(Sugar Grove, IL) – The College of Lake County handed Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team a 73-61 loss on Thursday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Lancers (3-2, 15-5) built a 17-point halftime lead on the strength of eight three-point baskets and held on to keep the Chiefs (0-5, 4-13) winless in Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference play. Lake County also out rebounded Waubonsee 54-37 for the game.
The teams traded three-point baskets to start the game as the Chiefs' Katie Baker answered with a triple to get Waubonsee on the board in the opening minute. Baker nailed another long range shot moments later as the Chiefs grabbed an early 8-3 lead. An 8-0 run by the Lancers put them in front until Ma'Liyah Hodges tied the game with a trey from the left wing. Meanwhile, Lake County's Chloe Sisco was on fire connecting on six three-pointers in helping the visitors grab a 23-17 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. The Lancers continued shooting well from beyond the arc as the second quarter progressed, building a 30-19 lead. Annika Bielskis buried a long trey to keep Waubonsee within striking range midway through the period. However, Lake County responded to close out the half on an 11-2 run to take a comfortable 41-24 lead into the locker room.
Baker drilled another three to start the second half scoring for Waubonsee before the Lancers built their lead to 20 points. Lilianna Velazquez then connected on a long triple from the left wing a shortly thereafter as the Chiefs played even with the Lancers through the initial five minutes of the third quarter. A three by Bielskis and a driving lay-up along the baseline by Ashleigh Wackerlin helped Waubonsee get the deficit down to 10 points with three minutes to go in the period. Another baseline jumper by Wackerlin cut the Lancers' lead to eight points at 47-39. A triple by Velazquez in the final minute of the period cut the deficit to five points before Sisco hit her seventh three-pointer of the game. Her first points since early in the second quarter staked Lake County to a 50-42 lead heading into the final stanza.
The Chiefs started the fourth quarter with a dish off by Kaila Schlinger to Wackerlin for an easy lay-in. However, six points was as close as Waubonsee would get the rest of the way. Sisco's twin sister Mariya scored twice as Lake County built the lead back to double digits midway through the quarter at 60-49. A minute later Baker nailed a three to get the Chiefs back within six points at 60-54 before the Lancers responded with a 6-0 run to again get some breathing room. But the Chiefs wouldn't let them breathe easy for long as Waubonsee got the deficit down to seven on a three by Bielskis with a minute remaining. Lake County hung on for the win by making seven free throws over the final two minutes of play. Overall, the Lancers shot 18 of 25 from the line, while the Chiefs were just 3 of 4 from the charity stripe.
Baker finished with 17 points, four assists and eight rebounds to lead Waubonsee. Wackerlin tallied 15 points and grabbed seven boards, while Angelina Schlinger contributed eight points, handed out six assists and snagged six rebounds. Lake County's Sisco sisters were the high scorers for the game. Chloe led all scorers with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds, with Mariya booking a double double scoring 21 points and hauling down a dozen boards.
Waubonsee's next home game is this coming Saturday, January 27, when coach Jim Williams' women's squad host Carl Sandburg College at 1:00 p.m. Coach Lance Robinson's men's crew is set to play Harper College immediately afterward at 3:00 p.m.