(Sugar Grove, IL.) – New year, but it was still the same result for Waubonsee Community College men's basketball team on Tuesday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs began the 2025 portion of their schedule with a resounding 105-84 win over Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) foe Elgin Community College. In the process Waubonsee (14-1, 1-0) ran its' winning streak to 14 games in a row and tied them with 11th ranked SUNY-Niagara and top-ranked North Central Missouri College for the most wins in the nation. Waubonsee used a smothering defense to disrupt and wear down the Spartans (4-9, 0-1) from the opening tip and pushed the tempo at every opportunity. The Chiefs held at least a 20-point lead for more than half the game to earn their first win of 2025.
The Chiefs won the opening tap and seconds later Pat Robinson scored on a reverse lay-up to start the scoring. After three minutes of action the contest was deadlocked at 6-all as Waubonsee worked to push the tempo with each possession. A minute later a two-handed power slam by Tim Taiwo sparked the Chiefs' offense as the home team grabbed a 10-6 lead. Waubonsee continued to attack the Spartans' defense and quickly built a 16-6 lead after six minutes of play. The Chiefs held a comfortable 22-8 lead at the midway point of the first half as Coach Lance Robinson liberally utilized his bench to keep the pressure on Elgin. The visitors got the deficit down to single digits before Zachariah Hayslett and Aboubacar Sidibe drilled back-to-back three-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor to extend the lead back up to 36-22 with seven minutes to go until the intermission. Another trey by Christian Meeks a minute later followed by one by Taiwo suddenly put the Chiefs in front 45-25. The half closed out with a basket by Dimetris Gayden off an assist from Tylon Toliver, followed by a three-pointer from the left corner by Tolliver in the waning seconds. Waubonsee walked off the court with a commanding 55-31 lead at the break. The Chiefs tallied 20 assists as a team, shot 63 percent (22 of 35) from the floor, 54 percent (7 of 13) from beyond the arc, and owned a 23-2 advantage in fastbreak points and a 30-2 edge regarding points in the paint in building the big halftime lead.
A pair of acrobatic drives to the rim and scores by Sidibe early in the second half highlighted the Chiefs' scoring. A power slam by Robinson was followed by a two-handed jam by Meeks on the ensuing possession as Waubonsee built a 75-49 lead seven minutes into the half. The Chiefs still held a 20-point lead midway through the second half. A great two-handed tip in by Jermaine Theodore with eight minutes left made the score 89-67 as numerous Chiefs' players dented the scoring column. A very long three-pointer by JJ Strojinc off the bench got Waubonsee to 99 points with just under four minutes remaining. Moments later Meeks then capped off things with a two-handed slam, the fifth dunk of the game for Waubonsee, to put the Chiefs over the century mark. Dimetrius Butler then scored on a drive to the basket with 1:45 to go ensure that all 13 Chiefs' players scored at least two points in the game.
Meeks paced the Chiefs with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Hayslett added 16 points. Taiwo tallied 13 points, snagged seven rebounds and made three assists. Sidibe contributed 11 points, dished out nine assists and recorded four steals. Toliver booked a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Waubonsee owned a 62-18 advantage regarding points in the paint and a 31-10 lead in fast break points. The Chiefs also controlled the boards with a 52-32 edge and Waubonsee ended the game with 32 assists as a team on 44 made baskets. Waubonsee is in action again this coming Thursday, January 9 when they host Morton College in an ISCC match-up beginning at 7:15 p.m. (CDT). Waubonsee's women are set to play at 5:15 p.m. that evening against Aurora University's Junior Varsity.