November 3 – at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs opened their defense of their national championship on the road as they visited Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL. They continued their undefeated streak from last season’s perfect 33-0 campaign as they defeated Wright 97-68.

South Suburban opened the game a little shaky as they did not score on their first three possessions of the game. At the 3:00 mark, sophomore point guard Jalen Houston connected on a 3- point basket to give SSC an early 3-2 lead. They would slowly pull ahead of Wright, and took their largest lead of the first half at 30-13 with 7:00 to go in the first half.

They went into halftime with a 47-21 lead.

They would extend their lead to 61-32 with 14:53 to go, and took their largest lead of the game at 92-62 with 2:37 left in the game.

The victory give South Suburban a 1-0 record early in the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 29 points. He would also lead SSC in rebounding with 13. Returning player from the national championship team sophomore Damontae Taylor would fill up the stat sheet as he scored 18 points while grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, snatching 2 steals, and blocking 3 shots. Two other returning players; sophomores Chris “CJ” Smith, and Christian Heffner would help SSC dominate the rebounding battle as they grabbed 9 and 8 rebounds, respectfully. Other double digit scores for the Bulldogs were sophomores Rashard Harris (14 points) and Houston chipped in 11 points of his own while snatching 4 steals.

SSC won the rebounding battle 55-27.

South Suburban shot 39/73 (53.4%) from the field, 6/16 (37.5%) from behind the “3” -point line, and 13-25 (52%) from the free throw line. Wright shot 19/76 (25%) from the field, but were a sizzling 10/19 (52.6%) from the “3”, and 21/29 (72.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban opens the home portion of its season this Saturday November 5, against Terra State Community College from Fremont, OH. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 5 – vs. Terra State Community College (OH) in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs opened up their home portion of the 2022-23 season with a convincing 103-64 win over Terra State Community College from Fremont, OH.

The Bulldogs started out slow as Terra State held their last lead of the game at 11-9 with 13:50 to go in the first half. SSC took the lead for good at 19-18 with 10:00 to go.

The Bulldogs then went on a 21-5 run and took a 40-23 lead with 3:30 to go in the first half. Terra State would go on a 15-4 run of their own and cut the gap to 44-36 with :46 to go.

South Suburban went into halftime with a 46-36 lead.

The Bulldogs led 68-52 with 10:00 left to go in the game and proceeded to go on a 21-3 run and take a 89-55 lead with 5:14 to go. The final 39-point margin (103-67) was SSC’s biggest of the game.

Sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton had a career night for the Bulldogs. He scored a career high 42 points while grabbing a career high 18 rebounds. He also dished out 3 assists and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 15 points for SSC, while grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 6 shots. Sophomore center Chris Smith scored 11 points of his own while grabbing 9 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore guard Jalen Houston who scored 11 points while dishing out 5 assists.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 59-35.

The Bulldogs shot 37/72 (51.4%) from the field, 7/20 (35%) from behind the 3-point line, and 22-33 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Terra State shot 22/71 (31%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the “3”, and 17-23 (74%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 2-0 on the year.

They continue their home stand with a 7:00pm tip Tuesday, November 8th vs. the JV squad of Trinity Christian University.

BOX SCORE

November 8 – vs. Trinity Christian University JV in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs won easily 144-53 in a contest that allowed 15 of the 16 players for SSC to play double digit minutes. The sophomore starters Jalen Houston, Nakyel Shelton, Damontate Taylor, Rashard Harris, and Chris “CJ” Smith played the entire first half.

They took an early 25-4 lead with 12:50 left to go in the first half, and cruised to a 75-20 halftime lead.

The bench took over after that.

SSC opened up the second half on a 21-0 run and took a 96-20 lead and never looked back.

It was a career night for several Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore Casey Nsamba’s career high 24 points and 8 rebounds. Sophomore Kaevon Anderson scored a career high 12 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Freshman LeQuan Washington recorded his first career double/double as a college player (10 points and 10 rebounds).

In total, eight players scored in double figures. Nakyel Shelton (18 pts.), Damontae Taylor (16 points) Jalen Houston and Christian Heffner (15 points each) and Delaware Hale (12 pts).

The Bulldogs shot 66/97 (68%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3 %) from behind the “3”-point line, and 6/9 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian University (JV) shot 19/79 (24.1%) from the field, 7/28 (25%) from the “3”, and 8/11 (72.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban also won the rebounding battle, 79-26.

SSC, 3-0, finish their first home stand of the year this Saturday, November 12th with a 3:00pm tip vs. Jackson College from Michigan.

BOX SCORE

November 12 – vs. Jackson College (MI) in South Holland, IL

South Suburban’s defense was the story in this game as it helped the #1 Bulldogs to a 75-56 home victory over previously unbeaten Jackson (MI) College.

SSC held the visitors scoreless for the first 7 minutes of the game. They led 9-0 with 13:00 to go in the first half. They held a 17-9 lead with 8:00 to go when Jackson went on a 9-0 run to take a 18-17 lead with 5:00 left to go. Jackson grabbed it biggest lead at 22-18 with 4:30 to go.

However, South Suburban fought back and took a slim 33-32 lead into the halftime break.

SSC’s defense became the difference-maker in the second half. They held Jackson to just six made baskets the entire half. The Bulldogs took their biggest lead at 73-50 with 1:00 to go and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore point guard Jalen Houston’s 23 points. He also dished out 5 assist, snatched 5 steals and grabbed 7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton recorded his 3rd double/double of the season as he scored 20 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward Damontae Taylor who chipped in 11 points while grabbing 7 rebounds.

Sophomore forward Rashard Harris led all rebounders as he grabbed 13 to help SSC win the battle of the boards 49-30.

South Suburban shot 29/62 (46.8%) from the field, they were 0/8 from behind the “3” point line, and a dismal 17/29 (58.6%) from the free throw line.

It was the first time in the 17 seasons at South Suburban College that a Coach Pigatti team did not make a three-point basket the entire game.

Jackson shot 16/53 (30.2%) from the field, 3/16 (18/8%) from the “3”, and 21/31 (67.7%) from the free throw line.

The 4-0 Bulldogs head on the road Tuesday, November 15th for a 7:15pm tip at McHenry County College up in Crystal Lake, IL.

BOX SCORE

November 15 – at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL

The South Suburban College men’s basketball team went on the road up to Crystal Lake, Illinois for a midweek contest at McHenry County County College. After a slow first half, their defense picked up and the #1 ranked Bulldogs prevailed 95-51.

The game started with SSC grabbing an early 7-2 lead. McHenry would take its only lead of the game at 12-11 with 9:30 to go in the first half. SSC would go on a 23-9 run and take a 34-21 lead with 1:20 to go. McHenry would close the half on a 6-0 run, but the Bulldogs led 34-27 at halftime.

South Suburban (5-0) would open the second half on a 12-0 run and take a 46-27 lead with 15:00 to go in the game. Over the next 10 minutes they would outscore their hosts 31-14 and take their biggest lead of the game at 77-41 with 5:41 left to go. They would never look back.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 27 points. He would also record his 4th double/double of the season by grabbing 12 rebounds. He would also dish out 4 assists, and snatch 2 steals. Sophomore point guard Jalen Houston would score 14 points for SSC, while dishing out 4 assists and snatching 3 steals. Two other sophomores scored in double figures for the Bulldogs. Damontae Taylor finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and Jeremiah Staten had 11 points. The Bulldogs had two other sophomore players grab double figure rebounds. Rashard Harris, 12 rebounds, and Chris Smith (10 rebounds) helped SSC dominate the rebounding battle 64-42.

Pigatti’s Bulldogs shot 38/91 (41.8%) from the field, 7/26 (26.9%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 12/21 (57.1%) from the free throw line. McHenry Shot 19/58 (32.7%) from the field, 5/24 (20.8%) from the “3”, and 8/11 (72.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home this Saturday, November 19th as they host the College of Lake County. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 19 – vs. College of Lake County in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs continued their winning ways with a convincing 86-37 home victory over the College of Lake County.

SSC took an early 9-2 lead with 15:30 and took their largest lead of the first half at 36-12 with 1:55. Pigatti’s crew went into halftime with a 38-16 lead.

The Bulldogs started the second half on a 24-4 run and led 62-20 with 11:00 left to go in the game.

The four points for Lake County were all free throws as the Lancers did not score their first basket of the second half until the 8:50 mark. The only made three baskets the entire second half. SSC took its biggest lead of the game at 86-36 with :50 left in the game.

Saturday’s win makes the Bulldog’s 6-0 on the season. Going back to last year’s historic 33-0 season, the Bulldogs’ 39 victories is the longest winning streak in NJCAA Division II history and is the longest winning streak in college basketball, regardless of division.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore point guard Jalen Houston’s 19 points. He also recorded a double/double as he grabbed 10 rebounds. To fill his stat sheet out he also dished out 5 assists, and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 18 points while grabbing 8 rebounds of his own for the Bulldogs. SSC’s sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton continues his double/double tear as he recorded his 5th one in 6 games this season by scoring 15 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. South Suburban shot 35/73 (46.9%) from the field, 6/23 (26.1%) from behind the three-point line, and 10/17 (58.8%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 10/55 (18>2%) from the field, 0/11 from the “3”, and 17/20 (85%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban continues its home stand vs. Oakton Community College this Tuesday, November 22nd. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 22 – vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

The top ranked Bulldogs extended the longest winning streak in all of national college basketball to 40 games defeating Oakton Community College, 82-46.

The game started with SSC taking an early 24-7 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half. Oakton would then go on a 14-4 run and cut the Bulldog lead to 28-21 with 6:00 to go.

South Suburban would take a 43-27 lead into the half time break.

The Bulldogs would open the second half on a 16-2 run and take a 59-29 lead with 15:19 to go in the game. The Owls would not make it first field goal of the second half until the 11:00 mark of the second half. They would only make 5 baskets the entire second half. South Suburban would take its biggest lead of the game at 77-37 with 4:00 to go and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 18 points and 9 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jalen Houston would score 16 points while snatching 7 steals, and dishing out 5 assists. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor would score 14 points while snatching 9 steals, and dishing out 5 assists. for the Bulldogs. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore center Chris “CJ” Smith who chipped in 10 points of his own.

South Suburban shot 28/65 (43.1%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 20/31 (64.5%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 15/43 (34.9%) from the field, 4/11 (36.4%) from the “3”, and 12/16 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 42-40.

After improved to 7-0 on the season, the Bulldogs will take a week off for the Thanksgiving break and return to their home floor next Tuesday November 29th vs. south suburb rival Prairie State College. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 29 – vs. Prairie State College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs extended their winning streak with a 82-64 victory over its south suburban rival Prairie State College. The 41 game streak is the longest in all of college basketball regardless of division, and the longest in NJCAA Division II history.

The Pioneers had an early 15-9 lead with 13:00 to go in the first half. SSC would tie the game at 15 two minutes later. The game was tied at 24 with 7:00 to go when Pigatti’s Bulldogs went on a 12-2 run and take a 36-26 with 2:00 left in the first half. SSC would then take a 38-33 lead into the halftime break.

Prairie State would claw back to tie the game at 42 as the 2nd half began. The #1 ranked Bulldogs (8-0) would then go on a 20-6 run and take a 62-48 lead with 8:30 to go in and finished the game with an 18-point margin. It was SSC’s largest lead of the game.

South Suburban had two players record double/doubles. Sophomores Damonate Taylor grabbed 10 rebounds and finished with 29 points (21 in the first half). Nakyel Shelton grabbed a game high 14 rebounds and scored all his 18 points in the second half. Sophomore forward Delaware Hale was perfect from the field 4/4 as he chipped 9 points for the Bulldogs as well.

South Suburban shot 30/56 (53.6%) from the field, 4/11 (36.4%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 18/21 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 22/61 (36.1%) from the field, 3/16 (18.8%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs now head out on the road to west central Illinois this Sunday, Dec. 4th for a Top 20 match up at Spoon River College in Canton. The game time is 2:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 4 – at Spoon River College in Canton, IL

College Basketball’s current longest winning streak was snapped at 41 as the #1 ranked Bulldogs were defeated at Spoon River College 83-69.

The Snappers jumped out to an early 11-6 lead, but South Suburban took its biggest lead of the game at 30-26 with 5:20 to go in the first half. Spoon River would go on a 19-2 run to close out the half and take a 45-32 lead into the halftime break.

Spoon River expanded that lead to 59-40 with 12:30 to go in the game. SSC would then go on a 18-8 run and close the gap to 67-58 with 4:55 to go.

The Bulldogs could get no closer and fall to 8-1 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Damontae Taylors 13 points, who also grabbed 6 rebounds. Sophomores Naykyel Shelton and Christian Heffner scored 12 points a piece for SSC as well. Shelton recorded his 7th double/double of the season as he grabbed 14 rebounds.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 42-36, however the 23 turnovers hurt them in the game.

South Suburban shot 28/65 (43.1%) from the field, 5/14 (35.7%) from behind the “3”-point line, and were only 8/19 (42/1%) from the free throw line. Spoon River shot 26/49 (53.1%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from the “3”, and won the game at the free throw line as they were 28/41 (68.3%). The foul discrepancy was South Suburban 26 Spoon River 10.

The Bulldogs return home this Tuesday December 6th for an out-of-region clash vs. Southwestern Michigan College. Tip time is 7:30 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 6 – vs. Southwestern Michigan College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs dropped to #5 in the latest NJCAA Division 2 poll after their first defeat since April 2021. However, their winning streak at the on campus Physical Fitness and Athletic Center remains intact after a 95-61 victory over Southwestern Michigan College.

They have not lost at home since February 8, 2020.

SSC jumped out to an early 13-5 lead. They extended it to 39-13 with 4:50 to go in the first half. They doubled up Southwestern’s score at halftime, 52-26.

Southwestern scored the first five points of the second half. The visitor’s momentum was stopped after a complete substitution by Coach Pigatti of the entire starting line-up. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 40 at 88-48 with 5:30 to go. They never looked back and improved to 9-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton 7th double/double of the season (20 pts./10 rebounds). Sophomores Damonate Taylor and Jalen Houston scored 17 points apiece. Sophomore forward Rashard Harris rounded out the double digit scorers as he chipped in 10 points of his own.

SSC dominated the rebounding battle 39-13. They only gave up three offensive rebounds the entire game.

South Suburban shot 35/64 (54.7%) from the field, 6/21 (28.6%) from behind the 3-point line, and 19/22 (86.4%) from the free throw line. Southwestern Michigan shot 21/46 (45.7%) from the field, 2/10 (20%) from the “3”, and 17/24 (70.8%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their home stand this Saturday, December 10th with a 3:00 p.m. tip against Morton College.

BOX SCORE

December 10 – vs. Morton College in South Holland, IL

The #5 Bulldogs continued their winning ways at home with a hard fought 78-62 victory over Morton College.

SSC started off fast in this game and took a 10-0 lead with 16:00 left to go in the first half. They would extend it to 15-2 with 14:00 to go before Morton cut into the double digit lead, making it 32-23 at halftime.

Morton would get as close as 39-34 with 15:30 to go in the game. They trailed by nine points (61-52) with 6:40 left to go when SSC went on a 11-2 run and took their biggest lead of the game at 72-54 with 5:00 left.

The 16-point victory would extend SSC’s (10-1) on-campus winning streak to 31 games. last loss at the PEAC was on February 8th in 2020.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton 28 points, who also grabbed 7 rebounds. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures were sophomores Jalen Houston (12 pts), and Damontae Taylor (11 pts).

SSC won the rebounding battle 33-32.

South Suburban shot 32/56 (57.1%) from the field, 8/18 (44.4%) from behind the 3-point line, and a chilly 6-13 (46.2%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 19/50 (38%) from the field, 9/21 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 15/23 (65.2%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs will take a break this week from the court to concentrate on their final exams. They return to the home floor for their date verses Carl Sandburg College this Saturday December 17th. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 17 – vs. Carl Sandburg College in South Holland, IL

With final exams out of the way, the #3 Bulldogs hosted Carl Sandburg College in a Region IV matchup.

SSC took an early 22-7 lead with 12:57 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 52-22 with 2:30 to go and led 56-31 at halftime.

The scoring margin remained roughly the same as SSC led 87-61 with 5:24 to go in the game. Carl Sandburg did not score another point and SSC went on a 102-61 victory to improve to 11-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore forward Damontae Taylor’s 30 points. He also snatched 5 steals and blocked 4 shots. SSC had four other players score in double digits. Sophomores Nakyel Shelton (18 points, 15 rebounds), Jalen Houston (16 points, 8 assists), Delaware Hale (14 points 8 rebounds) and Chris Smith (10 points 8 rebounds). South Suburban shot 43/77 (55.8%) from the field, 4/17 (23.5%) from behind the 3-point line, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 19/57 (33.3%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs play one more home game before they depart for a short Christmas break. Nationally ranked Waubonsee Community College this Tuesday, December 20th. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 20 – vs. Waubonsee Community College in South Holland, IL

The #3 Bulldogs hosted #20 Waubonsee Community College as the two nationally ranked teams haven’t played each other since last year’s Regional Championship Game. That contest last spring was one for the ages as SSC pulled out an exciting 73-72 victory to advance to the National Tournament.

Waubonsee practically have their entire team back from last year. SSC only have two players that played a lot last season.

Tuesday night, SSC would lead by double digits for the second straight year and would not let the Chiefs get any closer than seven points in the second half as the Bulldogs prevailed 89-71.

The game started out tight as the seated NJCAA Division II champions held a slim 14-12 lead with 11:00 left to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would lead 21-12 with 10:00 left to go as SSC forward Damontae Taylor would score 12 points during the first ten minutes of the game to match the visitors.

The Bulldogs would expend the lead to 30-14 with 8:00 to go, but Waubonsee went on a 11-3 run of their own to cut SSC’s lead to 33-25 with 5:00 left to go. South Suburban would close the half on a 20-13 run and lead 53-38 at halftime.

South Suburban expanded their lead to 60-42 with 17:00 left to go in the game. Waubonsee had a 14-3 run to cut the Bulldog lead to 63-56 with 13:40 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs would not budge after that. They responded with a 20-8 run of their own and grabbed their biggest lead of the game at 83-64 with just under 5 minutes to go in the game. They would never look back as they improved their record to 12-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 36 points. He would record his 10th double/double of the season as he would grab 14 rebounds. Taylor would score 26 points of his own while grabbing 8 rebounds dishing out 5 assists, blocking 2 shots, and snatching 4 steals. Sophomore point guard Jalen Houston would snatch 5 steals of his own, and dish out 7 assists.

South Suburban shot 30/61 (49.2%) from the field, 6/16 (37.5%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 23/36 (63.9%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 22/65 (33.8%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 24/35 (68.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 46-33.

The Bulldogs head home for the Christmas but return immediately after the holiday. Pigatti’s squad will travel to the state of Michigan for two road games as they will face two of the Top 15 teams in the country in Henry Ford Community College on December 29th (3:00 p.m. EST) and a 1:00 p.m. EST at Macomb Community College on the 30th.

BOX SCORE

December 29 – at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, MI

The #3 Bulldogs headed out on the road to the state of Michigan after the Christmas break to play two of the Top 11 teams in the country.

First up was #11 Henry Ford College in Dearborn, MI. Pigatti’s men were very sluggish to start the game and were defeated 94-75.

SSC kept the game close early. Henry Ford led 24-21 with 9:00 left in the first half and proceed to go on a 11-0 run and took a 35-21 lead with 6:00 to go. The Hawks would lead by a decisive 50-31 margin at halftime.

South Suburban got to within 10 points on several occasions, the last being 61-51 with 7:00 left to go. They would never get any closer as they fell to 12-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Nakyel Shelton’s 25 points. Sophomores Damontae Taylor (11 pts.), Jalen Houston (10 pts.) and Christian Heffner (10 pts.) were the only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs.

SSC’s sophomore center Chris Smith led all rebounders with 13 rebounds as the Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 35-34.

South Suburban shot 30/73 (41.1%) from the field, 5/19 (26.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/14 (71.4%) from the free throw line. Henry Ford shot 25/65 (53.8%) from the field, 10/22 (45.5%) from the “3”, and 14/15 (93.3%) from the free throw line. Henry Ford had five players score in double digits led by D’Juan Seal (1st game of the year) 28 points.

The Bulldogs continue their road trip tomorrow in Warren, MI to face #9 Macomb Community College. Tip time is 1:00pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

December 30 – at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI

The Bulldogs played short handed against #9 Macomb Community College as they were without their leading scorer Nakyel Shelton and third leading scorer Jalen Houston. The Dogs battled hard all game, but in the end fell short 71-66.

Macomb jumped out to an early 12-5 lead with 14:30 to go in the first half. SSC would tie the game at 22 with 7:30 to go and trail 37-354 at halftime.

Macomb struck first in the second half and jumped out to a 43-37 lead with 16:50 to go in the game. It would be their biggest lead of the half.

The Bulldogs would tie the game at 48 with 12:00 to go and took their first lead of the game at 57-56 with 7:18 to go. South Suburban held its biggest lead of the game at 64-61 with 4:00 to go when they had the ball and missed a wide open lay-up that would have given them a 5-point lead. Macomb stiffened up their defense after that and SSC would not score another made field goal. They would make only two free throws the rest of the way.

The loss drops SSC to 12-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Damonate Taylor’s 26 points. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore Rashard Harris who scored 13 points while grabbing a game high 9 rebounds.

SSC lost the game despite dominating the rebounding battle 42-31.

South Suburban shot 23/61 (37.7%) from the field, a dismal 1/11 (9.1%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 19/23 (82.6%) from the free throw line. Macomb shot 21/47 (44.7%) from the field, 5/15 (29.4%) from the “3”, and 24/34 (70.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their road trip Tuesday, January 3rd verses Marian University’s Ancilla College in Plymouth, IN. Tip time is 7:00pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

January 3, 2023 – at Marian University’s Ancilla College in Plymouth, IN

The Bulldogs continued their four game stretch verses the Michigan Athletic Conference as they traveled to Plymouth, IN to play Marian University’s Ancilla College.

Coach Pigatti was without two of his top two scorers, as well as backup point guard Jeremiah Staten (torn ACL), and starting forward Delaware Hale (Sick). #10 SSC still prevailed and went home with a 89-76 victory.

The game started out slow as the score was only 2-2 after four minutes. It remained close the entire first half with SSC taking a slim 36-34 halftime lead.

The second half was another story. The Bulldogs jumped out with a 24-6 run to take a 60-40 lead with 12:30 left to go in the game. The Chargers would get as close as nine points at 74-65 with 2:40 left.

SSC would not fold and improved their season record to 13-3.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Damontae Taylor’s double/double as he scored a game high 28 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Christian Heffner took advantage of the first start of his career, scoring a career high 19 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. He was a perfect 9/9 from the free throw line in the last few minutes of the game. SSC sophomore guard Norman Haynes scored 15 points for the Bulldogs. SSC had two other players score in double figures. Chris Smith (10 pts/11 rebounds), and Rashard Harris (10 pts./6 rebounds).

South Suburban shot 33/68 (48.5%) from the field, 7/25 (28%) from behind the 3-point line, and 16/19 (84.2%) from the free throw line. Ancilla shot 25/67 (37.3%) from the field 4/18 (22.2%) from the “3”, and 22/25 (88%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs won he rebounding battle 42/38.

South Suburban returns home for their last game against a Michigan Athletic Conference foe. They host nationally ranked Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College on Thursday, January 5th. Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 5 – vs. Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College in South Holland, IL

The #10 Bulldogs returned home for the first home game after the Christmas break. They hosted nationally ranked Kalamazoo Valley Community College out of Michigan. Coach Pigatti was without the services of Delaware Hale and Dominykas Ramonas, but was victorious in the end 89-70.

The Bulldogs (14-3) jumped out to an early 11-3 lead three minutes into the first half. They extended that lead to 36-20 with 5:23 before the break. SSC would lead 46-32 at halftime.

The Bulldogs would get the lead to as high as 28 points with a 77-49 lead with 8:00 left to go in the game. They held that margin at the 5:40 mark (82-54) before the 8-3 Cougars made a late run and closed the final margin to 19 points.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore point guard Jalen Houston’s career high 26 points on 6/9 shooting from behind the “3” point line. Houston would also grabbed 6 rebounds, dish out 5 assist and snatched 5 steals. Bulldog sophomore Nakyel Shelton, recently named NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week, recorded his 10th double/double of the season when he scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Damontate Taylor was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he scored 16 points while dishing out 5 assists and blocking 4 shots.

South Suburban shot 39/69 (50.7%) from the field, 11/22 (50%) from the “3”, and 8/13 (61.5%) from the free throw line. Kalamazoo Valley would shoot 21/60 (35%) from the field, 4/24 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 24/31 (77.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 39-31. They would also block a season high 11 shots.

The Bulldogs return to Region IV play this Saturday, January 7th as they host Illinois Valley Community College. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 7 – vs. Illinois Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The #10 Bulldogs got back to playing Region IV opponents as they hosted Illinois Valley. Pigatti’s squad was victorious 79-60 to improve to 15-3 on the season.

Illinois Valley opened up the game with a lot of energy. They took a 6-0 lead as SSC missed its first six shots of the game. The Eagles led 13-8 with 12:00 to go in the first half when South Suburban would tie the game at 15 with 10:42 to go. The game was still tied at 29 with 3:30 to go when former Illinois Valley Eagle and current Bulldog Norman Haynes made a three-point basket to give SSC the lead for good at 32-29 with 3:16 to go in the half. The Bulldogs took a 38-36 lead into the halftime break.

In the first five minutes of the second half, SSC jumped out to a 17-7 run to start and led 55-43. Illinois Valley would pull as close as eight (66-58) with 6:30 to go. South Suburban would hold them to two points the rest of the game for the 19-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton, who recorded his 12th double/double of the season as he scored 23 points while grabbing 19 rebounds. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor would also record a double/double as he scored 21 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Julius Byrd scored 9 points, grab 9 rebounds, and block 3 shots. It was the first game of the season for freshman guard. Sophomore forward Delaware Hale would grab 10 rebounds to help SSC dominate the rebounding battle 58-39.

South Suburban shot 29/82 (35.4%) from the field, 4/18 (22.2%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 24/66 (36.4%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the “3”, and 8/16 (50%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their first home stand of 2023 by playing Region IV foe #16 Bryant & Stratton from Milwaukee on Saturday January 14th. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 14 – vs. Bryant & Stratton College (WI) in South Holland, IL

The #8 Bulldogs played another Top 15 team as they hosted #15 Bryant & Stratton College (WI) in a big NJCAA Region IV matchup. SSC prevailed with an impressive 92-62 victory to improve to 16-3 on the season.

