(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball saw its 23-game home winning streak snapped as ninth ranked South Suburban College held on for a nail-biting 77-76 victory in a rare Monday afternoon contest in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The Chiefs (10-4) had a chance in the final seconds to pull out the win, but the Bulldogs blocked Waubonsee's final shot as the buzzer sounded. South Suburban (12-2) shot 51.5 percent overall from the field to offset their minimal scoring chances elsewhere. Waubonsee went 25 of 30 (83 percent) from the foul line, while the Bulldogs made only 4 of 8 shots from the charity stripe. Both teams finished 3 for 13 from long range, well below the Chiefs' season average of 10.8 per game. The game was tied six times and the lead changed hands a dozen times, with seven of those coming in the final four minutes alone.
South Suburban's AJ Abrams started the scoring when he splashed a 15-foot jumper from the left wing a minute into the game. The Bulldogs' interior defense flustered the Chiefs as they struggled to get on track falling behind 10-0. Waubonsee finally got on the board when Josiah Mayes converted a pair of free throws nearly three and a half minutes into the game. A pick and roll from CJ Savage to Freddy Hassan resulting in a two-handed slam cut the deficit in half at 12-6. But a few minutes later Samar Bures drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key and Abrams made a steal and scored on a breakaway lay-in to suddenly give the Bulldogs a 24-10 lead. A spinning, underhanded scoup shot by Chikasi Ofoma in the lane temporarily stopped the bleeding for Waubonsee making it 28-15 at the midway point of the first half.
South Suburban led by as many as 17 before a triple by Kamea Chandler cut it to 32-20 with eight minutes left in the period. A short time later Ofoma was fouled on a one-hander in the lane and completed the three-point play to get the Chiefs within 38-27. James Parker then scored on a drive to the basket to get the deficit down to single digits with three minutes to go until the break. A fade away jumper by the Bulldogs' Isaiah Green pushed the visitors' lead back up to double figures again before Waubonsee responded with a pair of scores, highlighted by another triple from Chandler to make it 42-37 with a minute remaining. A steal got the Chiefs the ball back for the final possession of the half. Shortly thereafter, Dirk Nickson was fouled on a drive to the rim and proceeded to connect on a pair of free throws with 0:05 left. Chandler then stole the inbounds pass, but his desperation three-pointer was off the mark as South Suburban headed to the locker room clinging to a 42-39 lead. Waubonsee got back in the game despite committing 13 turnovers in the first half which led directly to 20 Bulldog points.
A put back basket by Hassan pulled the Chiefs to within a point at 44-43 just a couple minutes into the second half. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes until Bures drilled a trey from the top of the key to put South Suburban ahead by six. Moments later Hassan scored inside to again make it a one-point game with the Bulldogs holding just a 53-52 lead. South Suburban's often energetic and animated Hall of Fame head coach John Pigatti called timeout to try and stop the Chiefs' momentum. Nickson then made one of two foul shots to knot the score at 53 and Hassan gave Waubonsee its first lead of the game with a pair of free throws with 13 minutes left. The 6'7" freshman from Kaneland High School then blocked a pair of shots and then scored on a putback at the other end to suddenly give Waubonsee a 57-53 lead. After another South Suburban timeout the Bulldogs put together a 5-0 run to regain the lead with 11 minutes remaining. A fast break lay-in by Chandler gave the Chiefs a 59-58 lead midway through the second half as the battle went back-and-forth.
South Suburban took back the lead on consecutive putback baskets prompting Chiefs' head coach Lance Robinson to call timeout. Moments later the Bulldogs' leading rebounder 6'7" sophomore Angel Edmondson fouled out with seven minutes to go. Waubonsee then stayed within striking distance as the 5'8" Nickson powered his way to the rim for two before a pair of free throws by Hassan tied the game at 67 with five minutes to go. The Chiefs then took the lead in the intense battle on two more free throws by Hassan with four minutes left before the Bulldogs quickly tied it at 71. A minute later Chandler drove the lane and banked a left-handed shot high off the glass for two to give Waubonsee a 74-73 lead. Abrams then beat the buzzer on the shot clock with a basket from the left corner before Nickson slashed to the basket for another score. The lead changed hands again as Green buried a jumper to give South Suburban a 77-76 lead with 1:15 to go. A reverse lay-in by the Chiefs came up short on the next possession and Waubonsee forced a shot clock violation to get the ball back with 0:19 remaining. The Chiefs then struggled to get into position to get off a shot and had to call timeout again with 0:03.2 left. Abrams then made a game-saving block as Nickson attempted to get off a running one-hander along the left baseline as the buzzer sounded.
Hassan booked a double-double in leading the Chiefs scoring 26 points and hauling down 13 rebounds. Chandler finished with 13 points and five steals, while Nickson added 12 points, three assists and three steals. Waubonsee's bench outscored the Bulldogs 26-2, but could not overcome a 28-point performance by Abrams and double-digit scoring from all five South Suburban starters. The Chiefs do not play again until January 6, 2026, when they travel to south suburban 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.
Kamea Chandler about to score Freddy Hassan grabs one of his 13 rebounds Dirk Nickson drives past Gokobie McNeal (22)