Chiefs win on road in Heiss' 1,000th game
Over 32 seasons as the men’s basketball head coach at Waubonsee Community College, Dave Heiss has now literally prepared a thousand game plans, given a thousand halftime and post-game speeches, and has guided the Chiefs to more wins (594) than losses (406). Not surprisingly more than a few times over the years things have occurred within those games that Waubonsee’s long-time coach did not expect. Add Waubonsee’s thrilling 94-90 victory Thursday evening (Jan. 12) at Prairie State College to that category. In Heiss’ 1,000th game leading the Chiefs’ program the unexpected part was Waubonsee’s long range shooting, something Heiss’ teams have rarely relied on over the years. The Chiefs finished the game 12 of 32 from three-point range, well above their season averages for made threes (5.1) and attempted threes (14.4) this season.
The Pioneers (9-8, 1-1) appeared to have the upper hand in this Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match up as they built a 38-25 lead in the first half. However, the Chiefs (12-6, 1-1) rallied with a 22-8 run to take a 47-46 lead into the locker room at the break. Waubonsee connected on 9 of 18 shots from beyond the arc in the first period to get back into the game. The second half remained a nip-and-tuck affair as the game featured nine ties and a couple of lead changes. Waubonsee held on for its’ twelfth win of the season primarily because of sophomore guard Tyrone Carey and the Chiefs’ bench strength.
Coming off a season low 10-point performance in a home loss to Elgin Community College two days ago, Carey propelled the Chiefs offense with a 33-point outburst. The Aurora West High School graduate made 11 of 13 from the foul line, nailed four treys and also handed out nine assists, grabbed eight boards and made five steals. The 6’3” Carey improved his average to 21.7 points per game, tying him for 15th nationally among all NJCAA Division II players in scoring.
Meanwhile the Chiefs’ bench, sparked by sophomore Deon Ward, outscored Prairie State’s 25-8. Ward came off the bench to score 18 points, dish out five assists and record three steals. Alec Goetz nailed five treys on his way to tallying 17 points to go along with three assists. Demetrius Ewing gave the Chiefs a fourth player in double figures as he registered 11 points and snagged eight rebounds before fouling out. Prairie State’s Desmond Trapp led all scorers with 38 points while also hauling down 10 rebounds in a losing effort.
The Chiefs next game is Tuesday, January 17 when they head to Cicero to battle Morton College. The women’s contest is set to begin at 5:15 p.m. with the men slated to tipoff at 7:15 p.m. Waubonsee’s teams return home next Thursday, January 19. Jim Sury’s women’s squad is set to square off against Wheaton College’s Junior Varsity at 5:15 p.m., while Dave Heiss’s crew will tipoff against the College of Lake County at 7:15 p.m.