South Suburban jumped out early as they took a 8-1 lead three minutes into the contest. They extended that lead to 31-19 with 4:30 to go in the first half and went into the break with a 48-32 lead.

The Bulldogs extended the lead to 20 at 56-36 three minutes into the second half. Bryant & Stratton would make a 12-0 run, their only run of the game, and trailed 56-48 with 14:00 to go.

The Bulldogs would close the game on a 36-14 run to preserve the 30-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton who recorded his 13th double/double of the season. He scored 23 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. He would also dish out 5 assists. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor would score 22 points, grab 6 rebounds, and dish out 5 assists of his own. Sophomore center Chris Smith would score 15 points and grab 10 rebounds while shooting 7/8 from the field. Sophomore forward Delaware Hale would be the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he chipped in 10 points on a perfect 4/4 shooting.

South Suburban shot 38/75 (50.7%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/17 (58.8%) from the free throw line. The Bobcats shot 19/68 (27.9%) from the field, 7/25 (28%) from the “3”, and 17/28 (60.7%) from the free throw line.

SSC dominated the rebounding battle 58-30.

BOX SCORE

January 18 – vs. Camp Battleground (CBG) Prep (MI) in South Holland, IL

The #7 Bulldogs hosted the Tigers of Camp Battleground (CBG) Prep from Michigan and were victorious 98-67. SSC (17-3) jumped out to an early 15-6 lead just under five minutes into the first half. However, CBG would go on a 16-7 run and tie the game at 22 with 10:50 before halftime. Pigatti’s Bulldogs answered that by going on a 21-7 run to make the lead 53-29 with 1:20 left to go. SSC would lead 53-31 at halftime.

South Suburban opened the second half on a 24-12 run to take a 77-44 lead at the 8:00 mark. They took their biggest lead at 96-57 with 4:00 left to go and finished with the 31-point victory.

The victory was the 37th straight home victory for the Bulldogs at the on Physical Fitness and Athletic Center. The last lost on campus was on February 8, 2020.

SSC had all five starters score in double figures. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor led all scorers with 21 points. Sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton recorded his 14th double/double of the season as he scored 15 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 8 assists. Sophomores Jalen Houston, and Chris Smith scored 12 points a piece. Freshman guard Julius Byrd scored a career high 13 points while grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists. Smith blocked 4 shots as well.

South Suburban shot 44/76 (57.9%) from the field, 5/18 (27.8%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 5/6 (83.3%) from the free throw line. CBG shot 22/49 (44.9%) from the field, 8/19 (42.1%) from the “3”, and 15/24 (62.5%) from the free throw line, SSC won the rebounding battle 44-26.

South Suburban heads on the road January 24th to play nationally ranked Olive Harvey in Chicago. Game time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

January 24 – at Olive Harvey College in Chicago, IL

The #6 Bulldogs went to Olive Harvey College to play their ninth game this season against a nationally ranked opponent. SSC was victorious, 85-60.

Olive Harvey led early 11-8 with 13:46 to go in the first half. SSC tied the game at 15 midway through the first half. The Bulldogs went on to outscore Olive Harvey 28-17 the rest of the half and led at halftime 42-32.

SSC opened up the second half on a 6-0 run to take a 49-32 lead in the first minute of the second half. The Bulldogs took their biggest lead of the game at 79-51 with 5:18 remaining and never looked back as they improve their record to 18-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel’s Shelton 28 points. He recorded his 15th double/double of the season as he grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 21 points while snatching 6 steals. The only other Bulldog to score in double digits was sophomore point guard Jalen Houston. He scored 19 points while dishing out 5 assists, and snatching 6 steals of his own.

SSC won the rebounding battle 39-23.

South Suburban shot 33/56 (56.9%) from the field, 9/17 (52.9%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 22/53 (41.5) from the field, 2/14 (14.3%) from the “3”, and 14/22 (63.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs game on January 26th vs. SEMO Prep was rescheduled to February 16th at 7:00pm. The next game for SSC is January 28th when they play at Region IV foe Black Hawk College. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 28 – at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL

The #6 Bulldogs went on the road to Moline, IL for a Region IV matchup at Black Hawk College. Pigatti’s jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in their 108-68 victory.

SSC opened the game with 12-3 run then added 20 points the to lead making it 45-24 at just the 4:00 into the contest.

They took a 66-40 lead into the halftime break.

The game never got any closer and the Bulldogs 40-point victory improved their record to 19-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 35 points. Shelton also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 25 points and dished out 5 assists for SSC as well. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was freshman guard Julius Byrd who scored 10 points who also dished out 7 assists to help SSC record their highest assists total of the year, 26 assists on 43 made baskets.

South Suburban shot 43/671 (60.6%) from the field, 10/19 (52.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 12/18 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

Black Hawk College does not keep statistics at their game so their statistics are not known.

The Bulldogs next game is at NJCAA Division 1 Kankakee Community College. The game is Tuesday January 31st. Tip time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

January 31 – at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

South Suburban Men’s Basketball has won 53 games over the past two season and have only had two victory margins come within single digits. This game was the second one.

The #6 Bulldogs (NJCAA-D2) visited Kankakee Community College (NJCAA-D1) and were victorious over the Cavaliers, 79-73, improving their record to 20-3 on the season

SSC jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Then Kankakee went on a 16-4 run and took a 16-9 lead 6:40 into of the game. SSC would then tie the game at 29 with 5:00 to go in the first half and took a 34-33 advantage into the break.

Kankakee led 38-36 2:30 into the final session. SSC then tied the game at 41 at the 4:08 mark. The Bulldogs would proceed to go on a 18-4 run and took a 59-45 lead with 10:00 left to go. Kankakee closed the game on a 28-20 run for the final six-point margin.

South Suburban had two players score in double digits as they both also recorded double/doubles. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 29 points while grabbing 13 rebounds and sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton scored 24 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 41-32.

South Suburban shot 29/61 (47.5%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 15/21 (71.4%) from the free throw line. Kankakee shot 27/61 (44.3%) from the field, 8/23 (34.8%) from the “3”, and 11/14 (78.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban is in the midst of a grueling three games in five days stretch of the schedule. They return to the home hardwood for a contest Thursday, February 2nd at 7:00 when they host #3 ranked Milwaukee Area Tech.

BOX SCORE

February 2 – vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI) in South Holland, IL

It was a battle of the top two ranked Region IV teams, as well as two of the top ten teams in the nation, when #3 Milwaukee Area Tech (MATC) Stormers visited the #6 Bulldogs of South Suburban College. In the end, South Suburban impressively defeated MATC 102-68.

The win improved SSC’s record to 21-3 on the season.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 29-8 lead with 9:00 left to go in the first half, and never looked back. They took a 51-30 lead into the halftime break.

The second half was even worse for the visitors. The Bulldogs jumped out with a 28-15 run to take a 79-45 lead with 10:00 left to go in the game. SSC did get the lead to 40 at 98-58 with 3:30 to go.

The 34-points were the biggest margin of victory over a nationally ranked team during Coach Pigatti’s 17 seasons at South Suburban College.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 38 points (24 came in the first half). He also recorded his 17th double/double of the season as he grabbed 13 rebounds. SSC sophomore guard Jalen Houston (a MATC transfer) scored 20 points against his old school. He also dished out 5 assists and snatched 6 steals. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward Damontae Taylor. He scored 12 points while grabbing 7 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists and snatching 5 steals.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 47-38.

South Suburban shot 39/83 (47%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 18/23 (78.3%) from the free throw line. Milwaukee Area Tech shot 25/68 (36.8%) from the field, 2/19 (10.5%) from the “3”, and 16/26 (61.5%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs also forced 24 MATC turnovers.

South Suburban does not get much rest from the big victory as they travel to Parkland College in Champaign, IL for a 3:00pm tip on February 4th. This will be their last game of the three games in five days.

BOX SCORE

February 4 – at Parkland College in Champaign, IL

The #6 Bulldogs travel to Parkland College to play without their leading scorer and rebounder sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton (Ankle Sprain). They did not have enough firepower and lost 79-74 to fall to 21-4 on the season.

SSC jumped out to a 9-2 lead but couldn’t extend it, going into halftime leading 37-33.

The second half was one for the ages. The Bulldogs opened it up with a 5-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 42-33 two minutes into the half. Parkland went on a 10-0 run of their own and take a 43-42 lad with 14:20 to go.

The lead would change 15 times and the score was tied 13 times while both teams battled until the end.

SSC led 71-70 with 2:20 left to go. Parkland tied the game at 71 with 40 second to left in the game. The Bulldogs turned the ball over and Parkland had the stage set for some heroics. Parkland made a deep “3” to take a 74-71 lead with :04 to go. The Bulldogs had one last chance, but turned the ball again over on the ensuing inbounds pass.

SSC would then foul Parkland, who made 22 of 24 free throws. The two made free throws sealed their victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Julius Byrd. He scored a career high 23 points. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures, sophomores Damontae Taylor (15 pts.) and Christian Heffner who had 10 pts on 8/8 from the free throw line).

South Suburban shot 25/56 (44.6%) from the field, 5/15 (33.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 19/24 (79.2%) from the free throw line. Parkland shot 24/51 (47.1%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from the “3”, and 91.7% from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return home Tuesday, February 7th for a game against The Bosco Institute of Crown Point, IN. Before the game, SSC’s Head Coach John Pigatti will be honored for his recent induction into the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 7 – vs. The Bosco Institute (IN) in South Holland, IL

The #8 Bulldogs won their 39th straight home game in the on campus Physical Activities Center when they defeated The Bosco Institute of Crown Point, IN 93-59. They played their second consecutive game without sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton (sprained ankle), the Bulldogs’ leading scorer and rebounder.

SSC started out the game with an early 16-5 lead 6 minutes into the first half, They would expand that lead to 48-26 at halftime.

The Bulldogs only could expand the lead by two points at 69-43 with 10:00 left to go in the game. That changed as Pigatti’s squad closed the game on a 24-16 run to win by their largest point margin of the game at 34. South Suburban improved its record to 22-4 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore point guard Jalen Houston who scored 21 points while dishing out 6 assists. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor recorded a double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 15 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. The other Bulldogs finishing in double digits were freshman guard Julius Byrd (13 points), sophomore forward Rashard Harris (11 points) and freshman forward LeQuan Washington (10 points).

SSC narrowly won the rebounding battle 42-41.

South Suburban shot 36/77 (46.8%) from the field, 8/17 (47.1%) from behind the 3-point line, and 13/23 (56.5%) from the free throw line. The Bosco Institute shot 20/58 (34.5%) from the field, 2/15 (13.3%) from the “3”, and 17/24 (70.8%) from the free throw line.

They head out back on the road, traveling to Wisconsin February 11th for a 3:00pm tip vs. Madison College.

BOX SCORE

February 11 – at Madison College in Madison, WI

The #8 Bulldogs traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to take on Madison College and beat the Wolfpack 83-62. Although the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, they played very lackluster over the last 30 minutes but were still victorious.

SSC opened the game on a 12-0 run. They led 31-9 with 11:00 into the first half then, according to Head Coach John Pigatti, played lackluster the rest of the way.

They led 43-21 at halftime.

After SSC (23-4) scored on the first possession of the second half, Madison went on a 13-4 run and cut into SSC’s lead at 49-34, but would never get closer.

The Bulldogs would gain their biggest lead of the game at 79-55 with 3:00 to go in the game. The game would wind down to a SSC victory margin of 21 points.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Shelton’s 20 points. They would have four other players score in double figures. Sophomores Jalen Houston (16 pts.), Chris Smith and Delaware Hale contributed with 10 points a piece. The only other Bulldogs in double figures was freshman guard Julius Byrd who scored 11 points of his own.

South Suburban was out rebounded 33-31, however they did have 21 assists on 28 made basketballs.

South Suburban shot 28-59 (47.5%) from the field, 6/21 (28.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 21-29 (72.4%) from the free throw line. Madison shot 18-52 (34.6%) from the field, 3/17 (17.6%) from the “3”, and 23-28 (82.1%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs’s play their final home game against Southeast Missouri Prep February 16th at 7:00pm. Three players from last year’s national championship team will be honored on Sophomore Night. Damontae Taylor, Chris “CJ” Smith, and Christian Heffner will be presented with a two-year recognition award.

BOX SCORE

February 16 – vs. Southeast Missouri Prep in South Holland, IL

It was Two-Year Recognition Night for the three Bulldogs that were part of last years’ 33-0 National Championship Team. Damontae Taylor, Chris “CJ” Smith, and Christian Heffner were honored before the game. They received a 2-year special award plaque and a National Championship tumbler. Taylor was also presented with a 1000 Point ball as he scored his 1000th point as a Bulldog on January 31st in a game at Kankakee Community College.

After the ceremony, the #5 Bulldogs then finished the home portion of their regular season unblemished (17-0) with a 102-68 victory over Southeast Missouri Prep. They have won 40 straight home games at the on campus facility. Their last loss was February 8, 2020.

Coach John Pigatti’s home record at South Suburban College is 268-15 (.947).

SSC jumped out to an early 30-9 lead at the 11:30 mark of the first half. They extended the lead to 51-22 by halftime.

SEMO Prep jumped on the Bulldogs to start the second half, going on a 8-2 run to cut the lead to 53-30.

Coach Pigatti subbed out all the starters and SSC proceeded to go on a 8-0 run of their own. SEMO Prep never go any closer.

The victory improves the Bulldog’s record to 24-4 on the season.

Every player scored for SSC, including four sophomores, scored were in double figures. Guards Nakyel Shelton had 23 points and Jalen Houston ended with 22 pts. Taylor chipped in 18 points and Heffner had 10. Houston also recorded a double/double as he dished out 11 assists. SSC sophomore center Chris Smith blocked a career high 10 shots during the game.

South Suburban shot 40-69 (58%) from the field, 10/18 (55.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 12/19 (63.2%) from the free throw line. SEMO Prep shot 25/67 (37.3%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the “3”, and 15/27 (55.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs finish up the 2022-23 campaign on the road next week for two games. Tuesday February 21st at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL. and Thursday February 23rd at #10 Danville Area Community College in Danville.

BOX SCORE

February 21 – at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL

The Bulldogs improved to 25-4 on the season with a convincing road victory at Kishwaukee College, 104-47.

SSC jumped out early and took a 52-25 lead into the halftime break.

They opened up the second half on a 27-7 run. Coach Pigatti subbed his starters out midway through the second half and they got the lead to as much as 61 points (100-39). The Bulldogs then coasted to the victory. They ended up the year with a perfect regular season record against their NJCAA Region IV opponents.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomores Nakyel Shelton 31 points who was 8/10 from the “3”. 2nd year forward Damontae Taylor (21 points, 6 assists and 4 steals) and freshman guard Julius Byrd (16 points) were the other double digit scorers for SSC. SSC’s guard Jalen Houston dished out 9 assists. Sophomore Chris Smith had 8 blocks at the 5 spot.

South Suburban shot 43/67 (64.2%) from the field, 8/18 (44.4%) from the “3” (all made by Shelton), and 10/12 (83.3%) from the free throw line. The Kougars shot 15/49 (30.6%) from the field, 3/9 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 14/23 (60.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban’s bench out scored Kishwaukee’s bench 34-03 and won the rebounding battle 34-27.

The Bulldogs finish the regular season Thursday, February 23rd with a huge Top 10 match up. They play at #7 Danville Area Community College. It will be the first time Pigatti’s team plays in the Mary Miller Center since winning the National Championship Tournament last March.

Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 23 – at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL

The #5 Bulldogs lost to #7 Danville Area Community College Jaguars, 77-64 at the Mary Miller Center in Danville. It was the third time this season SSC, from Region IV, played at a Region 24 opponent.

In those three games, the host Region 24 team shot a total of 96 free throws while SSC shot 53.

After going into halftime with a 42-30 lead, the Bulldogs held a 61-57 lead with 6:00 to go and proceeded to only score three points for the remainder of the game. They were outscored 47-22 in the second half, the worst point differential margin in a half during the 17 seasons Coach John Pigatti has been at the helm.

The Jaguars outshot SSC 24-4 at the free throw line in the second half.

South Suburban had four starters score in double digits. Sophomore guard Jalen Houston scored 18, Nakyel Shelton scored 16 points with only two in the second half, Damontae Taylor had 11 points and freshman guard Julius Byrd finished with 11 pts. South Suburban’s bench only scored four points while Danville’s bench scored 42.

Danville out-rebounded SSC 40-26.

South Suburban shot 25/60 (41/7%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from behind the “3” point line, and 11/16 from the free throw line. Danville shot 23/49 (46.9%) for the game, 4/13 (30.8%) from the “3”, and 27/32 (84.4 %) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finished the regular season at with a 25-5 record. They open NJCAA Region IV post-season play Thursday March 2nd as the top seed in the tournament. The first game will be at the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center at 7:00pm verses an opponent to be named later.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II MIDWEST DISTRICT A TOURNAMENT ROUND TWO

March 2 – vs Oakton Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The #7 ranked Bulldogs opened up the 2023 REGION IV (Midwest District A) tournament play as the No. 1 seed and proved why with a resounding 96-72 home victory over the No. 9 Oakton Community College Owls. The victory finished SSC’s 2022-23.home schedule with another undefeated season on their home floor. They are 269-15 (.947) at home during Coach Pigatti’s 17 season at SSC, winning 41 straight home games at the Athletic & Physical Fitness Center. Their last loss in South Holland was Feb 8, 2020.

SSC (26-5) opened the game up on a 27-7 run and went into the halftime break with a 51-30 lead.

They started the second half on a 16-4 run and took a 67-34 lead at the 4:31 mark. They held their biggest lead at 89-54 with 5:30 to go. The Owls finished on a 10-0 run to close to within 24 points.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nakyel Sheldon, one of three Bulldogs to finish with a double/double. Sheldon scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his 18th double/double of the season, sophomore guard Jalen Houston scored 23 points while dishing out 10 assists and sophomore forward Damontae Taylor scored 21 points while dishing out 10 assists.

South Suburban shot 40/69 (58%) from the field, 11/22 (50%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 5/8 (62.5%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 23/52 (44.2%) from the field, 5/10 (50%) from the “3”, and 21/23 (91.3%) from the free throw line. SSC won the rebounding battle 37-28. The Bulldogs advance to the Midwest District-A Semifinal game at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL. verses Waubonsee Community College on Sunday March 5th. Tip time is 12 noon.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II MIDWEST DISTRICT A TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL

March 5 – vs Waubonsee Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

For only the second time in 17 seasons at South Suburban College, Coach John Pigatti’s team was defeated in the Regional semifinals as No. 1 SSC lost to No. 3 Waubonee Community College 70-59 to finish their season with a record of 26-6.

Pigatti’s record in Region IV tournament play is 39-5.

South Suburban’s big three did not show up for this game. They all were held under their averages and shot it poorly. Sophomores guards Nakyel Shelton and Jalen Houston were a combined 8/31 from the field, 0/10 from behind the three-point line. Sophomore forward Damontae Taylor, a returning starter from last years 33-0 National Championship Team, only scored 7 points. Taylor has averaged 18 point a game all season.

South Suburban scored the first basket of the game, but could not extend that positive start. The Chiefs made eight three-point baskets in the first half and took a 37-33 lead into the halftime break.

The host Bulldogs tied the game at 45 with 12:00 to go, but never got any closer.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Julius Byrd’s 17 points. Houston scored 13 points and Shelton, who averages 24 points a game, only scored 11. SSC shot a chilly 22-69 (31.9%) from the field. They were 8/38 (21.2%) in the second half. They shot 3/19 (15.8%) from the “3”, and were 0/11 in the second half. They also shot 12/16 from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 23/54 (42.6%) from the field, 10/24 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 14/23 (60.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban did win the rebounding battle 44-40. They also had less turnovers than Waubonsee (18-15), but could not offset their extremely poor shooting performance.

BOX SCORE

If you are interested in recaps of past Bulldogs’ seasons, go to our Men’s Basketball Recap Archive web page.

November 2 – vs CBG Prep (MI) in South Holland, IL

The #7 ranked Bulldogs opened their 2021-22 season with a resounding 83-38 victory over CBG Prep from Benton Harbor, MI.

South Suburban open the first 10 minutes of the game pitching a shut out, leading 19-0. They extended that lead to 36-12 at the half time break.

SSC opened the second half on a 23-6 run and led 59-18 with 10:00 to go in the game. They would cruise from there and ended up with the 45 point victory.

South Suburban had six players score in double digits, led by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 12 points. Three players; Damarco Minor, Nmesomachi Nnebedum and Chris Heffner would score 11 points a piece. Freshman center Antonio Leavy would chip in 10 points as well. Donatlan was a stat filler as he also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out eight assists and snatched four steals.

SSC shot 34 out of 66 (51.5%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the 3-point line, and 8/14 (57.1%) from the free throw line. CBG shot 13/56 (23.2%) from the field, 4/25 (16%) from the “3”, and 8/15 (53.3%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs out rebounded CBG, 50-31.

South Suburban is 1-0 on the season and play again Thursday, November 4th against the Calumet College of St. Joseph’s reserves. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 4 – vs. Calumet College of St. Joseph’s (IN) JV in South Holland, IL

The #7 ranked Bulldogs hosted the reserve team from Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN). Despite the final score of 104-49, the Bulldogs started out slow.

SSC trailed early 4-0 and led 23-20 with 4:00 to go in the first half. They closed the half on a 18-7 run and took a 41-27 halftime lead.

The second half started out differently. South Suburban opened the first 12 minutes on a 41-12 run and took a 82-39 lead with 8:00 to go.

The cruised home the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco “Polo” Minor’s 30 points. He also dished out 11 assist and grabbed five steals. SSC had three other player score in double digits. Freshman forward Damontae Taylor scored a career high 16 points. Sophomore guards Nmesomachi Nnebedum and Camron Donatlan scored 11 and 10 points respectfully. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 48-30. SSC shot 41/75 (54.7%) from the field, 12/21 (57.1%) from behind the three-point arc, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line. The Red Storm shot 17/54 (31.5%) from the field, 7/28 (25%) from the “3”, and 8/14 (57.1%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improve to 2-0 on the season. Their next game in at home this Monday, November 8th vs. Trinity Christian (JV). Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 8 – vs. Trinity Christian College JV in South Holland, IL

The newly ranked #3 Bulldogs hosted Trinity Christian University (JV) and were victorious by a whopping 133-67 score.

The Bulldogs started the game on a 13-2 run. Extended it to 38-18 with ten minutes to go and went into the halftime break with a 67-27 lead.

They never looked back as the second half totally belonged to Coach Pigatti’s squad, outscoring the Trolls 66-20.

The “Dawgs” improved to 3-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman forward Damontae Taylor’s career high 31 points. Taylor also had 6 rebounds, three assists and 3 blocked shots. The Bulldogs had five players in total score in double figures. Sophomore center Cameron Bartmann scored a career high 23 points and recorded a double/double by grabbing 12 rebounds as well. He also blocked 4 shots. Sophomore guard Damarco Minor scored 20 points while dishing out 8 assists, and snatching 7 steals. Freshman guard Chris Heffner scored a career high 17 points while snatching 4 steals of his own. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan scored 16 points while grabbing 8 rebounds dishing out 6 assists and snatching 7 steals.

South Suburban shot 61/96 (63.5%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from behind the three-point line, and 7/10 (70%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot 23/55 (41.8%) from the field, 8/20 (40%) from the “3”, and 13/16 (81.3%) from the free throw line. The Bulldogs had 24 steals in the game.

They also won the rebounding battle 52-22.

The Bulldogs return to action this Saturday, November 13th. They play Region-IV foe Elgin Community College. Game time is 3:pm.

BOX SCORE

November 13 – vs. Elgin Community College in South Holland, IL

The #3 Ranked Bulldogs hosted Elgin Community College in a Saturday afternoon contest. They were victorious, 102-60, improving their record to 4-0 on the season.

The game was tight early as SSC led 20-18 with 11:20 to go in the first half. They SSC defense would tighten up, holding Elgin to just seven points with 8:15 to go in the half. The Bulldogs took a 56-32 lead into halftime.

The Bulldogs would open the second half on a 6-0 run and never look back, finishing 102-60. The 42-point margin of victory was the largest lead of the game.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan, who would score a career high 30 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. Camron became the third player this year to score 30 points. Freshman guard Damarco Minor would score 22 points as well as dish out 5 assists for the Bulldogs. South Suburban freshman forward Damontae Taylor would fill up the stat sheet, almost recording a quadruple double as he scored 18 points while grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out 8 assists, and snatching 7 steals. Sophomore forward Nuri Knighten would score 12 points and grab 8 rebounds to round out the double digit scorer for the Bulldogs.

SSC won the battle of the boards 48-33.

South Suburban shot 41-88 (46.6%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from behind the three-point line, and 14-22 (63.6%0 from the free throw line. Elgin shot 21/50 (42%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from the “3”, and 12/20 (60%) from the free throw line.

They continue their early season home stand with a Tuesday, November 16 contest vs. McHenry County Community College. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 13 – vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

This game was postponed to a later date.

November 20 – vs. Danville Area Community College in South Holland, IL

The match up between the top 20 teams lived up top it’s hype until the last five minutes of the game. In the end #3 South Suburban defeated #20 Danville 88-73.

Danville came into the game on a five-game winning streak which included wins at NJCAA Division 1 Vincennes University and Wabash Valley Community College.

SSC opened up the game with a 11-7 lead. Danville would respond and take their biggest lead of the game at 30-22 with 5:14 left in the first half. South Suburban would close the gap to one at 39-38 at the halftime break.

The Bulldogs would open the second half on a 13-3 run and take a 51-42 lead with 15:00 left to go in the game. Danville would get it as close as 4 points at 54-50 with 10:00 left to go. SSC would then go on a 26-10 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 80-60 with 3:15 to go in the game.

They would then finish out the game with the 15-point victory.

South Suburban had three players score 20+ points, two of them finishing with double/doubles. Freshman guard Damarco Minor would lead SSC in scoring with 27 points. He would also dish out 4 assists. Freshman forward Damontae Taylor would score 21 points while grabbing 13 rebounds, and snatching 6 steals. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan would score 20 points while grabbing 10 rebounds of his own.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 42-28.

SSC shot 30/56 (53.6%) from the field, 5/14 (35.7%) from behind the 3-point line, and 23/30 (76.7%) from the free throw line. Danville would shoot 21/54 (38.9%) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from the “3”, and 24/35 (68.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 5-0 on the season. They now head out of the road for a 4-game road trip. The first game is this Tuesday, November 23rd at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 23 – at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

This game was postponed until a later date.

