(Sugar Grove, IL) – In an early season showdown between two of the top NJCAA Division II teams in the country, visiting Milwaukee Area (WI) Technical College handed Waubonsee Community College its' first loss of the season. The sixth-ranked Stormers (7-1) controlled the glass throughout much of the game on the way to securing a 98-73 road win. The 12th ranked Chiefs (7-1) struggled from three-point range, shooting just 19 percent (5 of 26), and shot only 37 percent (13 of 35) from the field in the second half. Meanwhile, Milwaukee Tech owned a 50-36 edge in rebounding and tallied 21 second-chance points for the game off of 17 offensive boards. The intense game also featured six technical foul calls, with four going against the Chiefs.
The up-tempo, high scoring teams went right at each other from the opening tip before a large crowd predominantly dressed in black in support of the home team. Milwaukee Tech, which came in averaging 92.4 points per game, scored first in the opening minute before Waubonsee, which entered with a 94.3 points per game average, responded with a 7-0 run highlighted by an emphatic blocked shot by Brice Langford and a high arcing three-pointer from J. Caleb Slawinski. Another trey from the top of the key by Jaylyn Kelley five minutes into the game staked the Chiefs to a 12-5 lead. Two minutes later the Stormers pulled even at 14-all and then jumped ahead 19-16 prompting a timeout by Chiefs head coach Lance Robinson. A 19-6 run by Milwaukee Tech propelled them to a 24-18 lead midway through the half.
A 25-foot three pointer by Milwaukee Tech's Daniel Filippone pushed the Stormers lead up to 29-22 with eight minute to go in the first half. A two-handed slam by Langford a minute later gave the Chiefs a momentary spark. But the Stormers' Jermayn Baxter answered with a three from the right corner to push the lead up to 36-24. Waubonsee got the deficit down to seven points shortly thereafter as they tried to stay within striking distance by halftime. Sparked by their dominance on the boards Milwaukee Tech then surged ahead 49-35 with a minute left in the half and took that lead into the locker room. The Stormers held a 26-18 advantage off the glass overall and a 10-4 ledger in offensive rebounds, which led directly to 10 second chance points in the first half.
Milwaukee Tech then built its lead up to 19 points at 56-37 two minutes into the second half. Three minutes later they led by 25 points before Slawinski, who had been hampered by foul trouble in the first half, scored inside twice. But that is about as close as the Chiefs would get as the Stormers maintained a comfortable 20 or more point lead the rest of the way as the teams played fairly evenly. Waubonsee's lone bright spot was a breakaway, one-handed slam by Nahcere Abdur-Rasheed off the bench in the final minute of the game. Milwaukee Tech's Oluwamayowa Aknsipe then put an exclamation on the win with a two-handed power slam in the finals seconds.
Slawinski finished with 18 points to lead Waubonsee in scoring despite playing only 25 minutes. Kelley added 12 points and five assists, and Langford chipped in with 12 points and a pair of blocked shots. Joey Niesman contributed nine points and seven assists, and Duane Doss snagged six rebounds. The Chiefs next game is this coming Saturday, December 3 when they travel to Coach Robinson's home town of Danville, Indiana to take on the Indiana Elite Prep Academy starting at 2:45 p.m. at Danville Community High School. Waubonsee's next home game is December 8 when they welcome Spoon River College, a top-30 ranked team from west central Illinois, to Erickson Hall Gymnasium. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7:00 p.m.