(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's Men's Basketball team hosted another nationally ranked team on Thursday evening. This time it was 19th ranked Spoon River College from downstate Canton, Illinois. The Snappers (8-3) were coming off of a big 83-69 win over top-ranked and previously undefeated South Suburban College. However, the 16th ranked Chiefs (10-1) came out firing and took control early, leading from start to finish in a 96-77 victory. For the game the Chiefs out rebounded the Snappers 50-30, scored 20 second-chance points and tallied 27 assists as a team.
The Chiefs won the opening tip and Colton Schutt immediately drilled a three-pointer from the right corner just 12 seconds into the contest. The sophomore from Yorkville Christian High School then connected on another triple, this time from the left corner, just a minute later to give Waubonsee an early 6-0 lead triggering a Spoon River timeout. Jaylyn Kelley and Joey Niesman each buried long treys shortly thereafter as the Chiefs jumped out to a 14-5 lead after only three minutes of play. While the Chiefs we clicking on all cylinders, the Snappers could hardly buy a basket, making just two of their first 10 shots. A left-handed slam by Niesman six minutes into the game pushed the Waubonsee lead to 20-7.
Spoon River gradually got on track as they put together a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 20-13 midway through the half. Kelley and Duane Doss then answered with back-to-back three-pointers, and Doss followed with a breakaway lay-up to suddenly put the Chiefs in front 28-13 a minute later. Two minutes later Brice Langford threw down a two-handed slam to make it 30-18. However, each time the Chiefs got their lead up to double-digits the Snappers would respond and get the deficit back down to single digits. Spoon River's Robert Banks, a native of Duncanville, Texas, hit several of those key shots on his way to netting 17 first half points. The Chiefs' lead continued to hover around 10 as the first half wound down. The Chiefs eventually headed to the locker room at halftime with a 48-35 lead after Melo Garrick nailed a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds of the half. Waubonsee dominated the boards, holding a 23-10 advantage over the first 20 minutes of play. The Chiefs also kept the Snappers out on the perimeter for the most part as they outscored them 24-6 in points in the paint.
Spoon River started the second half with a 7-2 run before Niesman made a steal and connected on a long three-pointer to give Waubonsee a 53-42 lead. A minute later Niesman did it again, drilling a shot from beyond the arc right in front of the Chiefs' bench. A moment later Niesman hit a pull-up, 12-foot jumper as Waubonsee built its biggest lead up to that point at 60-43. Niesman scored again on a driving lay-up seven minutes into the second half to extend the lead to 67-48. The Chiefs, who led by as many as 22 points, held a 75-56 lead at the midway point of the second half.
Sparked again by Banks, who was quiet the first part of the second half, the Snappers got the deficit down to 11 points prompting a timeout by Waubonsee head coach Lance Robinson. However, Spoon River was never able to cut the Chiefs' lead below double digits as Niesman connected on a pair of long treys from the left wing to put Waubonsee back in front 87-71 with four minutes to go. Schutt then put an exclamation mark on the Chiefs' victory when he made a steal a hammered a two-handed dunk with 0:36 to go.
Niesman finished with a collegiate career high of 35 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kelley booked 17 points and dished out eight assists, while Doss chipped in with 14 points. Schutt tallied 13 points and handed out five assists, Langford added 10 points and grabbed eight boards, J. Caleb Slawinski hauled down nine rebounds and Garrick made four steals. Banks led Spoon River with 32 points.
Waubonsee plays again this coming Sunday, December 11 when they host Rockford University's Junior Varsity starting at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs finish the first half of the season on the road when they head to South Holland to square off against fifth-ranked South Suburban College (8-1), the defending National Champions, on Tuesday, December 20. The Chiefs are Bulldogs are scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 p.m. (CDT).