November 30 – at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL

The Bulldogs played their first road contest of the season. They did not travel far as they went a few miles down the road to play arch rival Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL. The Bulldogs started out strong as they jumped out to a 15-0 lead and went on to the 95-71 victory.

The beginning surge was led by freshman guard Damarco Minor’s three made 3-point shots. Polo hit his fourth “3” to give SCC a 29-7 lead, and they extended the score to 49-25 at the halftime break.

Prairie State would get as close as 15 points, cutting the Bulldog lead to 78-63 with 7:00 left to go in the game. However, SSC would not let up and extended the lead again for the 24-point victory.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 27 points He would also record a double-double as he grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Polo would score 25 points of his own and snatch 5 steals. Freshman forward; Damontae Taylor would score 16 points while dishing out 7 assists and snatching 4 steals. The only other Bulldog who scored in double figures was sophomore forward Nuri Knighten who scored 10 points while grabbing 8 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 43-29.

SSC shot 38/60 (63.3%) from the field, 6/14 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 13/16 (81.3%) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 26/66 (36.4%) from the field, 6/22 (27.3%) from the “3”, and 17/22 (77.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 6-0 on the season. They continue their early season road trip this Thursday December 2nd, as they travel to Des Plaines, IL for a rescheduled game against Oakton Community College that was scheduled to be played November 23rd. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 2 – at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

This rescheduled game that was originally scheduled for November 23rd.

The #2 ranked Bulldogs played their second consecutive road game as they played at Oakton Community College in a make up game from Nov. 23rd. After a slow start, Coach Pigatti’s squad came out with a 84-66 victory.

SSC opened the game leading 6-3 early in the first half. The Owls would then go on a 23-2 run and take a 26-8 lead with 9:00 to go. SSC would respond with a 30-4 run and go into halftime with a 38-30 lead.

The Bulldogs would take their biggest lead of the game at 79-58 with 3:00 to go on to the 18-point victory.

SSC was led in scoring by freshman forward Damontae Taylor’s 28 points. He would also dish out five assists and snatch seven steals. Fellow freshman Damarco Minor would score 21 points of his own, dish out four assists, and snatch five steals to help SSC force 23 Oakton turnovers. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore guard Camron Donatlan who scored 17 points while grabbing a career high 14 rebounds.

The Bulldogs would win the rebounding battle 38-29.

South Suburban shot 30/65 (46.2%) from the field, 5/18 (27.8%) from behind the 3-point arch, and 19/24 (79.2%) from the free throw line. Oakton would shoot 27/54 (50%) from the field, 8/18 (44.4%) from the “3”, and 4/7 (57.1%) from the free throw line.

SSC improved to 7-0 on the season. They continue their road trip Saturday, December 4th with a 3:00pm tip against the Eagles of Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL.

BOX SCORE

December 4 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs played their third road game in five days. They traveled to Oglesby, IL to take on Illinois Valley Community College. Coach Pigatti’s squad started out strong and held on to a 74-61 victory.

SSC opened the game on with an 8-0 lead, and extended it to 33-8 with 6:42 to go in the first half. However, Illinois Valley would close the half on a 11-1 run of their own, and SSC led at halftime 34-19.

After the break, South Suburban would extend the lead to 44-25 with 15:46 to go in the game. Illinois Valley would make another run of their own (14-4) and cut the Bulldog lead to nine (48-39) with 11:00 to go in the contest. The lead would stay at nine at when SSC went on a quick 10-4 scoring spurt to give the Bulldogs a 66-51 lead with 3:18 to go. That spurt stopped any comeback bid that Illinois Valley would have.

The victory improves South Suburban’s record to 8-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco Minor’s 28 points, 23 in the second half. He would also grabbed 5 rebounds, dish out 4 assists, and snatch 4 steals. Bulldog, sophomore forward Nuri Knighten would score a career high 17 points while grabbing 6 rebounds of his own. Freshman forward Damontae Taylor would fill up the stat sheet for SSC as he would score 13 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, dish out 7 assists, and snatch 5 steals. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore guard Camron Donatlan. He would record his second straight double/double as he scored 10 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 38-35.

SSC shot 25/47 (52%) from the field, 1/7 (14.3%) from behind the three-point arch, and 23/31 (74.2%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley would shoot 19/56 (35%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from the “3”, and 17/26 (65.4%) from the fee throw line.

South Suburban will now take a week off for final exam week. They return to action next Saturday, December 11th with another road game at The College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 11 – at The College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs played their fourth straight road game of the 2021 campaign as they beat the College of Lake County, 89-51. The “Dawgs” came out flat at the start, but picked up their defensive intensity in the second half.

Lake County opened up the game scoring on their first five possessions of the game. They led 21-14 with 12:49 to go in he first half. SSC’s sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum hit one of his 3 three-point baskets to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 23-21 with 8:00 to go in the first half.

The Bulldogs led 37-28 at half time.

Lake County cut the Bulldog’s lead to 42-35 with 16:00 to go in the game when SSC’s defense picked up. They outscored Lake County 47-16 the rest of the way for the 38-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 28 points. He also recorded a double/double as he grabbed 13 rebounds. He also dished out 6 assist and snatched 8 steals. Another Bulldog recorded a double/double. Freshman forward Damontae Taylor scored 21 points of his own, while grabbing 13 rebounds as well. Freshman guard Damarco Minor scored 18 points, and Nnebedum rounded out the double digit scorers for the Bulldogs as he chipped in 11 points of his own.

South Suburban shot 36/76 (47.4%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the “3”, and 13/18 (72.2%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 21/48 (43.8%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from the “3”, and ¾ (75%) from the free throw line.

SSC won the rebounding battle 48-23.

South Suburban improved to 9-0 on the season. They return home Tuesday, December 14th for a game against rival Moraine Valley Community College. Game Time is 7:00pm at the Physical Fitness and Athletic Center in South Holland.

BOX SCORE

December 14 – vs. Moraine Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The #2 Bulldogs hosted another rival when Moraine Valley Community College came to town. It was a hard fought, spirited game and in the end the Bulldogs prevailed 93-71, as they improved to 10-0 on the season.

The Cyclones opened the game up with high intensity. They took a 15-3 lead with 15:18 left to go in the first half. That would be their largest lead.

After a few South Suburban time outs, Pigatti’s Bulldogs woke up. SSC freshman forward Damontae Taylor stole an errant Moraine Valley pass and proceeded to go down and dunk the ball, SSC took its first lead of the game with 8:00 to go in the first half, 24-23. Moraine Valley would regain the lead at 31-26 with 5:30 to go.

SSC would then close the first half on a 15-6 run and take a 41-37 lead into the halftime break.

Moraine Valley tied the game at 47 with 15:40 left to go in the game. South Suburban answered by go on a 25-9 run and take a 72-56 lead with 6:00 to go. They would then extend the lead to 21 points, their largest of the game and the final victory margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Taylor’s 24 points. He would record a double/double as he grabbed 11 rebounds. He also snatched 6 steals and dished out 4 assists. SSC freshman guard Damarco Minor would score 23 points while grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists. The Bulldogs had 2 other players score in double figures. Sophomore guards Nmesomachi Nnebedum and Camron Donatlan would score 16 and 14 points respectfully.

South Suburban shot 35/60 (58.3%) from the field, 6/11 (54.5%) from behind the three-point line, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley shot 24/51 (47.1%) from the field, 8/22 (36.4%) from the “3”, and 15/22 (68.2%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban dominated the rebounding battle 47-31.

The Bulldogs stays at home for their next contest as they play Region IV foe Kishwaukee College December 16th. Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 16 – vs. Kishwaukee College in South Holland, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs hosted Region IV foe Kishawukee College and after a slow first half, they picked up their intensity and were victorious 97-61.

The game was close at the 12:30 mark of the first half as SSC led 20-16. They would extend their lead to 49-33 at the halftime break.

Kishwaukee pulled to within 14 at 54-40 with 17:30 to go in the game. SSC led 65-49 at the 12:00 mark of the second half

The Bulldogs would proceed to go on a 15-0 run and take a 80-49 lead with 9:30 to go in the game. They would never look back, and improved their record to 11-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco Minors’s 34 points. He would also grab 4 rebounds and snatch 4 steals. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum would score a career high 22 points for the Bulldogs while snatching a career high 5 steals. The Bulldogs had one other player score in double figures. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan was very close to recording a triple double. He scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists.

SSC won the rebounding battle 47-25.

South Suburban shot 36/66 (54.5%) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from behind the “3” point line, and 18/27 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 17/47 (36.2%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from the “3”, and 19/28 (67.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban heads out on the road for an afternoon contest December 21st as they travel to Cicero to play Morton College at 4pm.

BOX SCORE

December 18 – at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL

This game was cancelled.

December 21 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

This game was postponed until a later date.

December 29 – vs. Lake Michigan College in South Holland, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs came back from Christmas break and picked up right where they left off with a resounding 93-58 victory over the visiting Lake Michigan College.

SSC jumped out early to a 28-6 lead with 10:00 left to go in the first half. They would lead 51-24 at the half time break.

They would open the second half on a 5-0 run to take a 56-24 lead, and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman point guard Damarco Minor’s 25 points. He would also grab 7 rebounds and dish out 6 assists. SSC sophomore guard Camron Donatlan would record a double/double as he scored 18 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. He also dished out 7 assists, blocked 5 shots, and snatched 3 steals. There would be 3 more Bulldogs who scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum scored 18 points, freshman forwards Damontae Taylor and Chris Smith would score 12 and 15 points respectfully.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 53-21.

South Suburban shot 36/72 (50%) from the field, 11/26 (42.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/18 (55/6%) from the free throw line. Lake Michigan shot 17/55 (30.9%) from the field, 6/19 (31/6%) from the “3”, and 18/29 (62.1%) from the free throw line.

Pigatti’s men improved to 12-0 on the season. The Bulldogs are set to begin 2022 at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL on January 2nd.

BOX SCORE

January 2 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

This game was postponed.

This game was postponed due to a COVID outbreak in the Carl Sandburg program. SSC will play again at home on Saturday January 8th vs. Spoon River College. Game time is 1:00pm.

January 8 – vs. Spoon River College in South Holland, IL

The #2 Bulldogs hosted Spoon River College from Canton, Il and came away with a hard fought 96-80 victory to improve their record to 13-0 on the season.

SSC opened up a 13-4 lead early but the Snappers fought back to cut the lead to one at (23-22) with 7:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would go on a 20-10 run to end the half with a 43-32 lead.

Spoon River could get no closer that nine points in the second half, and SSC took its biggest lead of the game at 91-70 with 3:40 to go in the game.

The 16-point victory kept SSC’s perfect record at home (9-0).

South Suburban was led in scoring by stat sheet filler sophomore guard Camron Donatlan. He scored 30 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, and snatching 5 steals. The Bulldogs had 3 other players score in double figures. Freshman Damarco Minor and Damontae Taylor scored 23 and 16 points respectfully. Taylor recorded a double/double as he also grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum scored a career high 19 points to round out the double digit scorer for South Suburban.

SSC shot 35/61 (57.4%) from the field, 9/17 (52.9%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 17/24 (70.8%) from the free throw line. Spoon River shot 26/50 (52%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%0 from the “3”, and 21/30 (70%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return to action January 10th as they play a home makeup game with McHenry County College. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 10 – vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

This rescheduled game that was originally scheduled for November 13, 2021.

The Bulldogs took to the floor with their new #1 ranking and came out victorious against McHenry County College, 85-52, improving to 14-0 on the season.

The game started out slow for SSC. They trailed 16-14 with 10:00 to go in the first half. They went on a 28-11 run to close out the half and took a 42-27 lead into the halftime break.

They quickly got a comfortable lead in the second half and cruised to the 33-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman point guard Damarco Minor’s 21 points. He also dished out 9 assist. Fellow freshman Damontae Taylor filled up the stat sheet. He scored 17 point, grabbed 8 rebounds and snatched 7 steals. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan rounded out the double figure scorer for SSC, and he scored 15 points of his own. South Suburban shot 29/67 (43.3%) from the field, 5/21 (23.8%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 22/36 (61.1%) from the free throw line. McHenry shot 21/59 (36.6%) from the field, 5/21 (23.8%0 from the “3”, and 5/12 (41.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs now head north to Escanaba, MI for a two-day tournament at Bay College. They play Gogebic Community College Saturday, January 15th. Game time is 2:00pm (EST). Then they play Bay College on Sunday at 1:00pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

Quality Inn & Suites Winter Classic

January 15 – vs. Bay College at Bay College in Escanaba, MI.

Due to COVID in the Gogebic Community College program, their game vs. GCC was canceled. SSC played the host school Bay College a day earlier than scheduled.

The #1 ranked Bulldogs traveled to Escanaba, MI to play in two games. The quick change in the schedule affected the Bulldogs as they had to overcome their biggest deficit of the season. In the end though SSC was victorious 74-60.

The Bulldogs started the game with a 17-11 lead with 11:00 to go in the first half. They would be held to one field goal and three free throws for the rest of the half and trailed Bay College 27-22 at halftime.

The second half was an emotional rollercoaster.

SSC opened up the half on a 7-0 run to take a 29-27 lead. However, Bay College would go on a 13-1 run to give SSC their biggest deficit of the season at 40-30 with 15:00 to go in the game. With 13:15 to go in the game, Bay still led 42-32 when SSC would go on a quick 10-0 run and tie the game at 42 with 10:30 to go.

South Suburban would take the lead for good, 51-50, with 8:00 to go when sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum would connect on one of his five made 3-point baskets.

The Bulldog’s 14 point margin of victory would be their largest lead of the game as SSC improved to 15-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco Minor’s 20 points. He would also record a double/double as he grabbed 11 rebounds. He also dished out 4 assists. The Bulldogs had 2 other players score in double figures; Nnebedum and fellow sophomore Camron Donatlan would score 17 and 14 points respectfully.

SSC would win the rebounding battle 33-32.

South Suburban recovered from it’s horrible offensive shooting performance (29% from the field, and 9% from the three-point line) and finished the game shooting 24/55 (43.6%) from the field, 8/24 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line. Bay College shot 17/46 (37%) from the field, 9/18 (50%) from the “3”, and 17/24 (70.8%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return home for a four-game homestand starting with a game vs. Olive Harvey Collège on January 20th at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 20 – vs. Olive Harvey Collège in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs returned home for a Region IV tilt vs. Olive Harvey College and were victorious 92-76, improving their record to 16-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs jumped out early on their visitor. They took a 13-4 lead with 17:00 to go in the first half. Olive Harvey would close the gap on several occasions in the first half but SSC led 41-32 at halftime.

South Suburban again jumped out quickly in the second half. They went on a 17-2 run to take their biggest lead at 58-34 with 15:00 to go in the game.

Olive Harvey would not quit and pulled to within 12 on several occasions in the second half before the final 16-point margin at the end of the game.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 28 points. He would also grab 13 rebounds. The Bulldogs had three other players score in double figures. Freshmen Damontae Taylor and Damarco Minor would score 20 and 16 points respectfully. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum would score 15 points as well.

SSC shot 33/68 (48.5%) from the field, 6/16 (37.5%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 20/22 (90.9%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 26/56 (46.4%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6%) from the “3”, and 20/27 (74.1%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 43-33 after being out rebounded in the first half.

The Bulldogs continue their home stand Saturday January 22, 2022 vs. Illinois Valley Community College. Game time is 1:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 22 – vs. Illinois Valley Community Collège in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs played Illinois Valley for the second time this year. Illinois Valley had added two impact players at the semester and played the Bulldogs tough for 27 minutes. In the end the Bulldogs were victorious 75-55.

The game started out with Illinois Valley taking a 18-17 lead with 8:00 to go in the first half.

South Suburban would tie the game at 27 a piece with 5:40 to go in the first half and take a 37-34 lead into halftime.

Illinois Valley tied the game at 39 with 17:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban picked up the defensive intensity, going on a 36-11 run and take their biggest lead, 75-50, with 2:00 left to go in the game.

Illinois Valley would outscore South Suburban College’s bench 5-0 during the last stretch of the game for the 20-point scoring margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 24 points. He would also grab 7 rebounds, and dish out 5 assists. SSC freshman forward Damontae Taylor would score 20 points of his own, and grab 9 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum, would score 16 points to round out the Bulldogs who scored in double figures. The Bulldogs leading scorer; freshman Damarco Minor would be held to 6 points, but dished out 12 assists.

SSC would win the rebounding battle 40-22.

South Suburban shot 29/53 (54.7%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from behind the 3-point line, and 13/20 (65%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 20/51 (39.2%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%) from the “3”, and 8/11 (72.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 17-0 on the season. They play the undefeated Bosco Institute from Indiana at home Tuesday January 25th at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 25 – vs. The Bosco Institute in South Holland, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs hosted a The Bosco Institute, very powerful prep school from northwest Indiana. The game was close throughout. There were 16 lead changes and ten ties. The biggest lead by any team throughout the game was six points. In the end South Suburban survived with a 76-73 victory, improving to 18-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by recently named NJCAA National Player of the Week; sophomore guard, Deshawndre Washington. He scored 29 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked 4 shots, snatched 5 steals, and dished out 4 assists. Sophomore forward Chance Love scored 15 points of his own while grabbing 8 rebounds. Sophomore guard Ishmael Martin was the only other Bulldogs to score in double figures as we chipped in 11 points while dishing out 3 assists.

The Bulldogs shot a chilling 24/75 (32%) from the field, 6/17 (35.3%) from behind the 3-point line, and were 23/30 (73.3%) form the free throw line. The Bosco Institute shot 26/75 (40%) from the field, 8/22 (36.4%) from the “3”, and 13/18 (72.2%) from the free throw line.

The Bosco Institute out rebounded the Bulldogs 49-48. However SSC’s defense forced 21 Bosco turnovers.

The Bulldogs end their homestand Saturday afternoon, January 29, against Black Hawk College from Moline.

BOX SCORE

January 29 – vs. Black Hawk Collège – Moline in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs hosted Region IV foe Black Hawk College. After a hard fought game, the 19-0 SSC prevailed 104-81.

The Bulldogs led early 33-20 with 9:00 to go in the first half. Black Hawk cut the lead to 56-48 at the halftime break.

South Suburban then opened up a 68-57 lead with 15:00 to go in the game. Black Hawk made a run back, and cut the Bulldogs lead to four at 72-68 with 10:00 to go.

The Bulldogs would outscore Black Hawk 32-13 in the final ten minutes of the game for the 23-point victory.

The Bulldogs has five players score in double figures, led by Freshman forward Damontae Taylor’s 28 points. SSC guards sophomore Camron Donatlan and freshman Damarco Minor scored 24 and 21 points respectively. Minor also recorded a triple double by dishing out 12 assists while snatching 11 steals. Freshman center Chris Smith scored a career high 14 points for the Bulldogs while grabbing a career high10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum scored 11 points of his own to round out the double digit scorers for SSC.

Black Hawk outrebounded the taller Bulldogs, 32-28.

South Suburban shot 42/73 (57.5%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 13/18 (72.2%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 23/53 (43.4%) from the field, 4/12 (33.3%) from the “3”,and 31/36 (86.1%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to play Saturday afternoon, January 30, with a make-up game against Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL.

BOX SCORE

January 30 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

This rescheduled game was postponed.

The Bulldogs will play at home Tuesday, February 1, 2022 against NJCAA Division 1 Kankakee Community College. Game time is 7:00pm.

February 01 – vs. Kankakee Community College in South Holland, IL

The #1 ranked NJCAA Division II SSC Bulldogs took on the NJCAA Division 1 Kankakee Community College Kougars and dominated from start to finish in a 94-53 victory.

SSC started out with an early 30-10 lead with 7:50 to go in the first half. They went into the halftime break with a 50-20 lead.

The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 6-0 run. However, Kankakee would put together a 12-2 run of their own to cut SSC’s lead to 58-32.

They never got closer as Pigatti’s Bulldogs won the second half 44-33 for the 41-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s 31 points. He filled the stat sheet up as he grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 7 assist, and snatched 4 steals. The Bulldogs had 3 other players score in double figures: freshman guard Damarco Minor (18 pts.), freshman forward Damontae Taylor (15 pts.) and freshman center CJ Smith (10 pts).

SSC won the rebounding battle 48-27.

South Suburban shot 40/82 (48.8%) from the field, 8/28 (28.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 6/13 (46.2%) from the free throw line. Kankakee shot 18/48 (37.5%) from the field, 7/14 (50%) from the “3”, and 10/22 (45.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 20-0 on the season. They play Thursday, February 3 at home verses the junior varsity squad from East West University, a four-year school in Illinois. Game time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

February 03 – vs. East West University JV in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs played the junior varsity squad from East West University and were victorious 103-47. They added this game very quickly due to COVID and weather cancellations.

SSC jumped out early on their visitor by scoring the first 14 points of the game. They actually had a 32-8 lead with 8:00 to go in the first half. East West fought back on trailed 49-25 at halftime.

The second half was not any better for the visitors as SSC continued its scoring spurts while playing aggressive defense in the 56-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Camron Donatlan’s, and freshman forward Damontae Taylor’s 24 points. Donatlan added 10 rebounds as well as snatching 5 steals. Taylor grabbed 6 rebounds while dishing out 6 assists. Three other Bulldogs scored in double figures: Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnedebum scored 12 points, while freshmen guards Damarco Minor and Christian Heffner scored 10 points apiece.

South Suburban dominated the rebounding game 48-25.

SSC shot 42/73 (57.5%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from behind the “3”-pont line, and 13/17 (76.5%) from the free throw line. East West Univ. (JV) shot 16/51 (31.4%) from the field, 4/23 (17.4%) from the “3”, and 11/22 (50%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 21-0 on the season. They head on the road Saturday, February 5th to play a top 10 matchup vs. #9 Milwaukee Area Technical College in Wisconsin. Game time is 2:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 05 – at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, WI

It was a battle of top 10 teams as the #1 Bulldogs invaded #9 Milwaukee Area Tech. The game lived up to its hype as both teams played their hearts out. In the end, the higher ranked SSC was victorious 93-83.

South Suburban struck first as they opened up an early 14-4 lead with 15:00 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 32-18 with 8:00 to go. SSC continued to lead 41-29 with 4:30 to go when the Stormers went on a 14-6 run to close the scoring gap to 47-43 at halftime.

The host team scored the first four points in the second half to tie the game at 47. SSC would then go on a 18-6 scoring run of their own to take a 65-53 lead with 14:00 to go in the game.

Milwaukee Area tech closed the gap, 68-61, with 10:00 to go in the game. SSC went on a 13-3 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 81-64 with 6:20 left. SSC’s sophomore guard Camron Donatlan would score 12 straight points during that scoring spurt for the Bulldogs. He would finish with 24 points (20 in the second half).

Milwaukee Area Tech would get no closer than eight and the Bulldogs left Milwaukee with a 10-point victory.

South Suburban had three other players score in double figures. Freshmen Damontate Taylor and Damarco Minor would score 21 and 20 points respectfully. Sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum would score 16 points (14 in the first half).

South Suburban shot 38/64 (59.4%) from the field, 6/16 (37.5%) from behind the 3-point line, and 11/18 (61.1%) from the free throw line. Milwaukee Area Tech would shoot 29/75 (38.7%) from the field, 3/20 (15%) from the ”3”, and 22/33 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

SSC out rebounded MATC 42-21 despite 20 offensive rebounds from the Stormers.

South Suburban improved to 22-0 on the season and return home Tuesday, February 8th for a 6:00 pm contest vs. Illinois Benedictine University (JV).

BOX SCORE

February 08 – vs. Illinois Benedictine University JV in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned home and played Illinois Benedictine University (JV). This game was added because of the COVID cancellations. Although slated as a JV game, the Eagles brought some varsity players and seniors and gave #1 SSC all they could handle. In the end, SSC won 78-73. It was their first single digit victory of the season. The Bulldogs improved to 23-0 on the season.

Illinois Benedictine started the game out strong as they held their biggest lead at 22-14 with 11:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would rally and take a 39-35 lead into halftime.

SSC started the second half on a 14-5 run and took a 53-40 lead with 15:00 to go in the game.

Benedictine would not fold. They actually cut SSC’s lead to two at 72-70 with just 40 seconds to go. Six straight free throws by Bulldog point guard freshman Damarco Minor sealed the victory for SSC.

Minor led SSC in scoring with 27 points. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan scored 22 points of his own. Freshman forward Damontae Taylor would round out the double digit scored for the Bulldogs a he chipped in 13 points.

South Suburban lost the rebounding battle 35-33.

Pigatti’s squad shot 26/56 (46.4%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from behind the 3-point line, and 22/27 (81.5%) from the free throw line. Illinois Benedictine University shot 26/61 (42/6%) from the field, 11/27 (40.7%) from the “3”, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their short home stand with a game vs. Wilbur Wright College Thursday, February 10th at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 10 – vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

SSC hosted Region IV foe Wilbur Wright College and were victorious 92-38.

The #1 Bulldog starters only led 9-4 with 16:00 to go in the first half.

Coach Pigatti made an adjustment. He went to the bench and subbed the starting five out and the bench came to play. They immediately went on a 14-0 run to help SSC lead 48-11 at halftime.

SSC never looked back as every Bulldog player scored in the game.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman forward Damontae Taylor’s 19 points. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan recorded a double-double as he scored 13 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jordan Wood scored a career high 10 points for the Bulldogs as well. South Suburban shot 39/68 (57.4%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the arch, and 8/12 (66.7%) from the free throw line. The visiting Rams shot 12/57 (21.1%) from the field, 5/19 (26.3%) from the “3”, and 9/17 (52.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban dominated the boards, 51-25.

The Bulldogs head out on the road Saturday, February 12th for a game at Richard Daley College. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 12 – at Richard Daley College in Chicago, IL

The NJCAA Division II #1 ranked Bulldogs took to the road to play NJCAA Division 1 Richard Daley College.

SSC (25-0) dominated from start to finish. They took a 63-17 halftime lead and closed out with a 120-32 victory.

Every Bulldog scored for the second straight game with five scorers in double digits. Freshman Damarco Minor (18pts.) Sophomore Damontae Taylor (16 pts.), Sophomroe Nmesomachi Nnebedum (15 pts.), Sophomore Osiris Atisso (career high 13 pts.) and Freshman Chris Smith (10 points).

