(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's men's basketball team advanced to the semi-final round of the Region 4 Division II Midwest District A Tournament with a resounding 89-60 win over Elgin Community College on Thursday evening in Erickson Hall Gymnasium. The eighth-seeded Chiefs (24-7) made a nearly 50-point reversal from their previous meeting with the ninth-seeded Spartans (15-16). Exactly two weeks ago, Elgin led handily throughout as they downed Waubonsee 94-76 on their home court. Earlier in the season the Chiefs took control in the second half on the way to a 100-85 victory over Elgin on their home floor. Waubonsee is now set to play top-seed and fifth-ranked Milwaukee Area (WI) Technical College (28-3) this Sunday, March 1 beginning at noon in Rockford at Rock Valley College. The Stormers weathered 16th seeded Prairie State College's upset bid by hanging on for a 104-98 victory at Alverno College in Milwaukee.
In this third meeting between Waubonsee and Elgin the visitors jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead prompting Chiefs' head coach Lance Robinson to call a timeout two minutes into the game. The Spartans then took their biggest lead a minute later at 10-1 before Waubonsee finally got on track. The Chiefs roared back with a 24-6 run to grab a 25-16 lead, extended it to double digits a short time later and were in complete command the rest of the way. Robinson's crew led by as many as 21 points before taking a 45-28 lead into the halftime break. Waubonsee's 6'7" center Chikasi Ofoma powered his way to a dozen first half points in helping the Chiefs to a 28-10 advantage in points in the paint. Ehi Ogbomo also booked 12 points and played stellar defense on the Spartans' All-American candidate Davee Flowers. The sophomore guard, who came into the game averaging 30.2 points per game over the Spartans last 11 contests, was held to just seven first half points. And it got worse from there for Flowers who had scored 27 in the last meeting between the two teams.
A three-point basket by Elgin's Unique Shaw to begin the second half made it a 14-point game, but that was as close as the Spartans would get. After a three-point basket by James Parker, Freddy Hassan scored the next nine points of the game capping off a Chiefs' 14-3 run with a thunderous two-hand slam. Waubonsee maintained at least a 24-point lead from that point on as Flowers fouled out with 12 minutes left finishing with just nine points. The Chiefs led by as many as 34 points with two minutes to go before a three-pointer by Ethan Reyes in the final seconds got the deficit under 30 points.
Ofoma paced Waubonsee with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Hassan finished with 14 points and seven boards, while Ogbomo also tallied 14 points. Kamea Chandler chipped in with nine points and three assists, Josiah Mayes added eight points and hauled down eight rebounds to go along with four assists. Parker added seven points, five boards, four steals and three assists. Dirk Nickson contributed seven points, and Tarell Harding snagged seven rebounds. For the game the Chiefs compiled 23 total assists, owned a 52-12 edge in points in the paint and a 26-4 advantage in fast break points.
Freddy Hassan throws down a two-handed slam. The Chiefs celebrate their 29-point playoff win.
James Parker races ahead of the crowd.