(Sugar Grove, IL) - Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team ran into a red-hot Carl Sandburg College squad on Saturday afternoon. The Chargers, winners of four of their last five games, shot the ball well from three-point range in the first half and forced 27 Waubonsee turnovers overall on the way to downing the Chiefs 66-42. Following the contest Erickson Hall had a little more festive vibe as 20 former Chiefs' women's basketball players participated in the 2nd Annual Alumni Basketball game.
The teams traded baskets early on in the first quarter until the Chargers (5-4) went on an 11-0 run to grab a 16-8 lead with two minutes left in the period. Sparked by a trio of three-point baskets by Cora Neal, Sandburg entered the second quarter with a 22-11 lead. Neal continued to fire away connecting on two more long range treys to help push the Chargers' lead to 32-13 and force Chiefs' head coach Jim Williams to call a timeout. By the time the teams headed to the locker room for halftime, Sandburg held a comfortable 39-22 lead aided by 15 Waubonsee turnovers and nine three-point baskets.
Sandburg continued to click on all cylinders after the break, starting the third period with a 17-0 run. Back-to-back three pointers by Melia Perry midway through the quarter broke the Chiefs' scoring drought and temporarily stopped the Chargers momentum. Waubonsee finished the quarter on a 10-1 run, but still trailed 59-32 entering the final period. Although Sandburg's shooting started to cool off in the final period they cruised to the victory by limiting the Chiefs to 10 fourth quarter points.
Perry and Tatyanna Smith led Waubonsee with eight points each. Alyssa Gittins grabbed eight rebounds, while Evelyn Martin hauled down seven boards and tallied seven points. Essence Rayford, coming off a 40-point game three days ago, was held to just five points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Despite playing without 6'0" center Katie Beebe, sidelined for the last two games due to an illness, the Chiefs won the rebounding battle 43-41.
Waubonsee (5-5) is in action again this coming Tuesday, December 10 when they head to Malta to take on Kishwaukee College. The Chiefs and Kougars are set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. (CDT), with the men's contest following afterwards at approximately 7:30 p.m. Waubonsee returns home next Thursday, December 12 when Illinois Valley Community College comes to Erickson Hall. That match up is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with Lance Robinson's men's squad hosting the North Central College Junior Varsity that evening at 7:30 p.m.