South Suburban shot 51/78 (65.4%) from the field, 11/25 (44%) from behind the three-point line, and 7/11 (63.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs play a rescheduled game om Monday, February 14th in Cicero, IL against Morton College. Game time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 14 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

This rescheduled game was cancelled. The Bulldogs play their final regular season home game Tuesday February 15th against another NJCAA Division 1 from Chicago, Harry S. Truman College. Game time is 7:00pm.

February 15 – vs. Harry S. Truman College in South Holland, IL

The #1 ranked NJCAA Division II Bulldogs hosted NJCAA Division I Truman College and won the contest in dominating fashion, 103-39.

SSC started out the game 15-0 and lead 37-2 with 9:00 left to go in the first half and went into halftime with a 60-12 lead.

The second half never got any better for Truman as South Suburban improved to 26-0 on the season.

They finished off the regular season home schedule with a perfect 19-0 record.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum career high 22 points. He was 6/8 from behind the 3-point line. Four other Bulldogs scored in double figures; sophomore forward Damontae Taylor (14 pts.), freshman guard Dominykas Ramonas (career high 14 pts.), sophomore forward Osiri Atisso (11pts.), and sophomore center Cameron Bartmann (10pts.).

South Suburban shot 43/79 (54.4%) from the field, 14/30 (46.7%) from the “3”, and 3/6 (50%) from the free throw line. Truman shot 12/50 (24%) from the field, 4/21 (19%) from the “3”, and 11/15 (73.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban concludes its regular season Saturday, February 19th as they travel north to Milwaukee to take on Bryant & Stratton (WI) College. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 19 – at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee, WI

The #1 Bulldogs concluded the 2021-22 regular season with a road contest at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee. It was a game of runs and SSC had a few more in them as they were victorious 76-61.

The Bulldogs (27-0) finished the regular season undefeated for the first time in school history.

SSC took an early 6-2 lead with 18:00 to go in the first half. Bryant & Stratton’s Bobcats went on a 14-2 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 16-8 with 12:50 to go in the half. South Suburban would proceed to go on a 16-0 run of their own and take a 22-16 lead with 7:35 left. With 4:00 to go, SSC took their biggest lead of the half, 34-22.

However, the Bobcats held SSC scoreless the rest of the half and tied the game at 31-31 at the break.

The second half started with the Bulldogs building a small lead only to have Bryant & Stratton again tie the game at 41 with 13:29 left to go. The Bulldogs would go on a 19-8 run and take 60-49 lead with 7:50 left to go. Bryant & Stratton would get as close as seven at 61-54 with 5:30 left.

South Suburban would close the game out on a 15-7 run for the 15-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco Minor’s 29 points. He would also snatch four steals. SSC’s sophomore guard Camron Donatlan would score 20 points, grabbed a game high 16 rebounds, while dishing out 5 assists. The only other Bulldog to score in double figures was Freshman forward Damontae Taylor. He recorded a double-double as well as he scored 12 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, while snatching 4 steals.

SSC won the rebounding battle 43-28.

South Suburban shot 29/63 (46%) from the field, 4/12 (33.3%) from behind the “3”, and 14-21 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Bryant & Stratton shot 22-60 (36.7%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from the 3-point line, and 14/24 (58.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will now move to post season play as the #1 seed in the District 3 Tournament. They received a first round bye and will play in the Midwest District 3 Semi-Final game Sunday. February 27th at South Suburban College. Tip time is 2:00pm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II MIDWEST DISRICT 3 TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL

February 27th – vs Illinois Valley Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The #1 seeded Bulldogs survived and advanced to the Region IV District 3 Championship Game as the defeated the Eagles of Illinois Valley Community College 68-57 in the Semi-Finals in South Holland.

It was a tight game throughout. SSC jumped out to an early 16-9 lead with 11:40 left to go in the first half. An 8-1 run by Illinois Valley tied the game at 17 with 8:40 to go as the game seesawed back and forth for the rest of the half.

Illinois Valley took its biggest lead of the game, 35-31, with :40 to go and went into the halftime break with a 35-33 lead.

Illinois Valley regained that four point lead at 37-33 as the second half began. SSC took the lead back for good at 40-39 with 18:00 to go and built up a nine point lead at 53-44 with 11:00 to go in the game.

IVCC would get to as close as four points at 59-55 with 4:20 to go, but the Bulldogs held the Eagles to just two points the rest of the way to complete the 11-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Damarco Minor’s 23 points. Sophomores Camron Donatlan (16 pts.) and Nmesomachi Nnebedum (11 pts) would be the only other double digit scored for SSC. Minor would record a double-double as he grabbed 13 rebounds.

The rebounding battle was even as both schools hauled down at 40 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 26/62 (41.9%) from the field, a chilly 4/20 (20%) from behind the 3-point line, and a freezing 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 22/59 (37.3%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the arch, and 9/13 (69.2%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban (28-0) will host Waubonsee Community College in the Region IV District 3 Championship Game on Saturday March 5th in SSC’s Physical Fitness and Athletic Center in South Holland. Tip off is scheduled for 2:00pm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II MIDWEST DISRICT 3 TOURNAMENT TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5th – vs Waubonsee Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The #1 Ranked Bulldogs played in their 15th Region IV Championship game. It was the first time in 16 years that SSC hosted the game. After 39:55 of the a hard fought title game, it down to one final play. Waubonsee missed a shot at the final horn as South Suburban prevailed 74-73, snatching victory from defeat.

The game started with the Bulldogs taking an early 5-0 lead. They extended the lead to 15-6 with 13:52 left to go in the first half. The Chiefs missed a wide open lay-up with ten seconds to go ignited a five point SSC turnaround. Bulldog freshman guard Damarco Minor connected on a made a 3-point basket as time expired to enable South Suburban to take a 40-25 lead into the halftime break.

The second half was a game of scoring runs.

Waubonsee struck first as they opened on a 13-2 run and trailed 42-38 with 15:30 to go. They would pull to within one point at 51-52 with 10:00 to go.

South Suburban would go on a 8-0 run to take a 60-51 lead. Waubonsee answered with a 8-0 run of their own and pull to within two at 61-59 with 6:00 to go. SSC’s sophomore guard Nmesomachi Nnebedum would connect on back to back “3”’s to give the Bulldogs a 67-59 lead with 5:00 to go.

With 2:00 to go in the game, SSC took a 74-66 lead but would not score a basket the rest of the way. Suffering from shooting woes of their own, The Bulldogs even missed the front ends of a pair of one-and-one free throw opportunities, which allowed Waubonsee to have a chance to win the game.

The visitors grabbed the rebound from the missed Bulldog free-throw and Waubonsee’s Dreavon Brown throw up a buzzer-beater from just behind the arch. The shot bounced off the rim as the Bulldogs claimed their 12th Region IV title during the 16 seasons of Coach John Pigatti’s tenure at South Suburban College. The victory capped an undefeated regular season (29-0) for South Suburban.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Minor’s 29 points. They would have two other players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan recorded a double-double as he scored 14 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Freshman Damontae Taylor would score 12 points as well for the Bulldogs.

Waubonsee won the rebounding battle 42-36.

SSC shot 29/68 (42.6%) from the field, 11/22 (50%) from the “3”, and were a chilly 5/15 (38.5%) from the free throw line, going 0/5 from the free throw line in the second half. Waubonsee shot 29/65 (44.6%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line.

Minor was named Tournament MVP. Donatlan and Taylor were named to the All-Tournament Team. Pigatti was named Region IV Midwest District-A Coach-of-the-Year, his 12th Coach-of-the-Year award while at SSC.

The Bulldogs qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament which will be held March 15th-19th at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

March 16th – #16 Florida Gateway College vs #1 South Suburban College

In following with the National and State Pandemic Guidelines, The NJCAA decided to start the 2020-21 Men’s and Women’s Basketball schedule in January of 2021 with no spectators. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs started the shortened season playing their home games at the Athletic & Physical Fitness Center on campus. A few weeks into the season, South Suburban College’s Athletic & Physical Fitness Center became a community COVID Testing site and would no longer be available for sport events. It was then decided that both the SSC Basketball teams would play the remainder of their 2021 home schedule at the SOUTHLAND CENTER in Lynwood, IL. without fans being present.

January 30 – at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL

The #1 Ranked Bulldogs took to the road for their first game of the season as they prevailed over the host team, Danville Area Community College, 69-67 in overtime.

SSC had been in a two-week COVID Lockdown and only practiced a few days before their game in Danville. It showed in the first half. SSC shot a dismal 30% from the field, trailing by as many as 14-points in the first half. They went into the halftime break with a 30-19 deficit.

The Bulldogs opened up the second half on a 7-0 run but the Jaguars did not flinch. They extended their lead to 39-26 with 15:10 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then get back to back 3-point baskets from sophomore guard Ishmael Martin to cap off an 8-0 run and SSC only trailed 39-34 with 14:00 to go.

South Suburban would then tie the game at 56 with 2:34 to go on sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s basket. SSC actually took a 58-56 lead with 1:00 to go. Danville would proceed to make two free throws to tie the game.

The Bulldogs would have two chances to win the game in regulation, but did not convert on any of them. The game went into overtime tied at 58.

SSC would take a 66-60 lead with 2:00 to go in the overtime, only to hold off a late Danville surge for the 2-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Washington who filled up the stat sheet. He would score 25 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, block 6 shots, snatch 4 steals, and dish out 4 assists. Martin would score a career high 19 points.

The only other Bulldog who scored in double figures was sophomore Courtney Fields (12 points). South Suburban shot 26/62 (38.7%) from the field, 9/22 (41%) from behind the “3” point line, and were 12/18 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Danville shot 20/52 (38.5%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the “3”, and 24/29 (82.8%) from the free throw line.

Danville out rebounded the Bulldogs 41-36.

#1 South Suburban is now 1-0 on the season as they start the home portion of the schedule Monday night, February 2nd, vs. the JV squad of Trinity Christian College. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 2 – vs. Trinity Christian College JV in South Holland, IL

The #1 Ranked Bulldogs opened their home slate of games with a resounding 101-53 victory over Trinity Christian University Junior Varsity.

The game was close at 7-5 with 16:00 to go in the first half. SSC went on a 31-3 run to take a 38-8 lead with 7:00 to go in the first half. Then Trinity closed the half on a 20-11 run to cut the Bulldogs lead 49-28 at the half.

South Suburban owned the Trolls from then on. The Dogs would increase their lead every minute of the second half and took their biggest lead of the game, 95-43, with 1:30 to go in the game. They improved to 2-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 35 points and 15 rebounds. He also had 6 steals. Sophomore Tyronn Mosley and Courtney Fields would be the only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs as the scored 14 and 13 points respectfully. Fields would record his first double/double at South Suburban as he grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs out rebounded Trinity Christian 52-31.

South Suburban shot 38/78 (48.7%) from the field, 7/27 from behind the “3” point line, and were 18/22 from the free throw line. Trinity Christian JV shot 21/56 (37.5%) from the field, 3/19 (15.8%) from the “3”, and 8/15 (53.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban next game is this Thursday, February 4th, vs. The Bosco Institute, a prep school out of Crown Point, Indiana. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 4 – vs. St. John Bosco Institute (IN) in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted a very powerful prep school from northwest Indiana, The Bosco Institute. The game was close throughout and there were 16 lead changes and 10 ties. The biggest lead was 6 points by any team throughout the game, but in the end South Suburban survived with a 76-73 victory.

#1 ranked South Suburban improved to 3-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by recently named NJCAA National Player of the Week; sophomore guard, Deshawndre Washington. He scored 29 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked 4 shots, snatched 5 steals, and dished out four assists. Sophomore forward Chance Love scored 15 points of his own while grabbing eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Ishmael Martin was the only other Bulldogs to score in double figures as we chipped in 11 points while dishing out three assists.

The Bulldogs shot a chilling 24/75 (32%) from the field, 6/17 (35.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and were 23/30 (73.3%) form the free throw line. The Bosco Institute shot 26/75 (40%) from the field, 8/22 (36.4%) from the “3”, and 13/18 (72.2%) from the free throw line.

The Bosco Institute out rebounded the Bulldogs 49-48. However SSC’s defense forced 21 Bosco turnovers.

The Bulldogs return to action this Monday, February 8th. They will host the reigning #1 team in the country from last year, Milwaukee Area Technical College from Wisconsin. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 8 – vs. Milwaukee (WI) Area Technical College in Lynwood, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs hosted the 2019-20 #1 team in the country Milwaukee Area Tech. The game was played, as will all remaining home games for the 2021 season, at the Southland Rec Center in Lynwood, IL. The South Suburban athletics facility is being used for a COVID-19 vaccine site.

The game was as advertised with two #1 ranked teams. The game had 13 lead changes, and was tied 11 times. However, in the end the Bulldogs prevailed 69-68.

The game was tight from the beginning. Neither team held more than a 7-point lead. SSC led 31-24 with 3:00 left to go in the first half.

Milwaukee Area Tech would go on a 8-2 run to close the half and the Bulldogs led 33-32.

Milwaukee would take a 43-38 lead with 13:30 to go in the game. SSC would respond with a 18-6 run and take a 56-49 lead with 9:00 to go. Milwaukee Area Teach would then go on a 10-2 run of their own to take a 59-58 lead with 5:00 to go. SSC would regain the lead until Milwaukee Area tech made a three point basket with :21 to go to take a 68-67 lead.

South Suburban’s sophomore forward Chance Love would rebound a missed shot with :11 to go. He made the lay-up but missed the free throw to give SSC the 69-68 lead. South Suburban’s sophomore G/F Demarius Byrd would block a last second “3”-pont shot by Milwaukee Area Tech to seal the victory for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 28 points. He also grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked 3 shots and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore’s Ishmael Martin and Tyronn Mosley would be the only other double digit scorers for SSC. They scored 12 and 11 points respectfully. Mosley would record a double/double (his second as a Bulldogs) as he grabbed 10 rebounds.

South Suburban and Milwaukee Area Tech tied in the rebounding category with 54 rebounds each.

South Suburban shot a chilling percentage in their new home. They shot 30/86 (34.9%) from the field, 3/16 (33.3%) from behind the “3”-pont line, and a horrible 6/18 (33.3%) from the free throw line. Milwaukee Area Tech shot 23/67 (34.3%) from the field, 2/19 (10.5%) from the “3”, and 20/34 (58.8%) from the free throw line. South Suburban improved to 4-0 on the season.

Their Thursday evening contest vs. Trinity Christian (JV) was canceled due to COVID protocol in the Trinity Christian program. They return to the Southland Rec Center on Sunday, February 14th, with a 2:00pm tip vs. Bay College in Michigan.

BOX SCORE

February 14 – vs. Bay College (MI) in Lynwood, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs playing their second game at their new home, The Southland Center as they hosted Bay College from Escanaba, MI. The foul prone Norse were defeated by the Bulldogs 94-52.

Bay Collège had no answers for South Suburban’s game plan. They committed 29 fouls in the game as it seemed every time SSC drove to the basket, they were fouled. The Bulldogs shot 43 free throw’s in the game.

However, the game did start out slow as both teams struggled early to make baskets. SSC didn’t even make its first field goal of the game until 5:00 into it. The Bulldogs slowly built a 41-28 lead.

The second half was a different story. The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 24-9 run and took a commanding 65-37 lead with 10:00 left to go in the game. They would cruise to the 42-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 19 points. He also grabbed 17 rebounds. He dished out 7 assists and snatched 3 steals. It was his 5th straight game recording a double/double. Sophomores Chance Love, Ishmael Martin, and Demarius Byrd would also score in double figures as they chipped in 18, 18 and 10 points respectfully. Freshman Anthony Mabon recorded career highs in scoring (15) and rebounds (5).

South Suburban dominated the boards as they held a 58-37 advantage. They would also force 24 turnovers.

South Suburban shot a chilling 28/75 (37.3%) from the field, 8/22 (36.4%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 30/43 (69.8%) from the free throw line. Bay College shot 18/58 (31%) from the field, 2/25 (16%) from the “3”, and 12/24 (50%) from the free throw line.

Pigatti’s Bulldogs improved to 5-0 on the season. They play NJCAA Division 1 #15 Triton College this Tuesday, February 16th at the Southland Center. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 16 – vs. Triton College in Lynwood, IL

The Game was touted as one of the best games in the country; as two nationally ranked teams squared off at the Southland Center (temporary home of the Bulldogs). The NJCAA Division II #1 ranked South Suburban Bulldogs hosted NJCAA Division 1 #15 Triton College. The game did not disappoint but in the end Triton came out with the 67-62 victory.

The game was tight throughout the first half. Triton led SSC 26-24 with 4:00 left to go in the first half. Triton would proceed to go on a 14-2 run to close out the half with a 40-26 lead.

The second half was one for the ages.

South Suburban opened on a 5-0 run, but that did not last. Triton actually took its biggest lead of the game at 48-33 with 15:30 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs would continue to chip away at the lead and actually pulled within one at 58-57 with 3:25 to go. SSC would have several chances to take the lead but it’s poor shooting night hurt that come back bid. Triton took a 65-62 lead with :11 to go.

SSC’s sophomore forward Tyronn Mosely drove down the court and pulled up for a “3”-point shot to tie the game. His shot was just short and Triton held on for the victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by stat-filling sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington. He scored a game high 28 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, dished out 7 assist, and snatched 4 steals. Mosely was the only other Bulldog who scored in double figures as he chipped in 14 points of his own. South Suburban shot a chilling 25/72 (34.7%) from the field, 5/25 (20%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 7/9 (77.8%) from the free throw line. Triton shot 24/60 (40%) from the field, 7/15 (46.7%) from the “3”, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line.

Triton won the battle of the boards 45-35.

South Suburban falls to 5-1 on the season. They return to the Southland Center this Friday, February 19th with a NJCAA Region IV contest vs. Bryant & Stratton College from Milwaukee, WI. Tip time is 5:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 19 – vs. Bryant & Stratton College (WI) in Lynwood, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs played Bryant & Stratton College from Milwaukee, WI. a rare Friday afternoon game at the Southland Center. However, the Bulldogs played like they have never played a Friday afternoon matinee in the first half. They prevailed 77-69 in overtime in the end.

The first half started out nip and tuck. SSC trailed Bryant & Stratton (WI) 15-13 with 12:00 to go in the first half. Bryant & Stratton would go on a 24-11 run and take a 39-24 lead with 5:00 to go. The Bulldogs would trail 44-31 at halftime.

The second half did not start out much better for the Bulldogs. They trailed 56-40 with 11:30 to go in the game. They would still trail 67-55 with 1:55 to go in the game.

Then SSC got their defense intensity to where it should of been earlier in the game. They reeled off eight straight points by snatching a few steals, and tied the game at 67 with just under a minute to go. No one scored during the rest of regulation and the game went to an extra 5:00 period.

The Bulldogs would only give up two points in the overtime as they improved their record to 6-1 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 25 points. He would also grab 17 rebounds for his 7th straight double double this season. He also dished out 4 assists and blocked 3 shots. Sophomore Courtney Fields also recorded a double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomores Ishamel Martin, Tyronn Mosely and Demarius Byrd would score in double digits as well. They scored 11, 10, 10 points respectfully.

South Suburban out rebounded Bryant & Stratton 46-35.

SSC shot 26/66 (39.4% ) from the field, 3/17 (17.6%) from behind the “3” point line, and 22/30 (73.3%) from the free throw line. Bryant & Stratton shot 27/71 (38%) from the field, 9/21 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 6/9 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban completes it extended home stand at the Southland Center this Sunday, February 21st when they play the International Sports Academy, a prep school out of Cleveland, Ohio. Game time is 6:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

February 21 – vs. International Sports Academy (OH) in Lynwood, IL

Coach Pigatti’s squad hosted the International Sports Academy, a prep school from Cleveland, Ohio, in a rare Sunday evening contest. They took a double digit lead in the middle of the first half and never looked back as the #1 Bulldogs won 93-80 to improve to 7-1 on the season.

The game was nip and tuck early. It was actually still tied at 21 with 10:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would go on a 22-5 run and take their biggest lead of the half at 43-26 with 3:00 to go.

They would go into the halftime break with a 51-35 lead.

The second half was one where the Bulldogs just kept their double digit lead throughout. SSC biggest lead was at 70-51 with 11:45 to go in the game and they would cruise to the 13-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Tyronn Mosely’s career high 22 points. Sophomore Deshawndre Washington continued his streak of double/doubles as he has recorded one in every game this season (20 points and 14 rebounds.) Sophomores Courtney Fields and Demarius Byrd scored 15 and 12 points respectfully. Freshman guard Joel Webb recorded a career high in points (11) and rebounds (6) for the Bulldogs. SSC shot 34/74 (45.9%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 21/31 (67.7%) from the free throw line. The International Sports Academy shot 30/70 (42.9%) from the field, 9/25 (36%) from the “3”, and 11/21 (52.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 45-35.

The Bulldog will now head out on the road for two games this week. They open their road trip with a game at NJCAA Division 1 Highland Community College. Highland had been to the NJCAA Division 1 National Championship Tourney nine times in the last 14 years. The game will be this Thursday, February 25th. Game time is 6:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 25 – at Highland Community College in Freeport, IL

The NJCAA Division II top ranked Bulldogs took to the road for the first time in the month of February. The stop was Freeport, IL where they faced NJCAA Division 1 powerhouse Highland Community College. The Bulldogs did not put together a full 40-minute effort and were beaten soundly 76-53.

SSC played toe-to-toe with Highland for the first 12:00 of the game. The game was tied 23-23 with 8:00 to go in the first half. Highland would proceed to go on a 19-11 run to end the half, leading 42-34 at halftime.

The second half was a disaster for the Bulldogs. SSC could not make a basket and Highland would go on a 26-11 run and take their biggest lead 67-43 with 6:00 to go in the game.

The rest was history as SSC took their second worst defeat in the 15 years that Coach John Pigatti has been at South Suburban College.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 18 points. He also kept his perfect double/double streak alive this year as he grabbed 15 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chance Love also recorded a double]double for the Bulldogs as he scored 14 points while grabbing 15 rebounds.

Highland won the rebounding battle 38-35.

South Suburban shot a chilling 23/63 (36.5%) from the field, 2/15 (13.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 5/10 (50%) from the free throw line. Highland shot 31/67 (46.3%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from the “3”, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line.

SSC falls to 7-2 on the season. They continue their road swing this Saturday, February 27th with a Region IV match-up at Morton College in Cicero, IL. Tip is 1:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 27 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

The Bulldogs continued their road trip with a bounce back 79-74 win at Morton College in a Region IV matchup.

South Suburban came out strong in the first half and built a 19-point lead. They went into the halftime break with a 42-26 lead.

The second half was a different story. Morton opened the half on a 21-5 run to tie the game at 47 with 12:50 to go. SSC would then get their offense back on track. They would take a 65-55 lead with 6:00 to go in the game. Morton would chip away at the lead and pull to with in three at 77-74 with :07 to go. SSC’s sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington would rebound his own missed free throw and put it back in the basket to seal the victory for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban improved to 8-2 on the year.

Washington led the Bulldogs in scoring with 29 points. He would also grab 15 rebounds. The other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore guards Ishmael Martin and Markese who would score 16 and 10 points respectfully.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 39-31.

SSC shot 33/63 (52%) from the field, 5/12 (41.6%) from behind the arc, and 8/13 (61.5%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 26/51 (51%) from the field, 8/19 (42.1%) from the “3”, and 14/18 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return to the Southland Center this Tuesday, March 2nd as they play the Judson University Junior Varsity squad from Elgin, IL. at 5:00pm.

BOX SCORE

March 2 – vs. Judson University JV in Lynwood, IL

The #4 ranked Bulldogs hosted the Judson University JV squad and cruised to a 97-68 victory.

They broke open the lead in the middle of the first half and took a 54-34 lead into halftime. They were never challenged in the second half and actually took their biggest lead of 95-61 with 2:00 to go in the game.

The victory improves the Bulldogs record to 9-2 on the season.

South South Suburban was led in scoring and rebounding by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington. He has recorded a double/double in every game he has played in this season. In this game he scored a career high 40 points while grabbing a career high 21 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore guard Ishmael Martin. He scored 16 points while dishing out 4 assists.

SSC shot 36/76 (47.4%) from the field, 2/8 (25%) from behind the 3-point line, and 23 out of 28 (82.1%) from the free throw line. Judson University shot 23/57 (40.4%) from the field, 5/16 (31.3%) from the “3”, and 17/28 (60.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return to action this Thursday, March 4th at Triton College in River Grove, IL. The Trojans are ranked #12 in NJCAA Division 1. Game time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

March 4 – at Triton College in River Grove, IL

The NJCAA Division 2 #4 ranked Bulldogs went into Triton College, the NJCAA Division 1 ranked team, to try and amend an earlier loss to the #12 Trojans. The game did not go as planned for the Bulldogs as they hung tough in a 88-76 loss to Triton.

SSC had four scholarships cut this year and are trying to play against top tier junior college teams.

The Bulldogs got down early and trailed 44-32 at half time. They would chip at the Triton lead and cut the lead to 4 points with a little over 3:00 to go in the game. However, Triton did not falter and the they handed the Bulldogs their 3rd loss of the season.

SSC is now 9-3 on the year.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshanwdre Washington’s 20 points. He continued his perfect streak of double/double games as he grabbed 14 rebounds as well. South Suburban had two other players score in double digits, as sophomore forwards Courtney Fields, and Tyronn Mosely scored 19 and 12 points respectfully.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle against the taller and more athletic Triton team 36-35.

South Suburban shot 32/65 (49.2%) from the field, 9/17 (52.9%) from behind the 3-point line, and were only 3 out of 6 (50%) from the free throw line.

Triton shot 34/57 (59.6%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from the “3”, and 16/24 (66.7%)from the free throw line.

South Suburban play at their new home court for the 2021 season, the Southland Center, when they play the junior varsity team from Aurora University on Wednesday (March 10th) afternoon at 4:00 pm.

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March 10 – vs. Aurora University JV in Lynwood, IL

The #5 ranked Bulldogs coming off a tough loss at Triton College got back on the winning ways as they defeated the junior varsity squad of Aurora University, 122-75.

The Bulldogs who played with the most emotion they have had all year, jumped out to a 40-9 lead and never looked back, taking a 60-28 lead into the halftime. The second half saw little playing time for the Bulldog starters while the bench took over from there.

Sophomore Deshawndre Washington led the Bulldogs in scoring with 29 points. Freshman forward Grant Hall scored a career high 20 points. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore Courtney Fields, 14 pts., and a career high 14 points from sophomore guard Devante Hughley.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 50-19.

