(South Holland, IL) - Second-seeded South Suburban College kept upset minded Waubonsee Community College at arm's length all night long before holding on for a 57-52 win. The seventh-seeded Chiefs (12-19) could never quite catch the Bulldogs (17-12) as they saw their season come to an end in the first round of the Region IV Division II District L Women's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening.
The Chiefs trailed 13-8 at the end of the first quarter and had a chance to pull even just before halftime. However, a turnover led to a Bulldogs' basket just before the buzzer as South Suburban secured a 24-20 lead at the break. Waubonsee took the lead on a couple of occasions in the third quarter, but they were short lived as South Suburban responded with three-point baskets each time. The Bulldogs then pulled ahead 46-38 entering the fourth quarter. Over the final 10 minutes of play the Chiefs had several prime scoring opportunities, but were unable to convert.
Waubonsee had downed South Suburban 69-65 in early November as Chiefs' leading scorer Essence Rayford tallied 20 points in that game. This time the Chiefs' point guard was the focal point of the Bulldogs' defense and was limited to just four points, 13 points below her season average. Melia Perry led Waubonsee with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds, while guard Riane Tomsa booked 12 points and snagged 10 boards. Katie Beebe closed out her Waubonsee basketball career with a triple double, netting 11 points, hauling down 14 rebounds and blocking 10 shots.
The 6'0 sophomore center finished the season as the top rebounder and shot blocker among all NJCAA Division II players. The Oswego High School product ended the season with 361 total rebounds, the third most in a season in Waubonsee history. Her season average of 15.0 boards per game led the nation, and her two-year total of 643 rebounds is the fourth highest tally in Chiefs' history. Beebe also blocked a school-record 147 shots, an average of 6.1 per game to lead the nation in both of those categories. She concludes her two-year Waubonsee career with a school record 235 blocks.