(Sugar Grove, IL) – In their final regular season home game Waubonsee Community College women's basketball team hosted highly-touted Oakton Community College in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up. The Owls (25-4, 10-3) utilized a deep bench and height advantage to down the Chiefs (13-16, 7-6) 98-75 in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. For the game the Owls outscored Waubonsee 62-32 in the paint, 37-18 in bench points and out rebounded the Chiefs 56-32.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair as both teams traded baskets for much of the period. The Owls eventually secured a 25-19 lead at the end of the period, despite 12 points by Waubonsee's Brooke Heiman. As the second quarter progressed it became clear that the Chiefs did not have an answer for Oakton's Jade Thomas. The 6'2" center was a force inside as she scored 12 quick points to push the Owls' lead to double digits.
Midway through the quarter Annika Bielski drilled a long three-pointer from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 10 points at 40-30. A moment later Heiman connected on another short jumper to make it an eight-point contest. A drive and dish by Angelina Schlinger to Heiman for an easy lay-in with three minutes remaining until halftime helped keep Waubonsee within striking distance for the time being. However, Oakton went on an 11-0 run to help propel them to a 60-40 lead at the break.
A fake and short jumper by Ashleigh Wackerlin got the Chiefs within 14 points four minutes into the third period. But the Owls again answered as Thomas scored inside twice to push the lead back up to 20 points. Oakton began to wear down the Chiefs in the third quarter as they closed the period with an 84-59 lead. After the Owls built a 30-point lead, a long trey by Kaila Schlinger midway through the final quarter cut the lead back down to 22 points. Oakton responded once more and went on an 8-0 run as they cruised to the victory.
Heiman finished with 30 points, six rebounds and three assists to pace Waubonsee. Bielskis connected on five three-pointers on the way to booking 15 points and dishing out three assists. Emily Hurst chipped in with 13 points and three steals, while Angelina Schlinger handed out seven assists. Nessa Walsh posted a triple-double to lead the Owls. The sophomore guard finished with 22 points, 18 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals, while Thomas tallied 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Chiefs are set to play in Cicero this Saturday, February 25 against top-ranked Morton College in their final regular season game beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Region 4 Division II District A Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, March 1. The Chiefs' opponent, location of the game and start time as are yet-to-be-determined. The seeding meeting for the tournament is scheduled for this coming Sunday.