SSC shot 44 out of 72 (61.1%) from the field, 6 of 12 (50%) from behind the three-point line, and 28/34 (82.4%) from the free throw line. Aurora University shot 27/57 (47.45) from the field, 5/13 (38.5%) from the “3” and 16/18 (88.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban next game is a Region IV match-up at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. The game is this Saturday, March 13th. Tip time is 2:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

March 13 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

The #5 Bulldogs traveled to Galesburg, Il for a Region IV matchup against Carl Sandburg College. Despite the host’s hot shooting, the Bulldogs prevailed 85-75. Carl Sandburg made more three-point field goals than two-pointers in the game, but could not overcome the Bulldogs.

The Chargers started out the game on a 4-0 run. SSC countered with a 9-0 run of their own and never relinquished the lead after that and went into the halftime break with a 44-32 lead.

They extended the lead to 51-34 with 14:00 to go, but Carl Sandburg’s hot shooting from the “3” pulled them to within 9 points at 58-49 with 12:00 to go. SSC extended their lead to 78-60 with 4:00 left and hung on for the ten point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 27 points. He has recorded a double/double in every game this season as he grabbed 16 rebounds. Another Bulldog sophomore forward Chance Love also recorded a double/double as he scored 11 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Three more Bulldogs scored in double figures. Sophomores Tyronn Mosley and Courtney Fields scored 14 points apiece, and sophomore guard William Washington scored 12 points of his own.

SSC won the rebounding battle 46-23.

South Suburban shot 30/65 (46.2%) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from the “3”, and 18-24 (75%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 27/62 (43.5%) from the field, a sizzling 15/29 (51.7%) from the “3”,and 6/12 (50%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 11-3 on the season. They return home to the Southland Center this Tuesday, March 16th, for a game verses Morton College. Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

March 16 – vs. Morton College in Lynwood, IL

The # 5 ranked Bulldogs returned to the Southland Center for a big Region IV matchup vs. Morton College. The Bulldogs completed the season sweep of Morton with a 68-59 victory.

The game was tight throughout, and SSC led 30-26 at the half. In the second half, the Bulldogs extended the lead to 63-50 with 3:00 to go and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshanwdre Washington’s 21 points, 17 of those points came in the second half. Sophomore forward Chance Love recorded a double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 16 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures. Sophomores Markese Hill and Courtney Fields scored 12 points apiece.

Morton won the rebounding battle 42-34 as they crashed the offensive glass for 16 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 28 of 56 (50%) from the field. They did not make a three-point shot (0/9), and were 12/19 (63.2%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 23/70 (32.9%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the ”3”, and 10/15 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 12-3 on the season. They head out of the road this Thursday, March 18th, for a 7:30 tip at Kankakee Community College.

BOX SCORE

March 18 – at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

The Bulldogs, ranked #5 in NJCAA Division II, traveled to Kankakee Community College and won their first game of the year against a Division I opponent, 90-87.

Kankakee led for the entire first half until SSC’s sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington hit a three-point basket as time expired to tie the game at 36 at halftime.

South Suburban opened the second half on a 20-10 run and led by as much as 15 points in the second half. Kankakee made several three-point baskets late in the game to pull within 3 points.

The bigger NJCAA Division 1 team Kankakee won the battle of the boards 34-31.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Washington’s 34 points. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chance Love scored a career high 23 points and grabbed 9 rebound for SSC as well. Two other sophomores scored in double digits for the Bulldogs: Tyronn Mosely (14 points), and Courtney Fields (13 points all in the second half).

South Suburban shot 32/58 (55.2%) from the field, 4/9 (44.4%) from the “3” and 22/31 (71%) from the free throw line. Kankakee shot 32/66 (48.5%) from the field, 9/27 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 14/22 (63.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 13-3 on the season. They return to the Southland Center this Saturday for a noon tip verses Region IV foe Carl Sandburg College.

BOX SCORE

March 20 – vs. Carl Sandburg College in Lynwood, IL

The #5 ranked Bulldogs took on the Carl Sandburg Chargers for the second straight Saturday. The results were the same… a Bulldogs victory 91-78. But the games were totally different in nature.

In the first game, Carl Sandburg made more three-point shots (15) than two-pointers (14). This game they only made six three-point shots, but made 23 two pointers.

The Bulldogs were short handed with two players out due to sickness, sophomore forward Tyronn Mosely and freshman guard Joel Webb. NO, they did not have COVID.

The game was played very tightly from the onset. South Suburban grew a 10-point (45-35) lead at halftime.

Carl Sandburg would cut the Bulldog lead to six at 70-64 with 7:30 to go in the game. However, South Suburban would hit a few three-point shots to extend their lead, going on an 8-0 run, and finish with a double digit victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guards Deshawndre Washington’s 33 points. He also grabbed 15 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chance Love scored 22 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs had two other players score in double figures, sophomores Demarius Byrd (11 points), and Markese Hill (10 points).

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 44-28.

SSC shot 37/78 (47.4%0 from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 11/18 (61.1%) from the free throw line. The Chargers shot 29/56 (51.8%) from the field, 6/11 (54.5%) from beyond the arc and 14/16 (87.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 14-3 on the season. They play their final regular season home game at the Southland Center this Wednesday March 24th against Illinois Preparatory Academy. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

March 24 – vs. Illinois Preparatory Academy in Lynwood, IL

The #3 Bulldogs played their last game at The Southland Center, their home away from home this season. They played one of their best games of the season and were victorious 103-59 over Illinois Prep.

The game started out slow but the Bulldogs picked up the defensive intensity and took a 49-31 lead into the half time break.

Illinois Prep never got any closer, and the Bulldogs kept extending their lead until the final buzzer sounded and the 44-point margin of victory was their largest lead of the night.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 28 points. He also recorded a double/double as he grabbed 15 rebounds. He also dished out 4 assists and blocked 4 shots. Washington currently leads the country in scoring and rebounding, as a guard.

SSC had another player record a double/double as sophomore forward Chance Love scored 16 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. South Suburban had 2 other players score in double figures. Sophomores Courtney Fields and Markese Hill scored 13 and 10 points respectfully.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 45-28.

The Bulldogs shot 39/72 (54.2%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from behind the “3”-point line, and were 20/27 (74.1%) from the free throw line. Illinois Prep shot 21/59 (35.6%) from the field, 7/24 (29.2%) from the “3”, and 10/18 (55.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 15-3 on the season. They head out on the road for their final two games of the regular season as they play a Top-15 match up at #14 Spoon River College in Canton, IL Saturday, March 27th. Tip time is 1:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

March 27 – at Spoon River College in Canton, IL

The #3 Bulldogs took to the road for their NJCAA Division II Top 15 matchup at #14 Spoon River. SSC were not up for the challenge as they were defeated 73-66 and dropped their record to 15-4 on the season.

SSC actually started out fine as they took a 21-12 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half. They kept that 9-point lead (24-15) until the 7:30 mark of the first half when Spoon River would go on a 17-6 run and close the half with a 32-30 lead.

South Suburban started the second half aggressively on the offensive end, but could only convert 2 out of 5 free throws and could not take the lead. Spoon River would up the lead to 60-47 with 6:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then go on a 15-5 run of their own and close the gap to three at 65-62 with 1:50 to go. Spoon River would then make one of the 3 three-pont shots made in the game to up the lead to six and never look back.

South Suburban as led in scoring by sophomore Deshawndre Washington’s 27 points. He would be the only Bulldog to make a three-point shot in the game. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked 5 shots. Only two other Bulldogs scored in double figures were sophomores Tyronn Mosely and Chance Love scored 13, and 12 points respectfully.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle by a narrow 35-34 margin.

SSC shot 24/52 (46.2$%) from the field, 3/8 (37.5%) from the “3”, and 15/25 (60%) from the free throw line. Spoon River shot 26/62 (41.9%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the “3”, and 18/25 (72%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finishes the regular season portion of the schedule Wednesday, March 31st with a match up with the always tough Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Tip time is 5:00pm.

BOX SCORE

March 31 – at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL.

The #5 Bulldogs concluded their 2020-21 regular season with a road contest at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL. Moraine Valley just started playing games this past month as a club team this year, but the game counts as a regular season contest for SSC.

It was a hard fought battle, but in the end SSC prevailed 77-71 to finish with a 16-4 regular season record.

The game went back and forth with both team having several scoring runs. South Suburban took a 35-32 lead into the halftime break.

Moraine Valley opened up the second half on fire and took a 6 point lead. South Suburban battled back and actually led by nine with 2:00 to go. The victory allows the Bulldogs to head into the Region IV playoffs as the #1 seed.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington’s 31 points. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 8 assists, snatched 4 steals and blocked 4 shots. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures; sophomore forwards Chance Love and Tyronn Mosley scored 13 and 11 points respectfully. South Suburban shot 28-62 (41.9%) from the field, a chilling 1/16 (6.3%) from behind the three-point line, and 24/33 (72.7%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley did not keep their statistics.

SSC opens Region IV tournament play Wednesday, April 7th at 5:30pm vs. Carl Sandburg College. The game will be played at Triton College. This is the 11th time in 15 seasons that South Suburban has been the #1 seed in the Region IV tournament during Coach John Pigatti’s fifteen seasons at the helm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV MIDWEST TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL

April 7th – vs Carl Sandburg College at Triton College in River Grove, IL.

The #1 seeded Bulldogs opened Region IV tournament play with a 87-66 semi-final victory over Carl Sandburg College. It was the third meeting between the two teams in less than a month.

Carl Sandburg jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Bulldogs offense gained momentum as they took a lead of 36-27 with six minutes left in the first half.

The Chargers closed out the first half on a 15-8 run, leaving SSC with a two-point lead at halftime, 44-42.

The game would stay close in the opening minutes of the second half, SSC led by 7 (58-51) with 12:00 to play in regulation. The Bulldogs took control of the contest with a 25-11 scoring run, leading 83-62, with 2:00 left.

Bulldog forward, Deshawndre Washington, the nation’s leading scorer would only tally eight points, but he had plenty of help from teammates, as the Bulldogs had five players score in double digits.

Sophomores Tyronn Mosley and Chance Love had 19 points apiece, while Sophomores Markese Hill and Demarius Byrd had 14 and 10 points respectively. Freshman Anthony Mabon netted 11 points.

SSC shot 39 for 71 (54.9%) from the field, 3 for 17 (17.6%) from behind the “3” point line, and 6 for 13 (46.2%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 23 for 57 (40.4%) from the field, 6 for 23 (26.1%) from the “3”, and 14 for 19 (73.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 37-34.

The Bulldogs are now 17-4 on the season and have advanced to play Bryant & Stratton (WI) in the NJCAA Division II Region IV Championship Game on Friday April 9th. Tip off at 7:00 P.M. at Triton College in River Grove, IL.

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NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV MIDWEST TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

April 9th – vs Bryant & Stratton (WI) at Triton College in River Grove, IL.

The top seeded Bulldogs played in their 14th Regional Championship game during Head Coach John Pigatti’s 15 seasons at the helm. They came out with their 11th Regional Championship with a 84-69 victory over Bryant & Stratton College.

SSC led 19-15 with 8:00 to go in the first half. Bryant & Stratton would close the first half strong and take a 36-35 lead into the halftime break.

In the outset of the second half, the Bulldogs outscored Bryant & Stratton 25-8, leading 60-44 with 10 minutes left to play in the game. SSC never relinqueshed that lead and settled for a 15 point victory.

Two Bulldog players recorded a double-double, DeShawndre Washington had 31 points and 13 rebounds, as well as sophomore Chance Love, who had 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Sophomore Tyronn Mosley would be the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he chipped in 15 points.

SSC shot 30 for 60 (50%) from the field, only 1 for 6 (16.7%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 21 for 31 (67.7%) from the free throw line. Bryant & Stratton shot 27 for 71 (38%) from the field, 5 for 16 (31.3%) from the “3”, and 12 for 18 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban out rebounded Bryant & Stratton 40 to 30.

With the victory, South Suburban improved their record to 18-4, and qualify for the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament, which we be held April 20th through April 24th, 2021 at the Mary Miller Center on the Campus of Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

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NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

The Men’s Basketball Team participated in the 2021 NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Danville, IL. The Bulldogs placed 8th. Sophomore guard Deshawndre Washington was named to the NJCAA Division Ii All-Tournament Team.

On Tuesday, April 20th, the first day of the tournament, the #3 Bulldogs were defeated by #14 Henry Ford College from Michigan, 67-58.

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On the 22nd, the Bulldogs rebounded with an exciting win against North Central Missouri College, 85-83.

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The next day, the Bulldogs continued their winning ways as they defeated Southeast Community College (NE), 77-74.

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However, the winning streak was stopped Saturday as SSC was defeated in the 7th place game by Southern Arkansas University Tech, 66-63.

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If you are interested in recaps of past Bulldogs’ seasons, go to our Men’s Basketball Recap Archive web page.

November 2 – vs. the Basketball Club of Northwestern University in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs opened the 2019-20 season with a 129-66 victory over Northwestern University (Club). The Bulldogs were a little sluggish to start the season as Northwestern took an early 6-2 lead.

After several substitutions by 14th year Head Coach John Pigatti, the Bulldogs woke up. They went on a 19-3 run to take a 21-9 lead.

They went into halftime leading 63-27. They never looked back after that.

The Bulldogs only dressed nine players and all nine scored.

Courtney Carter recorded a first for Coach Pigatti. He recorded a quadruple double as he scored a career high 34 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and snatched 10 steals. SSC’s sophomore forward Roland Austin recorded a double/double of his own as he scored a career high 26 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Other Bulldogs that scored in double digits were: sophomores Joffari Brown and Darien Stewart (career high). They scored 18 and 14 points respectfully. Freshman guard Andre Dickerson recorded a career high as he scored 16 points of his own for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban shot 57/88 (64.8%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from behind the ”3”-point line, and 9/10 (90%) from the free throw line. Northwestern Univ. (Club) shot 24/59 (40.7%) from the field, 4/17 (23.5%) from the “#”, and 14/21 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

SSC won the rebounding battle 41-28.

South Suburban opens 1-0 on the early season. They travel for two road games this week. They play at Wright College on Tuesday, November 5th at 7:00pm.

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November 5 – at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL

SSC traveled up to “The City” to play one of the City Colleges of Chicago, beating the Wilbur Wright College Rams, 101-60.

The Bulldogs trailed early 8-2 but then went on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good at the 16:00 mark of the first half.

They took an 46-32 lead into the half time break.

They outscored the hosts 55-28 in the second half for the 101-60 victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Joffari Brown’s career high 27 points. The Bulldogs had five players score in double digits. Sophomores Courtney Carter, Darien Stewart scored 16 points each. Sophomores Malcolm Bell, and Tariq Deere scored 13 and 11 points respectfully for SSC.

South Suburban shot 36/68 (52.9%) from the field, 4/11 (36.4%) from behind the “3” point line, and were 25/37 (67.6%) from the free throw line. Wright shot 18/62 (29%) from the field, 1/15 (6%) from the “3”, and 23/36 (63.9%) from the free throw line. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 47-38. Sophomore guard Tariq Deere dished out 6 assist in the game without turning the ball over.

South Suburban’s defense created 27 Wright turnovers.

The Bulldogs improve to 2-0 on the season. They continue their road trip this Thursday (November 7th) as they travel to Elgin Community College for a 7:00pm tip.

BOX SCORE

November 7 – at Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL

The Bulldogs ended their two game early season road trip with an 86-80 loss to the Spartans of Elgin Community College.

SSC lead by as many as 18 points in the second half. However, discipline problems and insubordination caught up to the Bulldogs. Head Coach John Pigatti, removed sophomore guard Courtney Carter from the game with 7:00 to go. The Bulldogs could not stop the Spartan run and lost their first game of the season.

The game opened favorably for the Bulldogs. They took and early 6-0 lead. SSC extended the lead 38-26 with 1:21 to go in the half when Elgin went on a 6-2 run, making a 3-point shot at the buzzer to close the first half. SSC led 40-32 at the break.

The second half started out well for SSC. The Bulldogs took their biggest lead of the game at 57-39 with 13:33 to go in the game. With a 70-63 lead and 5:00 to go, SSC then gave up 23 points in the last 5:00 of the game which led to their defeat.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomores Malcolm Bell and Joffari Brown who scored 19 points each. Bell recorded a double-double as he grabbed 10 rebounds. Carter scored 15 points and sophomore guard Tariq Deere rounded out the double digit scoring for the Bulldogs as he chipped in 13 points. Elgin was led by sophomore guard Kelvin Cortez-Harvey. He scored a career high 46 points to lead the host to victory. SSC shot 28/51 (55%) from the field, a dismal 2/12 (17%) from behind the “3” point line, and 18/23 (78%) from the free throw line. Elgin shot a sizzling 21/30 (70%) from the field, 7/21 (33%) from the “3”, and 28/31 (74%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 35-26.

The Bulldogs fall to 2-1 on the season. They return home next week for three straight home games. The first one is Tuesday, November 12 vs. Waubonsee Community College. Tip off is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 12 – vs. Waubonsee Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs were trying to bounce back from a tough defeat last week. The loss at Elgin, the first lost in November for a Coach Pigatti Bulldog team since 2012, dropped the Bulldogs to #10 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll.

SSC started their first of three straight home games this week. They responded to the challenge and defeated Waubonsee Community College, 79-73.

The game was tight early, 7-6 SSC, in the first minute of the game. SSC went on a 16-2 run to take a 23-8 lead with 12:00 to go in the first half. Waubonsee would respond with a 28-8 run of their own, and tied the game at 31 with 4:00 to go. Both teams went into halftime tied at 41.

The visiting Chiefs started the second half with a 5-0 run to take a 46-41 lead. South Suburban would respond with a 9-0 run of their own and took a 50-46 lead with 14:00 left in the game. The game was nip and tuck from then on.

The game was tied at 68 with 2:00 to go when SSC broke lose for the 6-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Tariq Deere’s 26 points. 3 other players scored in double digits. Sophomore guards Courtney Cater and Joffari Brown scored 13 and 10 points respectfully. Freshman guard Octavius Parker II played in his first game as a Bulldog and recorded his first career double-double. He scored 10 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

Waubonsee won the rebounding battle 40-39.

SSC shot 26/74 (35%) from the field, 7/27(26%) from behind the “3” point line, and 20/26 (77%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 27/72 (38%), 7/27 (26%) from the “3”, and 12/21 (57%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 3-1 on the season and continue their home stand on Thursday, November 14th when they play their south suburban rivals Prairie State College. Tip time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 14 – vs. Prairie State College in South Holland, IL

The #10 Bulldogs hosted their south suburban rival Prairie State College. After a sluggish, first half they picked up the intensity and came out with a 79-59 victory.

SSC opened up the game with an early 15-8 lead with 14:46 to go in the first half. However, Prairie State would be the more aggressive team in the first half, led 35-32 at halftime.

The Bulldogs picked up their defensive effort in the second half and held the Pioneers to 8 points in the first 12:00 of the half. SSC lead by as many as 27 points (73-46) and went on for the 20-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Joffari Brown’s career high 31 points. Sophomore forward Malcolm Bell scored 19 points of his own, grabbed 6 rebounds and swatted 5 blocked shots. Sophomore guard Tariq Deere scored 15 points for the Bulldogs as well. Sophomore point guard Courtney Carter grabbed a career high 13 rebounds. Sophomore forward Roland Austin swatted a career high 6 block shots.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 42-27.

South Suburban shot 33/64 (52%) from the field, 5/17 (29%) from behind the “3” point line, and 8/12 (67%) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 24/65 (37%) from the field, 8/21 (38%) from the “3” and only 3/10 (30%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 4-1 on the season and conclude their home stand this Saturday (November 16th) as they play The College of Lake County. Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

November 16 – vs. The College of Lake County in South Holland, IL

The #10 Bulldogs finished their three game home stand with a 105-90 victory over the College of Lake County.

The game was marred by a barrage of fouls in the first half. There were 30 fouls called on both teams in the first half. SSC after the first half, 52-45.

The second half was less of a foul fest. South Suburban extended their lead to double digits early and they never relinquished the double digit lead once it was established.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell who scored a career high 35 points while recording a double-double as he grabbed 13 rebounds. Sophomore guards Joffari Brown and Tariq Deere had 19 and 17 points respectfully for the Bulldogs. Josh Falls who was playing in his first game for South Suburban scored 13 points while grabbing 6 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was freshman guard Octavius Parker II. He chipped in 12 points.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 36-22.

SSC shot 42/69 (60.9%) from the field, 4/10 (40%) behind the “3” point line, and 17/24 (70.8%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 29/51 (56.9%) from the field, 7/15 (46.7%) from the “3”, and 25/35 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-1 on the season. They head out on the road for their next two games. They start north of the border on Tuesday, November 19th with a Top 10 match up vs. #6 Milwaukee Area Tech. Tip time in Milwaukee, WI is 8:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 19 – at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, WI

The #9 Bulldogs visited #6 Milwaukee Area Technical College in a early season Top 10 match up. SSC played from behind all game and ended up on the short end of a 76-66 Stormers’ victory.

South Suburban trailed early 24-16, but held the host to only 5 points in the last 7:00 of the half to lead at halftime, 32-29.

The second half started out poorly for the Bulldogs as they gave up 20 points in the first 7:30 and Milwaukee led 49-41.

The score 64-56 with 5:30 to go when SSC’s sophomore guard Tariq Deere hit back-to-back 3’s to pull SSC within 64-62 with 4:30 to go. South Suburban could only muster up 4 points the rest of the way.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Deere’s 17 points, while freshman guard Octavius Parker II scored a career high 17 points as well. SSC’s leading scorer sophomore guard Joffari Brown was the only other Bulldog in double digits as he scored 14 points.

South Suburban took 80 shots on the night and missed 55 of them. They were 25/80 (31.3%) from the field, 6/26 (23.1%) from the “3”, and 10/15 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Milwaukee Area Tech shot 30/69 (43.5%) from the field, 4/22 (18.2%) from the “3”, and 12/24 (50%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs dropped to 5-2 on the season. They conclude their road trip in Crystal Lake, IL on Thursday (November 21st) with a 7:15pm tip at McHenry County College.

BOX SCORE

November 21 – at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL

The #9 Bulldogs continued their road trip at McHenry County College. They were sticking licking their wounds from their top 10 match-up loss at Milwaukee Area Tech, they got back on the winning ways with a 86-60 victory over the Scots to improve to 6-2 on the season.

SSC started the game trailed 21-12 with 11:52 left in the first half. They still trailed 29-24 with 6:00 left. SSC’s freshman guard Octavius Parker II hit a “3” point shot to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 32-31.

SSC held McHenry to 9 points in the last 6:00 of the half and went into halftime with a 40-35 lead.

The second half was all about the Bulldog’s defense. They held McHenry to 8 points in the first 11:00 and opened on a 30-8 run to take a 70-43 lead. They extended that lead to 76-45 with 7:30 left and never dropped the lead below 20, in route to their 26-point victory.

South Suburban as led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell’s 16 points. SSC’s sophomore guard Courtney Carter was a stat filler. He scored recorded a double=double by scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also dished out 8 assist, and snatched 8 steals. Sophomore forward Roland Austin was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he chipped in 12 points.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 54-23.

SSC shot 38-76 (50%) from the field, 6/14 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 4-6 (66.7%) from the free throw line. McHenry shot 19/54 (35.2%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home for a Tuesday night, November 26th contest vs. Oakton Community College. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 26 – vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

The #8 Bulldogs were not in the holiday spirit of being gracious hosts, as they defeated the Owls of Oakton Community College, 104-44.

SSC took an early 16-2 lead and they did not give up their first basket until 13:14 of the first half. They went into the halftime break leading 45-22.

They opened the second half on a 27-17 run and took a 72-39 lead with 10:30 to go in the game. They held Oakton to only five points the rest of the way, to seal the 60-point victory.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomores Malcolm Bell and Joffari Brown. Both score a team high 23 points. Sophomore Courtney Carter recorded a triple-double as he scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, while dishing out 12 assists. Sophomores Roland Austin and Tariq Deere also scored in double digits for the Bulldogs. They scored 12 and 10 points respectfully.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 39-15.

South Suburban shot 44/69 (63.8%) from the field, 6/12 (50%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/12 (83.3%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 12/33 (36.4%) from the field, 2/9 (22.2%) from the “3”, and 18/31 (58.1%) from the free throw line.

SSC improved to 7-2 on the season. They will have a week off before hosting Morton College on Tuesday, December 3rd. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 4 – vs. Morton College in South Holland, IL

The #8 ranked Bulldogs returned to the court after the Thanksgiving holiday with a resounding 70-50 victory over Morton College.

They opened the game making four 3-point shots and took an early 12-0 lead. They held Morton to only 3 made field goals in the first half. SSC led 33-15 at halftime.

South Suburban opened the second half on a 10-2 run and took their biggest lead 64-35 with 6:00 to go in the game. They milked the clock at the end of the game and came out with the 20-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Octavius Parker II. He scored a career high 18 points. The Bulldogs had 2 other players score in double figures. Sophomores Malcolm Bell and Tariq Deere scored 12 and 11 points respectfully.

SSC won the rebounding battle 33-19.

South Suburban shot 27/53 (50.9%) from the field, 8/23 (34.8%) from the “3”, and was a perfect 8/8 from the free throw line. Morton shot 18/40 (45%) from the field (65%) in the second half, 5/18 (27.8%) from the “3”, and 9/19 (47.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 8-2 on the season. They play Trinity Christian College Junior Varsity squad at home this Thursday, December. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 5 – vs. Trinity Christian College Junior Varsity in South Holland, IL

The #8 Bulldogs played their last game at home for a while, and did not disappoint. They handled their business and defeated Trinity Christian (JV) 107-56.

SSC took and early 35-11 lead and led 55-19 at half time. They never look back after that.

Every player scored for the Bulldogs. Sophomore guard Courtney Carter led SSC in scoring with 19 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and snatched 6 steals. Four other Bulldogs scored in double digits. Sophomore guard Joffari Brown had 13 points. Sophomores Malcolm Bell, Tariq Deere, and freshman guard Octavius Parker II scored 12 points a piece.

South Suburban shot 40/70 (57.1%) from the field, 12/20 (60%) from behind the “3” point line, and 15/21 (71.4%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot 20/49 (40.8%) from the field, 7/26 (26.9%) from the “3”, and 9/13 (69.2%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban shared the ball well and they assisted 25 times on 40 made baskets.

SSC also won the rebounding battle 37-26. South Suburban improved to 9-2 on the season.

The Dawgs head out on the road this Saturday (December 7) to play Chicago’s Kennedy King College. Tip time is 3:00 pm. This will be their last contest before final exams.

