by Steve J. Moga
(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's women's basketball team closed out the 2025 portion of their schedule with an 87-79 victory over visiting South Suburban College on Monday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs (10-2) took a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never let the Bulldogs (4-8) get any closer until the final seconds of the game to extend their winning streak to seven games. Coach Jim Williams' squad enters the 14-day Holiday Break with some momentum as one of only six teams in the NJCAA's Region 4 with double-digit wins.
Makayla McNally started the scoring when she grabbed an offensive rebound and put the ball back up and in off the glass with her left hand. Waubonsee's defense then forced back-to-back shot clock violations on South Suburban. The Chiefs then built a 9-2 lead highlighted by a Samantha Kerry three-pointer. The Bulldogs battled back to briefly take the lead before Waubonsee went ahead again and eventually took a 22-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
McNally banked in a short shot in the lane early in the second period to expand the lead to 26-17. A three-pointer by Josie Larson helped the Chiefs' lead grow to 31-19 three minutes later. Another triple by Kerry and a fast break lay-up by Savannah FitzSimons capped off a 12-2 run to make it 38-19. A pair of technical fouls whistled against the Bulldogs helped Waubonsee build the lead to 20 points at 41-21 with three minutes remaining in the half. A pair of long three-pointers by South Suburban quickly cut the Chiefs lead down to 11 points in the final minute of the first half. Danielle Bulson then converted one of two foul shots in the final second to send the teams to the locker room with Waubonsee in front 43-31.
Early in the third quarter Anna-Marie Godina buried a triple from the top of the key as the Chiefs quickly put together an 8-2 run. The Bulldogs clawed to within 14 points until Godina drilled another trey to give Waubonsee a 58-41 lead. South Suburban reeled off five straight points before Bulson and Godina each answered with driving lay-ups in the final two minutes. However, the Bulldogs closed out the quarter with a pair of three-pointers to get the deficit down to 62-52 heading into the final stanza.
A pair of inside buckets by McNally with assists from Niallie Evans upped the lead to 14 points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs began to wear down the Bulldogs and quickly put together a 13-2 run to grab their biggest lead of the evening at 75-54 with seven minutes remaining. South Suburban got as close as 11 points before Godina splashed a three-pointer with a minute and a half to go. Waubonsee maintained a double-digit lead down the stretch in securing its' 10th win of the season.
McNally paced Waubonsee with 20 points and nine boards, while Godina finished with 17 points and four assists. A sophomore guard from Aurora Central Catholic High School, Godina nailed a trio of three-point shots to give her 123 career threes. She is now 15 long range baskets from Annika Bielskis' program mark of 138 set from 2022-2024. Evans, who entered the day third nationally among all NJCAA Division II players in assists per game with a 6.7 average, handed out 10 assists and scored a dozen points. Bulson also tallied 12 points and dished out five assists to go along with eight rebounds. Larson contributed nine points and registered three assists. South Suburban's Rachyl Robinson led all scorers with 27 points, while Armani Cole grabbed 19 rebounds in a losing cause.
The Chiefs do not play again until January 6, 2026, when they travel to south suburb of Palos Hills to take on Moraine Valley Community College in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up starting at 5:15 p.m. Waubonsee returns home on Thursday, January 8, when they host McHenry County College in another ISCC battle beginning at 5:15 p.m.
(photos by Britt Crowe and Cristina Molleda)
Samantha Kerry scores from close range Niallie Evans races ahead of the pack Anna-Marie Godina leads the Chiefs onto the court