(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team started slow, but eventually rallied in the second half to trounce the College of Lake County 84-53 in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up Thursday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs (8-14, 4-4) shot just 11 percent (2 of 18) from three-point range in the first half before their defense sparked a second half offensive outburst. The Lancers (1-20, 0-8), who committed 15 first half turnovers, could not keep pace as Waubonsee pulled away in the third quarter en route to scoring 56 second half points.
Waubonsee scored the game's first two baskets before the Lancers responded to take a 6-4 lead. Angelina Schlinger fed Emily Hurst with a pass over the top of the Lancers' defense for an inside basket to tie the score a minute later. Hurst scored again midway through the first quarter when she made steal and lay-in to knot the score at 8-all. However, Lake County went on a 7-0 run before Lily Fernandez nailed a three-pointer from the left corner. The period then closed with the Lancers ahead 19-11 as they made their bid for an upset win.
Waubonsee began to chip away at the deficit early in the second quarter. An offensive rebound and putback basket by Alexis Trousdale got the Chiefs within two points at 19-17. A 17-foot jumper by Hurst near the midway point of the second period finally gave Waubonsee the lead at 23-22. A triple by Schlinger with three minutes to go until halftime put the Chiefs in front 28-24. However, the Lancers regained the lead 29-28 courtesy of a three-pointer and a pair of free throws by Lake County's Danielle Hayes. The visitors connected on two more free throws over the final minute and a half of play to surprisingly take a 31-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Lancers then scored the first basket of the second half when Sydni Hill sliced her way through the Chiefs' defense for a lay-in. Two minutes later Annika Bielskis connected on a pair of treys from the right corner on consecutive possessions to suddenly put Waubonsee in the lead 36-35. The Chiefs' full-court pressure defense began to pay dividends as Brooke Heiman scored directly off the first of three Lancers' turnovers in a minute span. Beilskis, who was ice-cold in the first half going 0 for 8 from the field, continued to have the hot hand as she drilled two more three-pointers from the same right corner of the floor midway through the quarter. By the time the horn sounded ending the third stanza Waubonsee had out scored Lake County 30-14 and taken a 58-45 lead heading into the final period.
Fernandez then hit a 15-foot jumper, Beilkis nailed her fifth three-pointer, and Hurst scored on a putback basket to suddenly put the Chiefs ahead by 20 points a minute and a half into the fourth quarter. A pair of lay-ups by Hurst and an inside bucket by Heiman extended Waubonsee's lead to 29 points midway through the fourth as the Chiefs reeled off 16 straight points. A triple from the left corner by Fernandez pushed the lead to 33 points with a minute to go as Waubonsee coasted to the lopsided win.
The Chiefs' duo of Hurst and Heiman again led the way, both scoring 20 or more points for the fourth straight game. Hurst, a freshman from Rosary High School, booked 25 points to go along with four steals. Heiman, who last week was named the Region IV Division I District 'A' Player of the Week for the second time this season, tallied 20 points and hauled down 12 rebounds. Beilskis finished with 15 points, handed out four assists and made three steals. Schlinger contributed 11 points, dished out seven assists and registered four thefts, and Ashleigh Wackerlin also made four steals in the win. Waubonsee finished the game with a 35-7 advantage in points off turnovers and tallied 14 fast break points to none for the Lancers.
The Chiefs are set to host Moraine Valley Community College next Tuesday, February 7 in an ISCC battle beginning at 5:15 p.m. with the men's contest at 7:15 p.m. Waubonsee then travels to McHenry County College on Thursday, February 9 to square off against the Scots in Crystal Lake. The Chiefs then return home on Saturday, February 11 for an afternoon matinee against Wright College from Chicago with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The men's game is set to follow starting at 3:00 p.m.