BOX SCORE

December 7 – at Kennedy King College in Chicago, MI

This game was postponed and rescheduled for January 14, 2020.

Delta College Lynn Conway Classic

December 14 – vs. Schoolcraft College at Delta College in University Center, MI

The #4 Bulldogs played their second Top-5 match up in the last three weeks, as they took to the court to play the #2 Schoolcraft College in Delta Colleges Lynn Conway Classic.

The game was played at a national tourney pace with the intensity of a playoff game. The game went to overtime, and in the end, The Ocelots of Schoolcraft beat SSC 101-93.

South Suburban took and early 7-4 lead, but Schoolcraft went on an 11-0 run to lead 15-7 with 11:00 to go. South Suburban responded with an 18-0 run of their own and take a 25-15 lead with 6:00 to go in the first half. Schoolcraft would end the half on a 20-7 run and lead 35-32 at the break.

The second half was a shootout. Schoolcraft took a 48-41 lead with 14:00 to go in the game. SSC would eventually take a 70-69 lead with 5:00 left to go. Schoolcraft would then make two 3-point shots to build a 74 70 lead. An old fashioned three-point play (a made basket and a free throw) the by the Bulldogs Joffari Brown would tie the game at 74 with 3:08 top go. Schoolcraft would take the lead back 83-81 when Brown was fouled with :07 to go in the game. He would proceed to make both free throws to force the overtime.

The Ocelots would start the overtime on a 10-0 run and never look back. Schoolcraft improved to 11-0 on the season. South Suburban fell to 9-3.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Brown’s 30 points (his second 30+ game of the season). SSC’s sophomore guard Courtney Carter would fill the stat sheet as he scored 28 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and snatched 6 steals. Sophomore Forward Malcolm Bell was the only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs, as he chipped in 13 points of his own.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 39-38.

SSC shot 36-78 (46.2%) from the field, 9/23 (39.1%) from the “3”, and 12-16 (75%) from the free throw line. Schoolcraft shot 33-65 (50.8%) from the field, 12/26 (46.2%) from the “3”, and 23/29 (79.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban plays host Delta College on Sunday (December 15). Tip time is 5:00 pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

Delta College Lynn Conway Classic

December 15 – vs. Delta College in University Center, MI

The Bulldogs had to rebound from a heart breaking overtime lost the previous day to the #2 Schoolcraft College Ocelots. Their opponent was host Delta College. The Pioneers are receiving votes in the Top 20 on the NJCAA Division II poll.

The Bulldogs responded late in the second half to pull away for a 76-65 victory.

SSC opened up on an early 22-16 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half and would go on to lead at halftime, 42-39.

Delta would take a 51-50 lead with 12:00 to go in the game. An old school running hook shot by South Suburban’s sophomore forward Josh Falls would give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 58-57 with 7:46 to go. SSC would extend the lead to 66-59 with 3:00 to go. South Suburban would make its free throws down the stretch to seal the 11-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Courtney Carter. He filled the stat sheet up again for the second straight night. He scored 19 points grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 8 assets and snatched 6 steals. SSC had 2 other double digit scorers: freshman Octavius Parker (17pts), and sophomore Malcolm Bell (15 pts).

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 39-30. South Suburban shot 20/42 (47.6%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the “3” point line, and 29/40 (72.5%) from the free throw line.

Delta shot 15/50 (30%) from the field, 2/10 (20%) from the “3”, and 33/38 (86.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 10-3 on the season. They continue their Michigan Region road trip with a Wednesday December 18th game at Ancilla College in Donaldson, IN. Tip time is 7:00 pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

December 18 – at Ancilla College in Donaldson, IN

The #9 Bulldogs took to the road to play Ancilla College, another Top 15 team. Looking to win a game versus a ranked opponent, South Suburban was victorious 87-81.

The game started out with Ancilla taking an early 14-7 lead. After back-to-back made 3-point shots by South Suburban’s sophomores Roland, Austin and Courtney Carter, the Bulldogs drew within 1 point. That margin held up until halftime with Ancilla leading 39-38.

Ancilla extended their lead to 58-80 with 9:00 to go in the game. However, South Suburban decided to pick up their defensive intensity. SSC went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 58 with 7:00 to go. South Suburban would then go on an 11-2 run to take a 69-60 lead with 3:00 to go.

They would never look back and would leave Donaldson, IN with their first victory of the season against a ranked opponent.

South Suburban was led in scoring by fellow sophomores Carter, and Joffari Brown’s 19 points. Sophomores Malcolm Bell and Darien Stewart scored 12 and 11 points respectfully to round out the double digit scorers for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 40-36.

SSC shot 30-66 (45.5%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the “3”, and 24/31 (77.4%) from the free throw line. Ancilla shot 26/60 (43.3%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%) from the ‘3”, and 22/27 (81.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 11-3 on the season. They are back in action this Saturday, December 21 as they have a 3:00 pm tip vs. Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College, their fourth straight Michigan region team.

The day is designated as Kid’s Day. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be passing out goodie bags for the Kids.

BOX SCORE

December 21 – vs. Kalamazoo Valley (MI) Community College in South Holland, IL. KIDS’ DAY

The # 9 Bulldogs completed the first half of their season with a 12-3 record with a 77-59 home victory over Kalamazoo (MI) Valley Community College.

The game started with Kalamazoo Valley taking an early 10-8 lead with 15:00 to go in the first half. Over the next seven minutes, South Suburban shut out the visitors, going on a 12-0 run and taking a 20-10 lead with 8:00 to go. SSC held a 33-15 lead with 3:30 to go in the first half.

The Bulldogs went into halftime only leading 33-21.

South Suburban opened up the second half on a 14-8 run and took a 47-29 lead with 15:00 to go in the game. They took their largest lead at 75-50 with 4:00 to go.

After a late barrage of made 3-point shots by Kalamazoo Valley, SSC came away with the 18-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell’s 21 points on 10/12 shooting. The only other Bulldog to score in double digits was sophomore guard Joffari Brown who chipped in 15 points of his own.

SSC won the rebounding battle 26-21.

South Suburban shot 34/60 (56.7%) from the field, a chilly 3/13 (23.1%) from the “3”, and 6/8 (75%) from the free throw line. Kalamazoo Valley shot 23/41 (56.1%) from the field, 8/17 (47.1%) from the “3”, and 5/9 (55.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban takes a few days off for the Christmas holiday. They return to action this Saturday (December 28th) with a road contest at Lake Michigan College in Benton Habor, MI. Tip time is 3:00pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

December 28 – at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, MI

The #9 ranked Bulldogs played their last contest of 2019 at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, MI. After a slow start they woke out of their mid-winter nap and defeated the Red Hawks 85-71.

The host jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. They extended the lead to 25-15 with 11:40 to go in the first half.

South Suburban would proceed to go on a 16-0 run and take a 31-25 lead with 6:30 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would take a 47-34 lead into the halftime break.

Lake Michigan cut SSC’s lead to 52-43 with 15:30 to go in the game. South Suburban would then go on a 19-4 run and take a 71-47 lead with 9:50 to go in the game.

South Suburban would fall back asleep and Lake Michigan cut the lead to 12 with 2:00 to go. South Suburban would hang on for the 14-point victory.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Tariq Deere’s career high 27 points. He would also snatch 6 steals. Fellow sophomore Josh Falls would record his second double/double of the season as he scored 12 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Freshman guard Andre Dickerson scored his career high 18 points (14 in the first half) to help SSC pull away from their hosts.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 35-27.

SSC shot 33/63 (52.4%) from the field, 8/19 (42.1%) from behind the “3” point line, and 11/13 (84.6%) from the free throw line.

Lake Michigan had a great shooting night from the “3”. They were 25/55 (45.5%) from the field, a sizzling 17/28 (60.7%) from the “3”, and 4/10 (40%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban closes out 2019 with 13-3 record. They will play five straight home games to start the new year. The first game for the home stand is Friday January 3, 2019 vs. Carl Sandburg College. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 3, 2020 – vs. Carl Sandburg College in South Holland, IL

The # 9 Bulldogs welcomed #21 Carl Sandburg into the “Pigpen” and started off the new year victorious with a 78-55 win.

South Suburban started the game on a 7-0 run. They extended the lead to 26-8 with 10:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldog’s offense then went stagnant during the final 10:00 of the half as the visiting Chargers pulled to within ten at the halftime break, 37-27.

South Suburban led 44-35 with 16:00 to go in the game. They proceeded to go on a 18-2 run and took a 62-37 lead with 9:00 left to go and never looked back.

The victory improved the Bulldogs 14-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell who scored 24 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures. Sophomores Josh Falls and Tariq Deere scored 16 and 14 points respectfully. Sophomore point guard Courtney Carter dished out a game high 12 assists.

The rebounding battle ended up in a tie as both teams grabbed 30 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 32/57 (56.1%) from the field, 7/19 (36.6%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 7/9 (77.8%) from the free throw line. Sandburg shot 20/48 (41.7%) from the field, 1/9 (11.1%) from the “3”, and 14/19 (73.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban now has a week off and returns to action on Saturday, January 11th at home vs. Illinois Valley Community College. Tip is at 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 11 – vs. Illinois Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs last home game before the second semester starts was a victorious one as they defeated Illinois Valley Community College, 79-63 to improve to 15-3 on the season.

Illinois Valley, on the strength of three straight made 3-point baskets, took an early 15-14 lead with 12:30 to go in the first half. South Suburban then picked up its defense and finished the half on a 27-14 run and took a 41-29 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban took a 52-38 lead at the beginning of the second half. Illinois Valley proceeded to go on a 16-4 run and close the gap to 56-54 with 8:30 to go in the game. SSC then went on a 10-0 run to take a 66-54 lead with 4:45 to go. They would never let the lead back under double digits and leave with the 16-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Tariq Deere’s 20 points. He also snatched 5 steals. The other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores: Malcolm Bell (15 pts), Courtney Carter (13 pts) and Roland Austin (12 pts). Carter dished out 14 assists, grabbed 8 rebounds, and snatched 6 steals.

SSC won the rebounding battle 29-24.

South Suburban shot 35/70 (50%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from the “3”, and 3/8 (38%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 19/42 (45%) from the field, 7/15 (47%) from the “3”, and 18/20 (90%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs return to action at home this Monday, January 13th vs. Aurora University JV. Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 13 – vs. Aurora University JV in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs moved up to #7 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll and took to the floor to prove that ranking when they hosted the junior varsity squad from Aurora University. They had a sluggish first half, but picked up their intensity in the second half to come away with a 82-47 victory.

SSC jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, but did not play the rest of the half very intensely. They only led 32-21 at halftime.

The second half was a different story. They opened up with a 28-7 run and took a 60-28 lead. They never looked back and improved to 16-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Malcolm Bells 16 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Tariq Deere recorded a double-double for the Bulldogs, as he scored 13 points while dishing out 12 assists. SSC’s sophomore forward Roland Austin recorded his first double-double of the season; as he scored 11 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. The only other Bulldog to score in double figures was sophomore forward Josh Falls who scored 12 points. Sophomore guard Courtney Carter filled up the stat sheet for the Bulldogs as he scored 8 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, dished out 5 assist, and snatched 7 steals.

SSC won the rebounding battle 49-30.

South Suburban shot 36/78 (46%) from the field, 2/14 (14%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 8/10 (80%) from the free throw line. Aurora Univ (JV) shot 15/54 (28%) from the field, 5/22 (23%) from the “3”, and 12/16 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns to action this Wednesday January 15th with a 7:00pm tip against Kennedy-King City College.

BOX SCORE

January 15 – vs. Kennedy-King College in South Holland, IL

The NJCAA Division II #7 Ranked Bulldogs defeated NJCAA Division I Kennedy-King 79-54 to improve to 17-3 on the season. It is a beginning of a four out of five game stretch SSC plays against NJCAA Division I opponents.

The game started with the Bulldogs taking an early 9-1 lead. They extended it to 28-13 with 5:30 to go in the first half. However, The Statesmen would close the gap to 36-23 at half time.

South Suburban opened the second half on a 20-10 run and took a 56-33 lead with 9:30 to go in the game. They extended that to 67-42 with 5:00 left and never faltered the 25-point lead after that.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell’s 18 points. Sophomores Tariq Deere and Joshua Falls were the other Bulldogs to reach double digits as they scored 17 and 14 points respectfully. South Suburban shot 29/59 (49.2%) from the field, 11/24 (45.8%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10/12 (83.3%) from the free throw line. Kennedy-King shot 15/47 (31.9%) from the field, 1/11 (9.09%) from the “3”, and 23/38 (60.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finishes their 5-game home stand with a Saturday, January 18 tilt against Quakerdale Promise Academy out of Iowa. Tip time is 1:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 18 – vs. Quakerdale Promise Academy (IA) in South Holland, IL

The #7 Bulldogs concluded their home stand with a 79-51 victory over Quakerdale Promise Academy Eagles of Iowa. The Bulldogs only dressed eight players as sophomore forward Malcolm Bell was out with the flu.

Quakerdale jumped on the Bulldogs early and took a 7-2 lead. South Suburban subbed in newly eligible freshman 6”3 Demarius Byrd, and he was the spark they needed. In one minute, Byrd scored 5 points snatched 2 steals and grabbed a defensive rebound to pull the Bulldogs even with Quakerdale.

However, Quakerdale did build the lead to 13-9 with 10:20 to go in the first half. South Suburban took the lead for good at 16-15 with 7:42 to go and ended the first half on a flourish. SSC led 27-22 with :05 to go in the first half when sophomore guard Courtney Carter made one free throw and on his missed second free throw, Byrd grabbed the offensive rebound, kicked it out to Carter and he made a 3-point basket as the buzzer sounded and the Bulldogs led 31-22 at halftime.

The second half was a different story for the Bulldogs as they jumped out on a 20-6 run and then extended the lead to 77-45 before finishing with the 28-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Carter’s 24 points. He also dished out 9 assist, grabbed 7 rebounds, and snatched 4 steals. Sophomore forward Roland Austin recorded a double-double as he scored 19 points while grabbing 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Tariq Deere scored 11 points for SSC as well. Byrd who provided the spark the Bulldogs need finished with a career high 11 points, while grabbing 6 rebounds. He also had 3 steals and 2 assists.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 40-28.

SSC shot 32/70 (45.7%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from the “3”, and 9/13 (69.2%) from the free throw line. Quakerdale shot 15/35 (42.9%) from the field, 3/10 (30%) from the “3”,and 18/30 (60%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 18-3 on the season. They have amassed a 215-13 record at home during Coach John Pigatti’s 14 seasons at the school. Pigatti will be going for career victory #400 on Tuesday January 21st as the Bulldogs head up to Olive Harvey College in Chicago. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 15 – at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, IL

The #6 ranked Bulldogs continued their trek through Region IV NJCAA Division 1 foes as they traveled to Chicago to face the Olive-Harvey Panthers. They game was very intense and in the end the Bulldogs came away victorious 74-67.

The win marked the 400th career victory for John Pigatti. In his 14 seasons at SSC, the only place he has been a head coach, his record is 400-78 (.837).

They improved to 19-3 on the season.

The game started with Olive-Harvey taking an early 13-12 lead. The lead changed hands five times in the first half and South Suburban went into the halftime break leading 37-32.

With South Suburban leading 46-39 with 15:21 to go, the host Panthers would come storming back to tie the game at 48 with 12:00 remaining. SSC would take the lead at 61-59 with 5:20 to go in the game. The Bulldogs then went on a 10-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 71-60. They would never be threaten again.

South Suburban would have all five sophomore starters score in double figures. Courtney Carter would lead SSC in scoring with 18 points (16 in the first half). The second half he distributed the ball nicely as he dished out a total of 12 assists in the game. He would also grab 6 rebounds and snatch 8 steals. Tariq Deere (14 pts.), Roland Austin (12 pts.), Darien Stewart (10 pts.) and Malcolm Bell (10 pts.) rounded out the other double figure scorers.

Olive-Harvey won the rebounding battle 44-38.

South Suburban shot 30-68 (44.1%) from the field, 4/17 (23.5%) from behind the “3”-point line, and a horrendous 10/23 (43.5%) from the free throw line. The Panthers shot 21/62 (33.9%) from the field, 3/17 (17.6%) from the “3”, and 22/29 (75.9%) from the free throw line.

NJCAA Division II South Suburban continues its games vs. NJCAA Division I opponents this Friday January 24th as they play an afternoon matinee at Chicago’s Harry S. Truman College at 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 24 – vs. Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, IL

The NJCAA Division II #6 ranked Bulldogs continued their schedule of NJCAA DI opponents as they travel to Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, IL. and they continued their winning ways vs. DI opponents as they defeated the host 69-54.

The game did not start out well for SSC as they trailed 8-2 with 17:00 to go in the first half, and still trailed 22-16 with 10:00 to go. They would then finish out the first half on a 21-7 run and take a 37-29 lead into the halftime break.

Truman would not go away and actually pulled to with 2 points of the Bulldogs in the second half, but in the end South Suburban came out with the 15-point victory.

South Suburban as led in scoring by sophomore guard Courtney Carter’s 21 points. He would also grab 5 rebounds, dish out 4 assists and snatch 6 steals. The Bulldogs had only 2 other players score in double figures. Sophomores Darien Stewart and Tariq Deere scored 15 and 11 points respectfully.

SSC won the rebounding battle 43-42 despite going up against two players that were 6’10.

South Suburban shot 28/69 (40.6%) from the field, 7/22 (31.8%) from behind the “3” point line, and 6/14 (42.9%) from the free throw line. Truman shot 16/52 (30.8%) from the field, 4/10 (40%) from the “3”, and 18/23 (78.3%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 20-3 on the season. They finish off their 4 games in 5 outing versus NJCAA DI opponents Saturday January 25th, as they host Kankakee Community College. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 2 – vs. Kankakee Community College in South Holland, IL

The NJCAA Division II #6 Bulldogs finished their trek through the NJCAA Division I Region IV competition as they hosted Kankakee Community College. It marked the fourth game in five games versus D1 opponents. The results were the same as the other three games. South Suburban was victorious as they defeated the Cavaliers 75-65 to improve to 21-3 on the season.

Kankakee took an early 5-4 lead. The Bulldogs would then proceed to go on a 28-11 run and take a 32-16 lead with 1:30 to go in the first half. SSC went into the halftime break with a 34-21 lead.

The second half was much more exciting. Kankakee opened up on a 15-7 run and only trailed 41-36 with 14:00 to go in the game. SSC would then build the lead up again to 56-45 with 8:36 to go. Kankakee would cut the lead to 64-61 with 3:00 to go. After a South Suburban turnover, Kankakee could not capitalize and SSC got a defensive stop. On the following possession as the shot clock was winding down SSC sophomore guard Courtney Carter connected on a 3-point shot and the Bulldogs never looked back.

The victory was the Bulldogs 12th in a row.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Carter’s 21 points. He also dished out 8 assists and snatched 6 steals. Sophomore forward Malcolm Bell scored 11 points, and freshman guard Ishmael Martin scored a career high 11 points to round out the double digit scorers for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 47-32 despite the definite size advantage of Kankakee.

South Suburban shot 30/63 (47.6%) from the field, 8/18 (44.4%) from the “3”, and 7/8 (87.5%) from the free throw line. KCC shot 25/69 (36.2%) from the field, 8/25 (32%) from the “3”, and 7/9 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will now get some much needed rest. Their next game is Saturday, February 1st at Region IV foe Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 1 – at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL

The #4 Bulldogs of South Suburban College took to the road to Malta, Il and played Region IV foe Kishwaukee College and left town with a 89-54 victory.

South Suburban took an early 8-0 lead and later extended the lead to 20-7 with 10:30 to go in the first half.

The Kougars would then get into an offensive rhythm. They went on an 8-1 run to cut the Bulldogs lead to 21-15 with 7:00 to go. SSC would go into the halftime break leading 40-26.

The first 10 minutes of the second half determined the outcome of the game. SSC would go on a 22-10 run and take a 62-36 lead. They never looked back and finished with the 35-pont victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by recently named National Player of the Week sophomore guard Courtney Carter. He filled the stat sheet up again; as he scored 19 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 9 assists, snatched 8 steals, and blocked 3 shots. The other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were: sophomores: Malcolm Bell (15 pts.), Roland Austin (14pts.), Darien Stewart (14 pts.), and Tariq Deere (11pts.). Austin also recorded his 3rd double -double of the season as he grabbed 13 rebounds to help SSC win the rebounding battle 44-27.

South Suburban shot 35/75 (47%) from the field, 7/22 (32%) from behind the arch, and 12/18 (67%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 19/53 (36%) from the field, 5/22 (23%) from the “3”, and 11/17 (65%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 22-3 on the season. They open a two game home stand with a rescheduled game this Wednesday (February 5th) vs. The Bosco Institute of Indiana. Tip time is 6:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 5 – vs. The Bosco Institute (IN) in South Holland, IL

The #4 ranked Bulldogs took on The Bosco Institute, a highly ranked prep school from across the boarder in Crown Point, Indiana. The action was great and after a heavily fought game, SSC came out victorious 84-75.

South Suburban took an early 14-4 lead. However, The Dons would go on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 14 with 10:30 left to go in the first half. SSC would go into the halftime break with a 34-32 lead.

Bosco made a 3-point shot to start the second half and took a 1-point lead. They continued to lead by 1 at 43-42 with 14:00 to go in the game, when SSC’s sophomore forward Roland Austin would score 10 straight points for the Bulldogs to help them take a 60-46 lead with 9:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban never looked back and improved to 23-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Courtney Carter. He filled the stat sheet up with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists 1 block and 10 steals. SSC had 3 other Bulldogs score in double figures. They were sophomores: Tariq Deere (19pts.), Roland Austin (16pts.) and Malcolm Bell (14pts.). Bell also recorded a double-double as he grabbed 11 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 39-28.

South Suburban shot 31/66 (47%) from the field, 6/22 (27.3%) from the “3”, and 16/28 (57.1%) from the free throw line. Bosco shot 29/49 (59.2%) from the field, 6/17 (35.3%) from the arch and 11/18 (61.1%0 from the free throw line.

South Suburban continues its home stand Saturday, February 8th with a contest vs. Moraine Valley Community College. The game is designated as “Community Day”. Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 8 – vs. Moraine valley Community College in South Holland, IL

It was a battle of top 20 team as #4 South Suburban hoisted #18 Moraine Valley. The game lived up to what a top-20 match should be and in the end Moraine Valley’s Jalen Hughes made a lay-up with :03 to go in the game and Moraine Valley handed SSC its first home loss of the season, 71-70.

Moraine started the game quickly and took an early 6-0 lead. South Suburban would take its first lead of the game at 15-13 with 11:30 to go in the first half. Moraine would take back the lead at 23-19 with 7:00 to go. SSC would take the lead back at 30-28 with 5:30 to go. The Bulldogs would proceed to go on a 13-5 run and take a 43-33 lead into the halftime break.

The second half was memorable. South Suburban would open a 57-41 lead with 13:30 to go in the game. Moraine Valley would then go on a 12-2 run to cut the Bulldog lead to 59-53 with 10:00 to go. Moraine Valley took the lead at 65-64 with 5:07 to go. The Bulldogs would then take a 70-67 lead with 1:30 to go. Hughes would then hit a pull up lay-up to cut SSC’s lead to 1. After South Suburban could not get a shot off on the next possession, his heroics gave The Cyclones the lead with :03 to go. South Suburban’s Courtney Carter last second effort would fall short and the Bulldogs dropped to 23-4 on the season.

South Suburban was lead in scoring by Carter’s 22 points. Sophomore Malcolm Bell would be the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he chipped in 16 points. Moraine Valley would have five players score in double figures.

South Suburban shot 26/67 (38.8%) from the field, 6/26 (23.1%) from behind the “3” point line, and 12/16 (75%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley shot 23/50 (46%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 20/31 (54.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban heads on the road this week for two contests. The first game is Wednesday, February 12th at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee, WI. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 12 – at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee, WI

Still feeling very upset after a tough last second shot defeat to Moraine Valley which dropped the Bulldogs to #8 in the NJCAA Division II poll, they went on the road to Wauwatosa, WI and took their frustrations out on host Bryant & Stratton College, beating the Bobcats 78-53. The angry Bulldogs jumped out to an early 21-7 lead, and built it to a 41-22 lead into the halftime break.

Bryant & Stratton would only get as close as 45-30 with 15:30 to go in the game. South Suburban then went on a 12-2 run and took a 57-32 lead and ended the game with the 25-point victory.

South Suburban had 3 players score in double digits. Sophomores Tariq Deere and Malcolm Bell scored 16 points apiece, and sophomore Roland Austin chipped in 13 points. Sophomore guard Courtney Carter was 1 point, 1 assist, and 1 rebound away from a triple double as he scored 9 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 9 assists to help SSC improve to 24-4 on the season.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle, 45-44.

The Bulldogs shot 33/76 (43.4%) from the field, 6/24 (25%) from behind the arc, and 6/8 (75%) from the free throw line. Bryan & Stratton shot 19/57 (33.3%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the “3”, and 12/25 (48%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finishes the road portion of the 2019-20 season this Saturday, February 15th, as they travel to Moline, IL to play Black Hawk College. Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 15 – at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL

The #8 Bulldogs played their last regular season road game at Black hawk College in Moline, IL. After a slow start SSC prevailed 92-67.

BHC took an early 24-19 lead after the first 10:00 of the game. South Suburban took the lead 33-31 with 2:40 to go in the first half and proceeded to close the first half on an 15-2 run and took a 48-33 lead in to halftime.

Black Hawk got as close as 59-47 with 15:00 to go in the game, but could never get any closer and South Suburban walked out of Black Hawk’s gym with the 25-point victory.

The win improved the Bulldogs record to 25-4 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Courtney Carter’s 25 points. Sophomore forward Roland Austin scored a career high 22 points for SSC. Two other sophomore Bulldogs scored in double figures as Darien Stewart and Malcolm Bell scored 10 points apiece.

SSC won the rebounding battle 35-27.

South Suburban shot 38/66 (38%) from the field, 8/23 (35%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 8/10 (80%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 22/53 (42%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the arc, and 19/24 (79%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs play their last regular season home game on Thursday February 20th. They play NJCAA Division 1 opponent Richard J. Daley College of Chicago. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 20 – vs. Richard J. Daley College in South Holland, IL

The #6 NJCAA Division II SSC Bulldogs celebrated it’s seven sophomores on “Sophomore Night” with a 94-55 victory over the Richard J. Daley College Bulldogs, a NJCAA Division I school from Chicago.

