(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team rallied in the fourth quarter to stun visiting Elgin Community College. Trailing by 12 points in the final period the Chiefs battled back to win 66-64 on a put back basket by Katie Beebe with two seconds remaining. With the victory Waubonsee (12-7, 4-1) moves into second place in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) standings, trailing only Moraine Valley Community College (18-1, 5-0).
A see-saw battle in the first half consisted of seven ties and 10 lead changes. The Chiefs held a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter and 25-23 at halftime as the two teams both struggled shooting from long range. Waubonsee made just one of eight shots from behind the arc, while the Spartans misfired on all seven of their attempts. Then the third quarter started and everything began to change.
Elgin (16-6, 4-2) caught fire and out scored the Chiefs 29-15 in the period as they connected on four baskets from long range. The Spartans also made 11 of 22 shots overall in the third quarter, including seven of their final eight attempts to surge ahead 52-40 heading into the final stanza. The Chiefs then turned the tables on Elgin in the fourth quarter outscoring them 26-12.
A three-pointer from the top of the key by Maddie Kawall, a high-arching three by Emily Uplegger and another trey by Kawall quickly got the Chiefs within five points just a couple minutes into the fourth quarter. Waubonsee then regained the lead 59-58 when Hayley Farren knocked down a 12-foot shot from the left baseline with 3:36 to go. Moments later Elgin's Rachel Dumoulin, who scored a game-high 20 points, tallied a three-point play to give the Spartans a 61-59 lead. Two minutes later Farren came up big once again for the Chiefs as she nailed a three-pointer from the right corner to put Waubonsee ahead 62-61 with 1:10 left.
After an Elgin misfire Beebe snagged the rebound and then scored on an inside basket with 0:17 remaining to give the Chiefs a three-point lead. However, the Spartans' Maggie Goad drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key with 0:09 to go to knot the score at 64. After a Chiefs' timeout, Kawall missed a long shot from the right side, but Beebe grabbed an offensive rebound in traffic and put the ball back up and in with just 0:01.8 left. Elgin called their final timeout to try to plan for a final shot, but Farren was able to knock away a pass intended for Dumoulin as time ran out.
Beebe finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end of the floor. Kawall nearly had a double-double as well, booking 12 points and grabbing nine boards to go along with five assists. Jasmine Shepard tallied 11 points, while Farren chipped in with 10 points and four assists, and Uplegger contributed nine points.
Despite playing without 6'0" sophomore forward Kayla Battle, out with an ankle sprain, the Chiefs held their own on the boards trailing the Spartans just 47-45. Waubonsee finished the game with eight three-point baskets, while the Spartans connected on seven shots from long range. The Chiefs' bench outscored Elgin's 24-3 for the game, while there were 10 ties and 16 lead changes during the contest.
The Chiefs are set to play again next Tuesday, January 29 when they travel to north suburban Grayslake to battle the College of Lake County. Jim Williams' women's team set to play the Lancers beginning at 5:15 p.m. while Dave Heiss' men's squad takes the court at 7:15 p.m. (CDT). Waubonsee returns home next Thursday, January 31 when they host ISCC foe Oakton Community College with the women's game starting at 5:15 p.m. and the men's contest at 7:15 p.m. in Erickson Hall. Both of those games can be seen 'live' on-line at www.GoChiefs.com