(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team took over sole possession of first place in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) standings with an 87-71 victory over Moraine Valley Community College on Thursday evening. The Chiefs (18-5, 7-1) blitzed the Cyclones (14-8, 6-2) with a quick three-point barrage and then smothering defense to pull away early in the second half. In their first meeting back on January 6 Moraine Valley handed Waubonsee its lone ISCC defeat earning a 92-78 triumph in southwestern suburban Palos Hills.
The entire first half was tightly contested with each team's biggest lead being just five points. The Cyclones led 11-6 just five minutes into the game, while the Chiefs led by that same margin twice in the final two minutes of the half. However, a three-pointer by Moraine's Josh Lawson and a lay-in by TJ Lee knotted the score at 35 with just 0:45 left until halftime. Ehi Ogbomo then drilled a pull-up, 12-foot jumper in the lane to give the Chiefs a 37-35 lead at the break.
Things remained close throughout the initial six minutes of play in the second half with Waubonsee clinging to a 48-46 lead. That's when the Chiefs suddenly caught fire on a chilly winter night. After an inside basket by Freddy Hassan, Waubonsee connected on four straight long-range attempts over two minutes of play to stun Moraine Valley. Kamea Chandler nailed a trey from the right corner, Josiah Mayes followed with a triple of his own, Ogbomo drilled another one seconds later, and CJ Savage capped it all off with a fourth three-pointer. The 14-0 run suddenly gave the Chiefs a 16-point lead 62-46 with 11 minutes remaining. The Cyclones would never get the deficit below a dozen points after that. Waubonsee took its biggest lead of the night with two and half minutes to go on a Dirk Nickson drive to rim to make it 85-62. Down the stretch Chikasi Ofoma, who led the Chiefs with 20 points, threw down a pair of thunderous two-hand slams to thwart any comeback plans the Cyclones may have had. Freddy Hassan, who booked a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, capped off the win with a two-handed jam of his own off a lob from Ofoma in the final two minutes.
Savage finished with a dozen points on four baskets from beyond the arc to go along with handing out three assists. Nickson tallied 10 points and dished out five assists, Ogbomo registered nine points and five assists and Chandler chipped in with eight points. Waubonsee compiled 23 assists as a team and out scored the Cyclones' bench 24-7. In their previous meeting Moraine Valley owned a 31-18 advantage in bench scoring. However, Ja'Ron Powell, who scored 20 points off the bench in Palos Hills, was held to just two points. Lawson paced the Cyclones with 19 points, eight boards and eight assists, while Istanbul, Turkey, native Ali Oralkan chipped in with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Waubonsee is in action again next Tuesday, February 3, when they travel to Crystal Lake to take on McHenry County College in another ISCC match-up. The women's contest that evening is slated for 5:15 p.m. and the men tipoff at 7:15 p.m. Coach Lance Robinson's Chiefs return home to Erickson Hall Gymnasium next Thursday, February 5, when they host Prairie State College in conference play. The women are set to begin at 5:15 p.m. and the men at 7:15 p.m. Both of those games can be seen 'live' at www.fan.hudl.com and then search for Waubonsee women's or men's basketball. Waubonsee Sports Information Specialist Steve Moga with be providing the play-by-play on both the broadcasts, with color analyst Kevin Broy also on the call.