During the course of every season there are ups and downs, cold spells and hot streaks, injuries and all sorts of trials and tribulations. However, the 2021-22 season for Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team has been like no other in the history of the program. Due to Covid-19 concerns, the Chiefs' season was disrupted and disjointed on numerous occasions. Despite that, coach Lance Robinson's crew has overcome all obstacles and has reached the Region IV Division II District 3 Championship game. The biggest obstacle though is set to come. Waubonsee will have the tall task and rare opportunity to play for the title against the top team in the nation when they take the court this coming Saturday, March 5 in South Holland, Illinois. The second-seeded Chiefs (20-7) will take on top-seeded, top-ranked and undefeated South Suburban College (28-0) beginning at 2:00 p.m. for the chance to advance to the 2022 NJCAA Division II National Tournament. The game will be streamed "live" on the Bulldogs YouTube channel, with a link on the GoChiefs.com main page and the Chiefs' men's basketball schedule.
Coach Robinson's crew started the season playing well and improving with each contest as they moved their record to 7-2 on December 2 with a hard fought 83-80 win over Kishwaukee College. One of the Chiefs' two losses to that point was in overtime at fourth-ranked Milwaukee Area Technical College the end of November. Little did anyone know what was about to transpire in the coming days. The mental and physical toughness the Chiefs had shown at times that first month of the season were going to come in handy for them to find success later on.
Due to Covid-19, over the next 39 days the Chiefs played no games and had just five practices. "I could see some the guys losing hope," lamented Robinson. Three players did not return after the Holiday break and Waubonsee was finally able to get back on the court the second week of January. After only two practices on January 9 and 10, the Chiefs played the following day and the results were dismal. "Even though we weren't really ready, I felt we needed to get going again for various reasons," declared Robinson. "I ended up apologizing to the team for picking up and playing a game so quickly, it probably cost us a conference title." That game on January 11 was a 90-74 loss to Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) foe Moraine Valley Community College. The Cyclones dominated on the boards 64-31, while Waubonsee shot poorly from three-point range and looked like a shadow of the team from six weeks earlier.
The Chiefs basically had to start all over again, and try to find their chemistry and rhythm to salvage their season. The problem was they were going to have to go through these growing pains and adjustments while also trying to win conference games. Plus trying to make-up previously cancelled games while also maintaining their regular ISCC schedule in January and February posed its own problem. Fatigue could easily have become a factor with the potential to play up to four games a week over the final five weeks of the season. The decision was made to play just 25 games overall instead of the normal 30-game season. By the time the snow began to melt in mid-February, Waubonsee had cancelled nine games, rescheduled several others and played at least half a dozen contests with no fans allowed during January and early February. The 'less than exciting' spectator-less atmosphere didn't seem to affect the Chiefs' energy.
Robinson's crew compiled a respectable 18-7 regular season record overall and eventually finished 9-5 in ISCC play to tie for second with Moraine Valley. It would have been a three-way tie for the ISCC title, but McHenry County College finished 10-4 after receiving a forfeit win when Morton College had to vacate three league games near the end of the season. As it turned out, Waubonsee was excruciatingly close to winning the conference title. The Chiefs lost just 80-78 on January 18 to McHenry County in Crystal Lake, leaving them with a 2-2 ISCC record at the time. "We had to regroup, we needed to get better and hold each other accountable," states Robinson. "The McHenry game on the road, even though we lost, guys stepped up and we started to turn the corner."
The Chiefs played better basketball, and more consistently after that, although they suffered another loss at the hands of Moraine Valley in early February and dropped both their meetings with Morton. However, the second loss to the Panthers in Cicero turned out to be just what they needed. "That blowout loss to Morton lit a fire under us," exclaims Robinson. The Chiefs' intensity on both ends of the floor since then has rarely waned over each ensuing game's 40 minutes of play. Waubonsee has won four straight games since then and has averaged 93.5 points per game during that span.
The Chiefs enter Saturday's title tilt having won seven of their last eight games and will undoubtedly face their biggest obstacle all season. Waubonsee was set to play the Bulldogs on two different occasions this season, but had to cancel both of those contests due to Covid-19 concerns at the time. Coach Robinson's squad is led in scoring by Joey Niesman and Traevon Brown, who average 17.2 points-per-game (ppg) and 13.8 ppg, respectively. Point guard Anthony Thompson chips in with 10.5 ppg, while Brice Langford, the Chiefs' 6'10" center, averages 10.2 ppg and 8.6 rebounds per contest. Indian Creek High School alumnus Cooper Larsen adds 9.9 ppg and Jaylyn Kelley contributes 7.9 ppg off the bench.
Coach John Pigatti's Bulldogs are led in scoring by Damarco Minor, who averages 20.5 ppg and 6.1 assists and 3.7 steals per game. Aurora West High School product Camron Donatlan is right behind him averaging 19.1 ppg and 10.2 rebounds per contest. Damontae Taylor also averages 17.5 ppg, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game. Overall Waubonsee averages 88.5 points a game, 17th nationally in that category, while allowing an average of 78.8 points a game. The Bulldogs are 10th nationally in scoring, averaging 92.1 points and allow just 59.2 points per contest, tops in the country among all NJCAA Division II teams. South Suburban is also first in steals (16.3) and blocks (6.3), third in field goal percentage (52.0) and fifth in assists (21.7).
Its' not exactly a David versus Goliath match-up, but on paper the Chiefs will definitely have their hands full. But as they have proven throughout this chaotic and unsettled season, they know how to navigate obstacles. Waubonsee's faithful are hoping that Robinson has drawn up a great map to follow to arrive at another Chiefs' victory and a trip to the National Tournament in Danville, Illinois starting on March 15.