(Sugar Grove, IL) – Prairie State College jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back in downing Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team 72-54 on Tuesday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Pioneers (11-13, 3-5) utilized a 22-0 run early in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up to down the Chiefs (5-16, 1-7).
The teams traded baskets to start the game before the Pioneers got on a roll offensively. Prairie State drilled four three-point baskets to highlight a 22-0 run over the next seven minutes of play. Katie Baker connected on a pair of free throws to finally break the ice for Waubonsee with just a minute and a half remaining in the first period. The quarter ended with the Pioneers comfortably ahead 24-6 as Miracle Thomas and Rachel Kapocius combined for 20 of the visitors' points. As a matter of fact, Thomas' final basket of the quarter gave her 1,000 points in her collegiate career at Prairie State. Despite a trey by Annika Bielskis, the visitors continued to click in the second quarter and built their lead to 24 points. Baskets by Ashleigh Wackerlin and Kaila Schlinger helped the Chiefs stay even through a portion of the second quarter. However, the Pioneers converted a handful of fast break baskets to surge ahead 50-21 heading into halftime.
The Chiefs slightly dug into that deficit as Baker buried a triple from the left corner to make it 54-26 midway through the third quarter. Another three-pointer by Bielskis trimmed the Pioneers lead to 27 and put the Chiefs' sophomore guard one trey short of Lauren Goff's Waubonsee career mark of 109 triples. The third quarter ended with the Chiefs outscoring the Pioneers 14-10 for the period. A minute into the final stanza Bielskis tied Goff's record by splashing a three-pointer from the top of the key as Waubonsee got within 20 points. Three minutes later the sophomore guard form Winnebago High School drilled another three from about the same spot on the floor to set a new Chiefs' record with her 110th career three-pointer. Waubonsee got no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.
Bielskis finished with five three-pointers to end the contest with 19 points to go along with six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Angelina Schlinger booked a double double with 10 points and 12 boards. Wackerlin added eight points and seven rebounds, while Baker chipped in with eight assists. Thomas led all scorers with 27 points while Kapocius dropped in 20 points to account for 65.3 percent of the Pioneers' 72-point total. Waubonsee is on the road for its next three games before returning home to Erickson Hall Gymnasium on Thursday, February 15 to host Oakton Community College. Tipoff between the Chiefs and Owls is set for 5:15 p.m. (CDT) with the men's contest to follow at 7:15 p.m. (CDT).