The sophomores: Roland Austin, Joffari Brown, Malcolm Bell, Courtney Carter, Tariq Deere, Josh Falls, and Darien Stewart were honored before the game. When the game began, Daley jumped out to an early 5-2 lead. However, South Suburban would take the lead on a made “3’ point shot by Tariq Deere at 7-5 and SSC never relinquish it. The host Bulldogs went into the half time break with a 54-31 lead.

Daley would score the first five points of the second half to close the gap to 54-36. Then a Roland Austin made basket stopped the run.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Bell’s 18 points. Carter would score 17 points while dishing out 13 assists, grabbing 9 rebounds, and snatching 7 steals. Austin and Deere would score 16 points apiece. Freshman Andre Dickerson would round out the double digit scores for the Bulldogs as he chipped in 11 points of his own.

SSC won the rebounding battle 33-27. South Suburban shot 37/65 (56.9%) from the field, 12/22 (54.5%) from behind the “3” point line, and 8/12 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Daley shot 22/52 (42.3%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 8/12 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finishes the regular season with a 26-4 record. They head now to Region IV Tournament play. They will play at home next Thursday February 27th vs. Oakton Community College. This first round regional tournament game will tip at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

2019-20 NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV MIDWEST B TOURNAMENT QUARTER FINAL

February 27 – vs. Oakton Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The #4 Bulldogs hosted their 12th Region IV tournament game in the 14 seasons that Coach John Pigatti has been at the helm here at South Suburban College and they remained perfect in first round play as they defeated Oakton Community College 86-45. The other two seasons they had first round byes.

The game was tied at 8 with 15:10 to go in the first half. The game remained close at 20-15 with 10:00 to go when South Suburban went on a 22-0 run and took a 42-15 lead with 2:00 to go in the first half. Oakton would close the half on an 8-0 run of their own to pull within 42-23 at halftime.

Oakton would continue their scoring run as they opened the second half on a 5-0 run to pull within 14 at 42-28. South Suburban never pulled away during the first part of the second half. With the score was 55-37 with 12:24 to go in the game, the Bulldogs defense would take over and hold Oakton to just 8 points the rest of the way to secure the victory.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore forward Malcolm Bell. He scored 21 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. The Bulldogs had 3 other players score in double figures. Sophomores Roland Austin, Courtney Carter, and Tariq Deere scored 18, 13 and 12 points respectfully. Carter recorded a triple double as he also grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. He would also snatch 4 steals.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 50-25.

South Suburban shot 35/65 (53.8%) from the field, 9/24 (37.5%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 7/13 (53.8%) from the free throw line. The Owls shot 18/58 (31%) from the field, 5/17 (29.4%) from the “3”, and 4/9 (44.4%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 27-4 on the season as they advance to the Region IV Midwest 4B Semi-Final game on Sunday, March 1st. They will play #6 seeded Black Hawk College at 6:00pm. The game will be played at Illinois Valley Community College, in Oglesby, IL.

BOX SCORE | REGION IV TOURNAMENT BRACKET

2019-20 NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV MIDWEST B TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL

March 1 – vs. #6 Black Hawk College at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL.

Since Coach John Pigatti has been coaching the men’s basketball team here at South Suburban College (14 years), they have advanced to the Region IV semi-finals every year. Their only loss in that game was to Black Hawk College in 2010. They faced Black Hawk College again in this year’s Semi-Finals, but the result was much different. The Bulldogs defeated Black Hawk 88-57 to advance to their 13th Region IV Championship game in the last 14 seasons.

South Suburban jumped out to an early 24-8 lead with 7:23 left in the first half. They would extend the lead to 35-15 with 3:07 left when Black Hawk had a 12-5 run of their own and pull to within 13 at 40-27. The Bulldogs would score the last 5 points of the half including a made “3” point basket by sophomore guard Courtney Carter as the buzzer sounded to give the Bulldogs a 45-27 lead going into the halftime break.

Black Hawk never made a serious run to cut into SSC’s lead in the second half, and the Bulldogs cruised to a 31-pojnt victory.

All five starters would score in double figures for South Suburban led by Carter’s 25 points (20 of them came in the first half). Sophomore forward Malcolm Bell and freshman guard Andre Dickerson scored 12 points apiece. Sophomores Tariq Deere and Roland Austin would score all 11 of their points in the second half.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 44-24.

South Suburban shot 37/73 (50.7%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from the “3”, and a dismal 5/12 (41.7%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 20/45 (44.4%) from the field, 3/16 (18.6%) from the “3”, and 14/21 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 28-4 on the season. They advance to play in Saturday’s March 7, 2020 NJCAA Region IV Midwest 4B Championship game against #4 Carl Sandburg College. The game will be played at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Tip time is 6:00pm.

BOX SCORE | REGION IV TOURNAMENT BRACKET

2019-20 NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV MIDWEST B TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

March 7 – vs. #4 Carl Sandburg at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL.

The Bulldogs were playing in their 13th Region IV Championship Game in the last 14 seasons. All with Head Coach John Pigatti at the helm. They made it 10 championships in 14 years as they defeated Carl Sandburg College 74-63.

The game started with Carl Sandburg College taking an early 8-6 lead with 14:54 to go in the first half.

The Bulldog freshmen were the story of the first half. Freshmen Andre Dickerson and Ishmael Martin led SSC in scoring with 10 points apiece as the Bulldogs surged ahead of Carl Sandburg and took a 40-29 lead into the halftime break.

SSC would open the second half on an 11-2 run and take their biggest lead at 51-31 with 16:17 left to go in the game. Carl Sandburg would never get closer than 10 points in the second half, and South Suburban would reign as champions of the Region.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Tariq Deere’s 19 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds. Sophomores Malcolm Bell and Courtney Carter who both were in foul trouble all game scored 12 points apiece. Carter would fill up the stat sheet, as he grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 8 assists, and snatched 5 steals. Dickerson and Martin would finish with the 10 points they scored in the first half, but it was a total team effort in the victory.

The Bulldogs dominated the rebounding battle 46-22.

South Suburban shot 29/63 (46%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 8/11 (72.7%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 23/52 (44.2%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6%) from the “3”, and 13/20 (65%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 29-4 on the season. Coach Pigatti was named NJCAA District IV “Coach of the Year”, Carter was named the Tournament’s MVP. Bell and Deere were named to the All-Tournament team.

The Bulldogs now head to the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL. The tournament runs from March 17th to March 21st.

BOX SCORE | REGION IV TOURNAMENT BRACKET

2019-20 NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

March 18 – vs. #11 Glendale (AZ) Community College at Mary Miller Center at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

November 1 – vs. the Basketball Club of Northwestern University in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs opened up their 2018-19 campaign with an exciting scoring barrage, and a 123-100 victory over the Basketball Club of Northwestern University.

The Bulldogs started the game on a 8-0 run and held that lead at halftime 51-43.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 116-82 with 3:30 to go in the game. Northwestern made a scoring run to end the game and were SSC’s first opponent to score 100 points at South Suburban during Head Coach John Pigatti’s 13 seasons at the school.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ career high 41 points. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded a double/double as he scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore forwards Allen White (15 pts.) and Isaiah Robinson (12 pts.).

Sophomore guard Jayden Logan scored 42 points to lead Northwestern club team.

“Logan’s scoring performance was one of the best I have seen for an opponent here at South Suburban College” said Pigatti.

South Suburban shot 50/84 (59.5%) from the field, 9/19 (47.4%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 14/19 (73.7%) from the free throw line. Northwestern shot 38/62 (61.3%) from the field, 13/26 (50%) from the “3”, and 11/14 (78.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 47-25.

South Suburban starts the season 1-0,and will continue its season beginning four game homestand with a 1:00 p.m. tip this Saturday November 3rd vs. Elgin Community College.

BOX SCORE

November 3 – vs. Elgin Community College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban picked up its defensive intensity after giving up 100 points in the home opener and cruised to a 101-67 victory over Elgin Community College. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 18-2 lead and extended their early lead to 31-6 with 10:00 to go in the first half.

They pushed the lead up to 31 points at 56-25 with 1:00 to go and went into the half time break with a 56-29 lead.

Elgin could only get as close as 71-50 with 12:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban then picked up their defensive intensity to end the game and improved their record to 2-0 on the season.

“I was happy with our defensive mind set after Thursday embarrassment of giving up 100 points.” said South Suburban College’s Head Coach John Pigatti.

Sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis scored 36 points while dishing out 5 assists, and snatching 5 steals to lead the Bulldogs. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded his second straight double/double as he scored 18 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 42-29. Freshman guard Joffari Brown was the only other double digit scorer for South Suburban as he chipped in 12 points.

South Suburban shot 37/64 (57.8%) from the field, 8/15 (53.3%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 19/24 (79.2%) from the free throw line. Elgin shot 24/62 (46.2%) from the field, 2/20 (10%) from the “3”, and 17/28 (60.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns to action on Tuesday night vs. Wilbur Wright College. Game Time is at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 6 – vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

After last year’s embarrassing lost to Wilbur Wright College, the 2018-19 Bulldogs sought revenge for the players that came before them. They got it in a convincing 102-73 victory.

The game did not start out well. Wright took an early 5-1 lead and actually held a 2-point lead at 30-28 with 7:48 to go in the first half.

South Suburban then finished the half on a 23-10 run and took a 51-40 lead into the break.

Wright could only get as close as 54-44 with 17:00 to go in the game. South Suburban then went on a 12-3 run to lead 66-47 with 10:00 to go. They never looked back in their 29-point victory.

South Suburban improved to 3-0 on the season.

“After their barrage of six three-point baskets made in the first half, we did a good job defensively, and took away one of their main strengths” said South Suburban Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis who scored 33 points while dishing out 3 assists, and snatching 3 steals. SSC’s sophomore guard Jason Towers took advantage of his first start of the year. He scored 23 points while dishing out 4 assists and grabbing 8 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson continued his streak of double/doubles as he scored 20 points while grabbing a career high 30 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 33/57 (57.9%) from the field, 6/14 (42.9%) from the arc, and 30.49 (61.2%) from the free throw line. Wright shot 22/73 (30.1%) from the field, 9/33 (27.3%) from the “3”, and 20/31 (64.5%) from the free throw line.

The #2 Bulldogs finish up their 4-game home stand to start the 2018-19 campaign with a 7:00pm tip this Thursday against a four–year university Trinity Christian (JV).

BOX SCORE

November 8 – vs. Trinity Christian University (JV) in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs finished up their season starting four game home stand with a convincing 98-69 victory over Trinity Christian University (JV).

SSC’s defense was stifling during the first 10 minutes of the game. They jumped out to a 20-0 lead, and took a 62-38 lead into the halftime break.

In the second half Trinity Christian made 6 three-point field goals while SSC was 0-11 from behind the arc. Trinity Christian won the second half 41-36 but the Bulldogs cruised to the 29-point victory.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis who scored 22 points in only 20 minutes of play. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded his 4th straight double/double as he scored 11 points while grabbing 19 rebounds in only 20 minutes. Sophomore point guard Jason Towers scored 11 points to finish out the double digit scorers for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban had their worst shooting night of the season. They shot 35/78 (44.9%) from the field, 3/21 (14.3%) from the “3”, and 25/42 (59.5%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot 21/62 (33.9%) from the field, 10/26 (38.5%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line.

SSC won the battle of the boards 61-36.

South Suburban improved to 4-0 on the season.

They now head out on the road for three straight contests. They start the road trip in Grayslake, IL at the College of Lake County. The game is Saturday, November 10th. Tip-off is at 3:00 PM.

BOX SCORE

November 10 – at College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL

The #2 Bulldogs headed on the road for their first game away from the “Pigpen” at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL and prevailed 97-57.

The game started out rough for SSC as they trailed 7-0. Lake County still led 11-7 with 14:00 to go when South Suburban went on a 6-0 run to take a 13-11 lead. The lead held up the rest of the game.

They went into the half time break leading 53-32.

The Lancers scored the first basket of the second half to trail by 19-points, but they never got any closer. South Suburban head coach John Pigatti said “It was a nice road victory today. I was happy with our effort, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 28 points. He also dished out 6 assists and snatched 3 steals. Freshman guard Joffari Brown scored a career high 19 points, while snatching 4 steals of his own. Other double digit scorers for SSC were sophomores Jason Towers (17 points), Isaiah Robinson (10 points) and Allen White (10 points). Sophomore forward Chris Johnson led the Bulldogs in rebounding as he grabbed 9 of them.

SSC won the rebounding battle 39-27.

South Suburban shot 37/57 (65%) from the field, 5/9 (56%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 18/21 (86%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 21/64 (33%) from the field, 4/21 (19%) from the “3”, and 11/14 (79%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 5-0 on the season. They continue their early road trip at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL. The game is this Tuesday, November 13th. Tip-off is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

November 13 – at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL

The Bulldogs continued their early season road trip with a contest at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL. They also continued their winning ways with a 84-66 victory, which improved their record to 6-0 on the season.

SSC jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with 15:40 left in the first half.

Waubonsee then caught fire and went on a 15-7 rum and only trailed 20-15 with 10:40 to go.

South Suburban would take a 41-27 lead into the half time break.

Seven minutes into the second half, Waubonsee got to within 49-41 before the Bulldogs built their lead up to 18 points just three minutes later. They were aided by three Waubonsee turnovers and eight made free throws from four Waubonsee fouls.

Waubonsee never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

SSC’s Rhyss Lewis, the 6’2″ sophomore guard entered the contest leading the nation in scoring averaging 32 points per game. Waubonsee had no answer for him all night as Lewis finished the game with 39 points, including making all 15 of the free throw attempts he took in the game. As a matter of fact, midway through the second half the Chesterton, Indiana native scored 18 straight Bulldog points. Lewis also was a defensive prowl us as he snatched 6 steals and grabbed 4 rebounds. The other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores Jason Towers (17 points) and Allen White (12 points).

White also recorded his second straight double/double as he grabbed 12 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 29/69 (42%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 22/26 (84.6%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 21/51 (41.2%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from the “3”, and 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 40-36.

The Bulldogs conclude their early road trip in Chicago Heights, IL with a rivalry game at Prairie State College. The game is this Thursday (November 15th) with a 7:00 pm tip.

BOX SCORE

November 15 – at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL

The Bulldogs concluded their three game road trip with a heated rivalry game against Prairie State College. The action was filled with high intensity. In the end, SSC sophomore guard Jason Towers made a 15-foot jump shot with :08 to go, which would win the game for the Bulldogs 73-72.

The game started out with South Suburban taking a 14-11 lead with 11:00 to go in the first half. Prairie State eventually tied the game at 30-30 with 6:00 to go.

South Suburban held Prairie State to one point over the last 6:00 of the half, and went into the half time break with a 38-31 lead.

South Suburban would extend the lead to 58-47 with 11:00 to go in the game. Prairie State would claw their way back into the game. They actually took a 71-69 lead on a made 3-point basket by sophomore swingman Desmond Trapp.

South Suburban’s sophomore forward Sidney Mason would steal the ball with :55 second to go in the game and Towers would be fouled intentionally with :48 to go. He would make both free throws to tie the game at 71. Trapp would then be fouled on a drive to the basket, and make only one of two free throws. That would lead to Towers heroics to win the game for the Bulldogs.

“I was not happy with our overall performance tonight” said South Suburban College’s Head Coach John Pigatti. ”However, I was pleased with our resiliency when we went down late in the game. We executed down the stretch which allowed us to win the game.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by Towers 26 points. Trapp had 22 points for Prairie State. SSC’s sophomore guard and nation’s leading scorer Rhyss Lewis would be help to just 13 points. There were no other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs. South Suburban shot 31/64 (48.4%) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 4/6 (66.7) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 27/54 (50%) from the field, 5/19 (26.3%) from the “3”, and 13/22 (59.1%) from the free throw line.

SSC’s sophomore forward Allen White grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 5 shots to enable South Suburban to win the rebounding battle 37-34.

South Suburban improved to 7-0 on the season. They return home for a Tuesday night (November 20) contest against a nationally ranked opponent, #10 Ancilla College from Donaldson, IN. Tip time is 6:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 20 – vs. #10 Ancilla College (IN) in South Holland, IL

It was a NJCAA Division II top ten battle between #2 South Suburban College and # 10 Ancilla College of nearby Donaldson, Indiana. The game was nip and tuck in the first half, but the #2 Bulldogs pulled ahead and kept the were victorious 79-59.

Ancilla opened up with an early 7-6 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half.

Over the next 14 minutes, SSC went on a 30-18 run and took a 36-25 lead with 2:00 to go in the half. The Bulldogs went into the half time break with a 40-31 lead.

South Suburban would open the second half on a 15-8 run and took a 55-39 lead with 15:00 to go in the game.

Ancilla would only get as close as 58-49 with 9:00 left to go. The Bulldogs defense would clamp down and hold Ancilla to 10 points over the last 9 minutes of the game to insure the 20-point victory.

“I was pleased with the way we closed the game defensively” said South Suburban head coach John Pigatti. “Hopefully this top 10 win will give us some momentum going forward in the season.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 26 points. He also snatched 4 steals and dished out 3 assists. Sophomore forward Allen White scored 15 points to help South Suburban with its inside game. Other double digit scorers for SSC were sophomores Jason Towers (14 points) and Haashim Keys (11 points). Sophomore forward Chris Johnson grabbed 15 rebounds to propel South Suburban to win the rebounding battle 51-40.

South Suburban shot a chilling 25/72 (34.7%) from the field, 4/19 (21.1%) from behind the “3” point arc, and a sizzling 25/29 (86.2%) from the free throw line. Ancilla shot 21/59 (35.6%) from the field, 2/15 (13.3%) from the “3”, and 15/21 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 8-0 on the season. They will have a little break over the Thanksgiving holiday, and return to action on Tuesday, November 27th at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 27 – at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

After Thanksgiving, the #2 Bulldogs headed on the road to Des Plaines, Il for a contest vs. Oakton Community College.

They started out the game like they had too much turkey. Oakton took an early 5-0 lead. SSC also missed 4 free throws in a row to start the game.

However, the Bulldogs woke up, and took their first lead with at 8-7 with 14:00 to go in the first half. They would go into the halftime break with a 36-30 lead.

Oakton would take their last lead of the night at 41-10 with 15:00 to go in the game.

SSC would proceed to go on a 25-6 run and lead 65-47 with 8:00 to go. They would extend the lead two more points and finish with the 20-point victory.

“We came out a little sluggish to start the game,” said SSC Head Coach John Pigatti. “We did a nice job defensively in the second half to extend the lead, which shows the capabilities of this team. Overall I give our effort a C+.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 24 points. He would also dish out 5 assists and grab 4 steals. Fellow sophomores Allen White, Chris Johnson, and Jason Towers would score in double digits as they poured in 14, 12, and 11 points respectfully. Johnson would record his 6th double/double of the year as he grabbed 25 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 52-40.

South Suburban shot a chilling 28-73 (38%) from the field, 8/21 (38%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and a season low 15-24 (63%) from the free throw line.

Oakton would shoot 19/55 (35%) from the field, 7/21 (33%) from the “3”, and 13-25 (52%) from the free throw line.

#2 South Suburban improved to 9-0 on the season.

The head back home for two games starting Thursday 11/29/18, with a 7:00 pm tip vs. Mc Henry County College.

BOX SCORE

November 29 – vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

The #2 Bulldogs returned home for a contest vs. Region IV foe McHenry County College. After a slow start they picked up their intensity and were victorious 72-58.

McHenry started the game out with a 4-0 lead. SSC would then go on a 7-1 run to take a 7-5 lead with 17:00 to go in the first half. McHenry would actually take their last lead of the game at 12-11 with 12:56 to go.

The Bulldogs would go on a 20-8 run and lead 31-20 with 5:50 to go. South Suburban would go into the half time break with a 37-29 lead.

South Suburban would open the second half on a 18-5 run and lead 57-34 with 10:30 to go in the game.

The Scots would get as close as 10 points at 61-51 with 4:30 to go. They could never close the gap, and SSC would improve its record to 10-0 on the season.

“I was not happy with our overall performance tonight.” said SSC Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti. “We got the big lead in the second half and did not finish the game strong. We will have to address that!”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jason Tower’s 23 points. The Bulldogs had two player record double/doubles for the game. Sophomores Chris Johnson (13 points/16 rebounds) and Isaiah hale (12 points/10 rebounds). Both points and rebounds were career highs for Robinson. Sophomore Haashim Keys (10 points) was the only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs.

The leading scorer in the nation; SSC’s Rhyss Lewis, was held to only 7 points.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 53-39.

South Suburban shot 27/65 (41.5%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 12/23 (52.2%) from the free throw line. McHenry shot 21/58 (36.2%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6%) from the “3”, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line. The Bulldogs continue their brief home stand on Saturday 12/1/18, with a 3:00 pm tip vs. Kennedy King College of Chicago, IL. It will also be designated as “Kid’s Day”.

BOX SCORE

December 1 – vs. Kennedy-King College in South Holland, IL – KID’S DAY

#2 South Suburban concluded its short home stand with some defensive prowess. In the end they had their best defensive performance of the year defeating their NJCAA Division 1 opponent Kennedy King College 83-37.

The Bulldogs opened up the game on a 18-4 run. With 4:00 left in the first half, they led 34-9. They took a 41-19 lead into the half time break.

SSC opened up the second half on a 13-0 run and led 54-19 with 14:00 to go in the game. They held Kennedy King to just 8 points the last 10:00 of the game to secure the victory.

“I was pleased with our defensive mind set today,” said SSC Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti. “We have stressed the importance of defense winning games, and we bought into that philosophy today.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jason Towers’ career high 27 points. Bulldog sophomore Rhyss Lewis contributed 20 points of his own. SSC sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded his 8th double/double of the season as he scored 12 points while grabbing 20 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 67-42.

South Suburban shot 32/80 (40%) from the field, 7/26 (26.9%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and were a chilling 12/26 (46.2%) from the free throw line. Kennedy King shot 14/63 (22.2%) from the field, 4/22 (18.2%) from the “3”, and 5/13 (38.5%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 11-0 on the season.

It is the best start to the season in Coach Pigatti’s 13 seasons at the school. They head on the road for two games next week. The bulldogs will be in Cicero, IL to face Morton College on Tuesday December 4th at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 4 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

The Bulldogs headed on the road with their new #1 acquired ranking in their pocket. It has always been a struggle when they are named #1 in the country. It is the 7th time in 13 seasons that Head Coach John Pigatti has had a team ranked #1 in the country. When they get the ranking they have lost 4 of those next games. This time they traveled to Morton College.

After struggling with Morton, SSC pulled away late for a 90-79 victory.

The game started with Morton taking a quick 7-2 lead with 16:25 left in the first half. 8 quick points by the Bulldogs gave them a 10-7 lead 2 minutes later.

Morton took another lead at 34-32 with 4:00 to go in the half. South Suburban would lead 39-38 at halftime.

The Bulldogs would open the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 46-38 lead with 18:30 left to go in the game. Morton would claw back and take a 59-58 lead with 11:30 to go. They would still lead 62-61 with 10:00 left in the game.

SSC would then go on a 13-3 run and take a 74-65 lead with 4:30 to go in the game. South Suburban would hold its biggest lead at 87-74 with 1:20 left. They would leave with the 11-point victory and improve its record to 12-0 on the season.

Pigatti had these thoughts on the game: “Morton played great tonight. The made 11 3-point shots and were ready for our pressure defense. We survived this game and will take any road victory we can get!”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 34 points. He also dished out 3 assists and snatched 4 steals. SSC sophomore guard Jason Towers would score 24 points to help the Bulldogs. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward Allen White (12-points).

Sophomore forward Chris Johnson grabbed 22 rebounds to help SSC win the rebounding battle 45-29.

South Suburban shot 30-65 (46.2%) from the field, 11/24 (45.8%) from the “3”, and 19-30 (63.3%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 22/55 (40%) from the field, 11/22 (50%) from the “3”, and 24/30 (80%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will continue to takes its #1 ranking on the road this weekend. They play at Kalamazoo (MI) Valley Community College on Saturday, December 8th. Tip time is 3:00 pm (EST).

NOTE: Sophomore guard Jason Towers was named NJCAA District 3 Player-of-the-Week. Last week, he averaged 20.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2.7 blocked shots in 3 Bulldog victories.

BOX SCORE

December 8 – at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Kalamazoo, MI

The #1 ranked Bulldogs concluded their two game road trip with a convincing 86-46 victory over Kalamazoo Valley Community College, in Kalamazoo, MI.

The Bulldogs opened the game making two 3-point baskets and running out to an early 12-0 lead. They extended it to 29-8 with 8:00 to go in the first half.

They went into the halftime break with a 49-23 lead.

The second half was very similar to the first half. The Bulldogs defensive intensity picked up, and they held their hosts to only 23 second half points, in route to the 40-point victory.

“I was encouraged by the way we started the game. I was also happy with our defensive intensity throughout the game,” said SSC Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 27 points. Sophomore guard Jason Towers scored 19 points while blocking 4 shots. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore guard Nathan Shead; who scored all his 10 points in the first half.

Sophomore forward Chris Johnson led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 10. His efforts helped SSC win the rebounding battle 58-44.

South Suburban shot 27/63 (43%) from the field, 11/22 (50%) from the “3”, and 21/31 (68%) from the free throw line. Kalamazoo Valley shot 17/74 (23%) from the field, 5/26 (19%) from the “3”, and 7/15 (47%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 13-0 on the season.

This week, they will take a break for finals exam. They return to the home court on Saturday on Saturday, December 15 as they host the “North American JUCO/Prep Classic”. They play Quakerdale Prep Academy of New Providence, Iowa at 1:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

NORTH AMERICAN JUCO/PREP HOLIDAY CLASSIC in the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL

December 15 – vs. Quakerdale Preparatory Academy (IA)

The #1 ranked Bulldogs hosted their annual “NORTH AMERICAN JUCO/PREP HOLIDAY CLASSIC. Their first game was versus Quakerdale Prep out of Iowa. They Bulldogs were not gracious host as they handed their prep school visitors a 99-56 defeat.

SSC jumped out to an early 12-2 lead. Quakerdale then cut the lead to 13-11 with 12:50 to go in the first half. South Suburban held a 23-20 lead with 6:00, when they went on a 20-9 run and took a 43-29 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban opened up the second half on a 7-0 run and never looked back. They outscored their visitors 56-27 in the second half.

Their 43-point victory improved their record to 14-0 on the season.

“I thought we were a little sluggish in the first half. The second half I saw a much better effort from our team” said South suburban College’s Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 30 points. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore forward Allen White scored 18 points while grabbing 8 rebounds for SSC. South Suburban forward Chris Johnson recorded his 10th double/double of the season as he scored 11 points while grabbing 16 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jason Towers was the only other Bulldogs in double figures as he chipped 12 points of his own. Freshman Malcolm Bell took advantage of his first start of the season. He blocked a career high 8 shots.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 67-32.

