(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team hosted highly touted Morton College on Tuesday evening in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up. The Chiefs (6-12, 2-3) struggled to keep pace with the high-powered Panthers (19-0, 5-0), the top-ranked team nationally in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, before eventually falling 90-47.
Morton came into Erickson Hall Gymnasium fifth nationally in scoring at 88.2 points-per-game. The Panthers also entered the game as the top three-point shooting team in the country with 240 baskets from long range. In addition, Morton is second nationally on defense allowing just 45.3 points per contest. In their four previous ISCC games Morton had averaged 97.5 points per contest, while holding opponents to just 34.5 points a game. The Panthers had also eclipsed the century mark five times with a season-high 111 points against McHenry County College on January 12 in Cicero.
In the opening two minutes neither the Chiefs nor the Panthers could find a way to score. Waubonsee's Lily Fernandez was then fouled on a fast break and nailed a pair of free throws to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. A minute later the Panthers' Jalyssa Carrasco buried a three-pointer from the left corner to put Morton in front 3-2 and they never trailed again. By the time the period came to a close, the Panthers had nailed five treys and held an 21-7 lead.
Morton continued to fire away from the perimeter in the second quarter as they built their lead up to 20 points at 33-13 midway through the period. The Chiefs' Brooke Heiman provided a little spark for the home team, scoring on a turnaround jumper in the lane a minute later. However, Carrasco drilled another three-pointer in the final seconds of the half, the Panthers' 10th from long range, to extend the visitor's lead up to 44-17 at the break.
Morton began the second half with a 7-0 run before Heiman scored down low to make it 51-19. Angelina Schlinger followed that up with a teardrop one-hander in the lane as Waubonsee showed a little life with a quick 6-2 run. The Panthers then continued their three-point barrage as they made seven more from beyond the arc on the way to securing a 74-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Not surprisingly the Panthers started the fourth period with another three-point basket before Heiman answered at the other end with a triple of her own. Two minutes later Morton tallied their 20th three-point basket of the night before Heiman again responded with a trey on the Chiefs' ensuing possession to make it 83-38 midway through the final stanza. Waubonsee outscored the Panthers 9-7 over the final five minutes, keeping Morton scoreless the last three minutes of the game.
Heiman finished with 18 points and nine rebounds to lead Waubonsee's attack. Emily Hurst chipped in with 10 points, five board and four assists. Morton was paced by Claire Hyde's 27 points coming on nine three-pointers as the Panthers finished with 21 triples, launching 55 long range shots for the game.