an emphatic two-handed dunk by Lake County's Jarod Stonis put the home team ahead 104-97 as Waubonsee began to run out of gas. The Lancers then sealed the victory at the foul line in the final two minutes.
Williams led all scorers with 29 points, equaling Danny Fernandez' Waubonsee school-record with seven three-pointers, while also grabbing eight rebounds and making three steals. Irvin booked 21 points, including six baskets from beyond the arc. Ellis finished with a triple-double, his second in the last three games, scoring 13 points, hauling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists. Caleb Siler also tallied a double double with 11 points and 11 boards. Courtney Fields, Cory Adams Jr., and Collmann Aaron each contributed eights points apiece. Stonis led the Lancers with 28 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jaylin Cunningham chipped in with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Lancers' Darien Bosby added 20 points, Aaron Greer scored 18 points and Anthony Thompson booked 17 points.
For the game the Chiefs made just 14 of 26 (54 percent) from the foul line for the game. Waubonsee also set a program record with 18 three-pointers, breaking the single-game mark of 17 accomplished twice early this season. The Chiefs also launched a program record 44 three-point attempts, eclipsing the single-game record of 41 set earlier this season against the Elmhurst College Junior Varsity. The Lancers out rebounded Waubonsee 55-39 for the game and out scored the Chiefs 42-16 inside the paint.
The Chiefs are in action again this coming Thursday, January 23 when they host Prairie State College at 7:15 p.m. (CDT) in an ISCC match up. Both Waubonsee's men's and women's teams are set to take on Elgin Community College next Tuesday, January 28 in Sugar Grove. The women tip-off at 5:15 p.m. that evening while the men are set to start at 7:15 p.m. (CDT). Both those game can be seen 'live' on-line at www.GoChiefs.com and www.Waubonsee.edu/LiveSports