South Suburban shot 41/83 (49.4%) from the field, 4/20 (20%) from behind the “3- point arc, and 13/20 (65%) from the free throw line. Quakerdale shot 16/53 (30.2%) from the field, 5/17 (29.4%) from the “3”, and 19/26 (73.1%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs conclude the classic tomorrow with a 3:00pm tip vs. Southwestern Academy of Canada.

BOX SCORE

December 16 – vs. Southwest Academy from London, ONT, Canada

The #1 Bulldogs concluded their annual “NORTH AMERICAN JUCO/PREP HOLIDAY CLASSIC” with a trouncing of their foes, Southwest Academy from Canada, 114-52.

SSC started the game on an 11-0 run. They actually led 30-5 with 10:00 to go in the first half.

They led 56-24 at halftime.

The second half was no different for the Bulldogs as 11 out of the 13 players who dressed scored in the 62-point victory. The Bulldogs improved to 15-0 on the season.

“I was concerned with their 3-point shooting.”

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 43 points (a career high). Lewis outscored SW Academy by himself in the first half as he dumped in 31 points by halftime. Other double digit scorers for SSC were freshman, Joffari Brown (12 points), sophomore Jason Towers (11 points), and freshman Malcolm Bell (10-points, a career high).

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 52-25.

SSC shot 47/82 (57.3%) from the field, 11/21 (52.4%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 9/13 (69.2%) from the free throw line. Southwest Academy shot 18/56 (32.1%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%) from the “3”, and 9/13 (69.2%) from the free throw line.

For his efforts this weekend, Lewis was named NJCAA District 3 Player-of-the-Week.

South Suburban heads on the road Thursday, December 20th for a big Region IV game vs. Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. Game time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 20 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs took to the road for their final contest before Christmas Break. They traveled to Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL.

After a hard fought Region IV contest, SSC was victorious 75-71. They improved to 16-0 on the season.

South Suburban started the game like they wanted to get to their Christmas break early. They turned the ball over on three of their first four possessions and trailed 4-3 with 15:40 to go in the first half.

After SSC’s sophomore guard Jason Towers was subbed into the game, he proceeded to score 16 straight points for the Bulldogs. That scoring outburst gave them a 23-16 lead with 9:11 left to go in the half.

Carl Sandburg would then go on a 13-2 scoring run of their own and take a 29-25 lead with 5:00 left. South Suburban would close the first half on a 10-5 run and take a slim 35-34 lead into the half time break.

The Chargers would score the first basket of the second half and take their last lead of the game at 36-35. South Suburban would then go on a 21-11 scoring run and take a 56-47 lead with 8:00 left to go in the game. They would extend the lead to 62-51 with 4:30 left to go.

However, the hosts would not cave in. Sandburg proceed to make 3 straight “3”-point shots and actually closed the gap to 2 points at 73-71 with :08 to go in the game.

South Suburban would successfully inbounds the ball versus the Carl Sandburg press, and Towers would be fouled. He proceeded to hit two straight free throw to clinch the game for the Bulldogs.

“I thought we started out sluggish, and ended very poorly. However, we made just enough plays to win the game, and that is what good teams are supposed to do. Carl Sandburg was ready for this game and I give them all the credit in the world.” said South Suburban Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti. “Playing on the road in Region IV is never easy. It is a war every night. This time we just survived.” Pigatti added.

Towers led all scorers with 27 points, which ties his career high. SSC sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis would score 25 points of his own. Both Towers and Lewis would dish out 5 assists as well. South Suburban sophomore forward would record his 11th double/double of the season as he scored 12 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.

South Suburban shot a chilling 22/59 (37%) from the field. They shot better from behind the “3”-point arc as they were 10/26 (38%). They also shot 21/27 (78%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 19/49 (39%) from the field, 4/15 (27%) from the “3” and 29/38 (76%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle by a slim 37-36 margin.

The Bulldogs now head home for the Christmas break. They return to action on Saturday, December 29th with a home contest vs. Lake Michigan College from Benton Harbor, MI. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 29 – vs Lake Michigan College in South Holland, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs (17-0) remained undefeated win a convincing 93-46 victory over their visitors, the Lake Michigan College Red Hawks.

It was the Bulldogs first game after the Christmas break. They started out a little sluggish and led 25-18 with 6:00 to go in the first half.

SSC then went on a 19-5 run to end the first half and rolled into the half time break leading 44-23.

SSC led 56-33 with 13:30 to go in the game. Over the next 8:00 they went on a huge 32-5 run to take a 50-point lead at 88-38. They cruised to the end for a convincing 47 point victory.

“I was happy with our defensive focus today. We did a great job on the scouting report, and our guys were really focused. That is hard to do after a long Christmas Break. Hopefully we can gain some momentum as we head into the new calendar year,” said South Suburban Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 31 points. Fellow sophomore guards; Jason Towers and Nate Shead were the only other Bulldogs to score in double digits. They chipped in 13 and 11 points respectfully. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson grabbed 20 rebounds to help SSC win the rebounding battle 52-36.

South Suburban shot 32/70 (45.7%) from the field, 5/23 (21%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 24/36 (66.7%) from the free throw line. The Red Hawks shot 13/54 (24.1%) from the field, 5/22 (22.7%) from the “3”, and 15/20 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns to action after the new year with a road contest in Springfield, IL at Lincoln Land College on Saturday, January 5th. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 5 – at Lincoln Land College in Springfield, IL

The #1 Ranked Bulldogs tipped off the new year on the road at Lincoln Land College. They came away with an unimpressive 81-64 victory, to improve their record to 18-0 on the season.

SSC started the game out with a 10-2 run. However, their host were not going to fold. They actually took a 15-14 lead with 12:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then extend their lead to 30-18.

Lincoln Land would then close the half on a 11-4 run and trail 34-39 at the half time break.

South Suburban would open the second half on a 11-5 run and take a 45-34 lead. They would extend it to 55-40 with 10:00 to go in the game. They would then finish the game uneventfully, and go home with a 17-poiont victory.

“I was very disappointed in our discipline as a basketball team today. I will address that at our next practice. I give Lincoln Land a lot of credit. They were shorthanded as well as us, but they fought hard and really exposed our weaknesses. We have to go back to work and correct those areas,” said South Suburban College Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was without 2 of their top 7 players (Jason Towers and Sidney Mason). Sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis led South Suburban in scoring with 21 points. SSC sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded his 11th double/double of the season, as he scored 14 points while grabbing 18 rebounds. Freshman guard Darien Stewart was perfect from the field (5/5), as he scored a career high 13 points for the Bulldogs. South Suburban shot 33/65 (50.8%) from the field, 5/19 (26.3%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 10/20 (50%) from the free throw line.

Lincoln Land shot 16/56 (28.6%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7) from the “3”, and 28/36 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 48-28.

SSC returns home Tuesday, January 8th, for a tough Region IV contest vs Bryant & Stratton College from Milwaukee. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 5 – vs. Bryant & Stratton (WI) College in South Holland, IL

The #1 ranked Bulldogs hosted the 13-5 Bryant & Stratton College Bobcats of Milwaukee, WI. After a very entertaining first half, SSC pulled away for a 85-71 victory and improved to 19-0 on the season.

It was a fast paced game of scoring runs in the first half. SSC jumped out early to a 17-4 lead with 14:11 to go in the first half. The visitors would then go on a 10-0 run of their own and only trail 17-14 with 10:00 to go.

The Bobcats would take their only lead of the night at 29-28 with 3:00 to go.

SSC would go on a 11-5 scoring run to take a 39-34 lead into the half time break.

Stratton would pull within two at 40-38 early in the second half. Over the next 10 minutes, The Bulldogs would go on a 33-18 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 73-56 with 7:20 to go in the game.

Bryant & Stratton would then close the gap to 75-67 with 4:00 to go.

SSC would close the game on a 10-4 run for the 14-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis 37 points. Sophomore guard Jason Towers and Haashim Keys would score 13 and 10 points respectfully for the Bulldogs. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson would record his 12th double/double of the season as he scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 26/61 (42.6%) from the field, 11/23 (47.8%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 22/31 (71%) from the free throw line. Bryan & Stratton would shoot 26/56 (46.4%) from the field, 1/11 (9.09%) from the “3”, and 18/25 (72%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 38-34.

The #1 Bulldogs head on the road for their next contest in Oglesby, IL where they play at Illinois Valley Community College this Saturday (January 12th). Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 12 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

Postponed due to weather. Rescheduled for January 27.

January 15 – vs. Don Bosco Institute (IN) in South Holland, IL

The #1 Bulldogs hosted The Bosco Institute of Crown Point, IN for this prep school/JUCO match-up and prevailed 78-61.

The game started very slow for South Suburban. They trailed 4-0 with 16:00 to go in the first half. Freshman forward Malcolm Bell would score the first basket for the Bulldogs at the 15:33 mark.

He would then proceed to score SSC’s first 11 points of the game, and help the Bulldogs surge to a 17-9 lead with 8:30 to go in the first half. Bell would actually make a “3” point shot as the buzzer sounded to end the first half.

SSC would go into the halftime break with a 34-21 lead.

The second half was a game of scoring runs. South Suburban would start the half on a 12-2 run and take a 46-23 lead with 16:00 to go in the game. The Dons of the Bosco Institute would then go on a 10-2 run of their own and pull within 48-33 with 14:40 to go.

SSC would then go on a 10-2 run, and take a 58-35 lead with 10:00 go in the game. The Bulldogs would take their biggest lead of the game at 74-49 with 3:20 to go.

Bosco would end the game on a 12-4 run to make up the final scoring margin.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard (and former Bosco player) Rhyss Lewis’ 25 points. Rhyss also grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and snatched 2 steals. Bell scored 16 of his career high 22 points in the first half. He grabbed 4 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. Sophomore guard Jason Towers was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits. He scored 13 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, snatched 5 steals, and blocked 2 shots. SSC sophomore forward Chris Johnson helped SSC win the rebounding battle (41-36) as he grabbed 15 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 27/61 (44.3%) from the field, 8/20 (40%) from the “3”, and 16/25 (64%) from the free throw line.

Bosco shot 22/59 (37.3%) from the field, 2/15 (13.3%) from the “3”, and 15/18 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 20-0 on the season. Saturday, January 19th, SSC heads out down I-57 to Danville, IL for their next game at Danville Area Community College. DACC is the site of the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament.

NOTE:Due to weather concerns, tip-off time has been moved from 3:00 to 1:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 19 – at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL

The #1 Bulldogs traveled to Danville, IL., the site of this year’s National Championship Tourney. Hopefully, they previewed their talents in a 73-64 victory over the Danville Area Community College Jaguars.

The game started out sluggish as the Bulldogs trailed 16-13 with 8:27 to go in the first half. SSC sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis was fouled on a made “3”-point shot and made the free throw for a 4-point play. That gave the Bulldogs the lead for good in the first half and went into the half time break with a 28-25 lead.

The game see-sawed back and forth during the second half. In fact, there were 16 lead changes in the game. Danville took a 36-35 lead with 12:30 to go in the game.

South Suburban then went on a 4-0 run to take a 39-36 lead with 11:30 to go. The Jaguars would go on a 9-3 run and take a 49-44 lead with 7:00 to go. SSC would then picked up its defensive intensity and would go on a 20-1 run and take a 64-50 lead with 2:00 to go in the game. The 9-point victory would be the closest Danville would get to the Bulldogs the rest of the way.

Lewis would lead all scorers with 32 points. South Suburban’s freshman forward Malcolm Bell would score 13 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. SSC’s Jason Towers was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he chipped in 11 points of his own.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle narrowly 34-33.

The Bulldogs shot 25/54 (46.3%) from the field, 10/21 (47.6%) from the “3”, and 13/16 (81.3%) from the free throw line. The made their last 8 free throw attempts to seal the victory. Danville shot 20/50 (40%) from the field, 3/10 (30%) from the “3”, and 21/31 (67.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 21-0 on the season.

As a NJCAA Division II participant, they will step up in level as they play two NJCAA Division 1 teams. The first game being Olive Harvey College at home on Wednesday, January 23rd. Tip time is 7:00pm. Then they will play at Kankakee Community College on Saturday the 26th. Game time for KCC is 3:00pm.

Note: SSC sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis was named District 3 Player-of-the-Week for the second time this season.

BOX SCORE

January 23 – vs. Olive Harvey College in South Holland, IL

The NJCAA Division II #1 ranked Bulldogs had a 70-game home winning streak, having not lost at home for the past five seasons. They had a 199-11 record at home during Coach John Pigatti’s 13 seasons at the SSC.

The quest for number 200 fell short as they were defeated by the visiting NJCAA Division 1 Olive Harvey College, 85-81.

It was the first time Coach Pigatti had lost to the Panthers during the regular season. He is now 12-1 against the City College school.

The game started with Olive Harvey scoring on 7 of its first 9 possessions. They took an early 22-16 lead with 12:00 to go in the first half. SSC would proceed to go on a 9-1 run over the next minute and take a 25-23 lead with 11:00 to go.

South Suburban’s sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis would hit back-to-back 3-point baskets to give the Bulldogs a 36-30 lead with 7:00 to go.

SSC would actually take its biggest lead of the game at 44-37 with 3:53 to go. The Bulldogs took a 49-46 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban would extend its lead to 62-55 with 14:00 to go in the game. Olive Harvey would proceed to go on a 20-9 run and took a 75-71 lead with 7:00 to go.

South Suburban would actually take its last lead of the game at 79-78 with 2:30 to go. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs would not score another field goal. They would only make two free throw the rest of the way, as Olive pulled ahead for the road victory.

“I am very disappointed in our defense execution at the beginning of the game, and our offensive execution at the end of the game,” said South Suburban Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti. “Olive Harvey was the tougher team tonight. They made tough shots and we did not respond well to their toughness. We have a lot of improving to do if we are going to make any noise in March. This loss stings and is extremely painful.”

Lewis led all scorers as he scored 35 points. Fellow back court mate sophomore Jason Towers scored 24 points as well. No other Bulldogs had more than 6 points.

Olive Harvey out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 37-30.

South Suburban shot 30/63 (47.6%) from the field, 10/24 (41.7%) from behind the arc, and 11/14 (78/6%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 35/65 (53.8%) from the field, 7/15 (46.7%) from the “3”, and 8/10 (80%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban drops to 21-1 on the season.

They continue their NJCAA Division 1 week with a Saturday, January 26th contest at Kankakee Community College. Tip time is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 26 – at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

The losing streak continued for the Bulldogs as they headed on the road and were defeated by the Kankakee Community College Cavaliers, 75-70.

The game started with Kankakee leading 22-20 with 7:30 to go in the first half. South Suburban then went on a scoring run and actually led 39-33 at half time.

SSC extended the lead to 11 early in the second half. That lead shrunk very quickly as Kankakee actually tied the game at 51 with 14:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban could never get the lead after that. They pulled to within 2 at 69-67 with 2:00 to go, but as the shot clock was winding down on the next possession, sophomore forward Chris Johnson was called for a foul and Kankakee made both free throw to seal the victory.

“I am extremely upset with our play in the second half We got out scored 41-32 in that half. There is no excuse for our play, and we better right the ship before our season come to a screeching halt”. said SSC head basketball coach John Pigatti. Pigatti added; “The players want to do things their way right now and evidently it’s not working. They better start listening or there will be major changes around here.”

South Suburban’s only bright spot of the day was sophomore forward Allen White. White scored a career high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores Rhyss Lewis (18 points) and Jason Towers (16 points). South Suburban’s shooting was a chilling as the upcoming polar vortex. They shot 26/73 (36.6%) from the field, 6/22 (27.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line. Kankakee shot 23/50 (46%) from the field, 5/14 (35.7%) from the “3”, and 24-31 (77.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban falls to 21-2 on the season.

They will make up their road game in Oglesby, Il against Illinois Valley Community College (postponed from 1/12/19) this Tuesday, January 29th. Game time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

January 29 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL – RESCHEDULED FROM 1/12

Postponed due to weather. Rescheduled for February 27.

February 2 – vs. Kishwaukee College in South Holland, IL – COMMUNITY DAY

It was a long time since the Bulldogs had won a basketball game. Two weeks to be exact. That was the longest head basketball coach John Pigatti has gone without a victory here at South Suburban College. The losing streak ended as they beat visiting NJCAA Region IV foe Kishwaukee College, 88-57.

Kishwaukee actually held an early 11-9 lead with 14:00 to go in the first half. SSC would go on a 12-2 run, and took a 21-13 lead with 10:00 to go.

They extended the lead to 30-17 with 7:00 to go, and took a 39-27 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban opened the second half on a 9-2 run and took a 48-29 lead with 17:00 left to go in the game. The Kougars would pull as close as 56-44 with 8:48 to go.

The Bulldogs would close the game on a 32-13 run for the final 31-point victory.

“it was nice to finally get a victory. It’s been a long time” said Coach Pigatti. “I was pleased with our defense for the most part. We have a long way to go offensively, but hopefully we will start listen to the coaching staff and solve these problems,” Pigatti added.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 35 points. He also filled up the stat sheet as he grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, blocked 3 shots, and snatched 2 steals. SSC’s only other double digit scorer was sophomore guard Jason Towers who chipped in 19 points of his own. Sophomore guard Haashim Keys led the Bulldogs with 7 assists and 5 steals.

Sophomore forward Chris Johnson and freshman forward Malcolm Bell grabbed 10 rebounds each as South Suburban won the rebounding battle 51-40.

South Suburban shot 33/74 (44.6%) from the field, 10/24 (41.7%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 12-18 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 19/54 (35.2%) from the field, they were 0/13 from the “3”, and 19-38 (50%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban who dropped to #6 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll , improved to 22-2 on the season. They now have the week off and return to action Saturday, February 9th with a 3pm tip against Region IV foe Black Hawk College.

At this game; former Men’s Basketball great and SSC’s first ever National-Player-of-the year, 2013 graduate Michael Harris will be honored as he was recently inducted into the NJCAA Region IV Hall-of-Fame. There will also be an Alumni Game played after the Men’s Basketball Game on that day as well. It will Coach Pigatti’s first ever Alumni game since he has been here at South Suburban College.

BOX SCORE

February 9 – vs. Black Hawk College in South Holland, IL – ALUMNI DAY

The #4 ranked Bulldogs hosted Region IV foe Black Hawk College of Moline, IL on Alumni Day. The new dogs put on a show for the former Bulldog greats as they were victorious 85-50.

The game started with SSC leading 9-6 at the 16:17 mark of the first half. The proceeded to go on a 16-0 run and take a 25-6 lead.

Black Hawk would only score 7 more points the entire half, and SSC led 48-13 at halftime.

South Suburban extended the lead to 76-46 with 6:30 to go, but did not play the second half with the intensity they had in the first half.

The 35-point margin of victory was the same margin at the half.

Black Hawk tied SSC 37-37 in the second half which did not please Head Coach John Pigatti.

“I was very disappointed in our effort and focus in the second half. The bench did nothing to improve our team today. The lack of focus we had in the second half is concerning to me as we head into post season play. We need to get it straightened out FAST!,” said Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis. He filled the stat line in the game in limited minutes. He scored 26 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, snatched 3 steals and blocked 1 shot.

Freshman forward scored 15 points for SSC as well.

South Suburban shot 35/66 (53%) from the field, 8/15 (53.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and were 7/12 (58.3%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 18/65 (27.7%) from the field, 1/22 (4.55%) from the “3”, and 13/17 (76.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 46-38.

South Suburban improved to 23-2 on the season. They return home for a Valentine’s Day game vs. Lincoln Land College. Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 14 – vs. Lincoln Land Community College in South Holland, IL

The #3 Bulldogs hosted Loggers from Lincoln Land Community College on Valentine’s Day. It was not all candy and flowers as things got heated in the 93-91 Bulldog victory.

Lincoln Land started the game hitting their first four 3-point shots and took an early 10-point lead. The Loggers held the lead throughout the first half and led 39-35 at half time.

South Suburban played with more intensity in the second half. They took their biggest lead of the game at 76-65 with 8:00 left in the game.

The Bulldogs held on for the 2-point victory.

“I was very disappointed in our team tonight. We let a team with nothing to lose, which only had 4 wins on the season, out tough us. Our proper mindset was not here tonight. Give all the credit to the toughness level Lincoln Land played with. We were lucky to win this game.” said Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 28 points. Sophomore guard Jason Towers scored 26 points for the Bulldogs as well. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward Chris Johnson. He recorded a double/double as he scored 17 points while grabbing 19 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 53-27.

SSC shot 30/73 (41.1%) from the field, 10/27 (37%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 23/34 (67.6%) from the free throw line. LLCC shot 32/64 (50%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from the “3”, and 18/19 (94.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 25-2 on the season. They play at arch rival Moraine Valley Community College this Saturday, February 16th. Tip time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 16 – at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL

The #3 Bulldogs headed to their south suburban rival Moraine Valley Community College for a tough Region IV contest on Saturday. They started out slow but in the end prevailed 81-70, to improve to 25-2 on the season.

Moraine Valley took an early 12-4 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half. SSC then went on a 15-5 run and took a 19-17 lead with 8:30 to go.

The Bulldogs led 36-33 at half time.

South Suburban went on a 15-7 run to start the second half and led 51-40 with 15:00 to go in the game. The Cyclones pulled to within 4 at 58-54 with 9:20 to go. They could not pull any closer and the Bulldogs left Palos Hills with a 11-point victory.

“I was not pleased with our start of the game defense. After a few adjustments we played better on that end of floor. Moraine Valley is one of the most talented team we have played this season. We are fortunate to leave their gym with a victory”, said South Suburban College Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jason Towers 22 points. The Bulldogs leading scorer this season, Rhyss Lewis, scored 17 points (11 points under his average) and freshman forward Malcolm Bell scored 15 points to help SSC’s victory.

South Suburban out rebounded Moraine Valley 37-35.

SSC shot 29/69 (42%) from the field, 7/15 (47%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 16/20 (80%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley shot 23/54 (43%), 4/14 (29%) from the “3”, and 20/32 (63%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their road swing this Tuesday, February 19 at NJCAA Division 1 foe Richard Daley College. Tip Time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

February 19 – at Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, IL

The #3 SSC Bulldogs headed on the road to Chicago to face their last NJCAA Division 1 foe, the Richard J. Daley College Bulldogs. After blowing a big second half lead, they held on for the 83-80 victory to improve to 26-2 on the season.

South Suburban trailed early in the game 8-2. Our Bulldogs then went on a 21-9 run and took a 23-17 lead with 8:30 to go in the first half.

Daley would not quit. They tied the game at 33 with 2:00 to go.

South Suburban had a 39-33 lead with 1:00 to go, when the host Bulldogs closed on a 4-0 run, and SSC went into the halftime break leading 39-37.

SSC would open a big lead during the second half. They led 67-53 with 8:15 to go in the game.

However, that’s when things got crazy. SSC would give up 27 points in the last eight minutes. Daley pulled to within one at 75-74 with 2:28 to go. They were trailing 80-79 with :40 to go when South Suburban’s Rhyss Lewis blocked a shot with :20 to go to help seal the victory.

“I was not pleased with the way we blew the 14-point lead in the second half. However, I was happy with our defensive focus at the end of the game to help us win.” said South Suburban College’s Head Coach John Pigatti.

Lewis led SSC in scoring with 28 points. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded a double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 15 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Freshman Malcolm Bell (12 points) and Sophomore Jason Towers (11points) were the other double digit scorers for the visiting Bulldogs.

SSC won the rebounding battle 47-32.

South Suburban shot 33/69 (47.8%) from the field, 8/16 (50%) from behind the 3-point line, and 9/12 (75%) from the free throw line. Daley shot 26/59 (44%) from the field, 7/15 (47%) from the arch, and 21/32 (66%) from the free throw line.

SSC finishes its 2018-19 home schedule this Thursday, February 22nd vs. Danville Area Community College. It’s Sophomore Night as the eight sophomores, who will be playing in their last home game at the “DAWG HOUSE”, are honored before the game. Tip time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 21 – vs. Danville Area Community College in South Holland, IL – SOPHOMORE NIGHT

Thursday was “Sophomore Night” for the #3 Bulldogs. They had not lost a “Sophomore Night“ the 12 other times they played during Coach John Pigatti’s tenure at the school. Unfortunately, Danville (who SSC beat earlier in the season) did not get the memo and they trounced the Bulldogs 84-67. It was the worst home defeat in Coach Pigatti’s 13 season at South Suburban College.

The first half was great competition for both teams. Danville took a 23-16 lead with 10:00 to go. South Suburban would go on a 11-3 run and take a 27-26 lead with 5:00 left to go in the first half. They would lead 33-32 with 2:25 to go when the Jaguars would close the half on a 5-0 run including making a 45-foot heave shot with no time left on the shot clock. They took a 37-33 lead in to the half time break.

The second half was all Danville. SSC had pulled to within 40-37 with 17:30 to go in the game.

However, Danville would go on a 16-2 run and take a 56-39 lead with 12:00 to go in the game. They would extend the lead to 20 at 71-51, and the Bulldogs could get no closer than 12 points.

“I am extremely embarrassed the way we played at home tonight. It was Sophomore Night and I guess the intensity was too much for our team. It is one of the worst defeats I have ever had here at South Suburban.” said Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 17 points. He had scored 32 points at Danville a month earlier. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was freshman guard Joffari Brown (14 points).

Danville out rebounded SSC 41-37.

South Suburban shot 23/63 (36.5%) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 14/18 (77.8%) from the free throw line. Danville shot 29/63 (46%) from the field, 6/17 (35.3%) from the “3”, and 20/21 (95.2%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban falls to 26-3 on the season.

They conclude the regular season tomorrow night with a make-up game (cancelled twice because of weather) at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL. Tip time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

February 22 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL – RESCHEDULED FROM 1/27

The #3 ranked Bulldogs concluded their regular season with a makeup contest at Illinois Valley. The Bulldogs, playing without one of their best players, would struggle in this game. They ended up victorious, holding back IVCC 78-75.

Haashim Keys suffered a torn patella tendon in Thursday night’s game against Danville.

Illinois Valley started out on fire offensively. They took an early 5-0 lead, and extended it to 15-9 with 16:00 to go in the first half.

SSC Head Coach John Pigatti would call time out and sub all five starters out of the game.

The new crew went on a 13-0 run and took a 22-15 lead with 9:50 left to go. They would build the lead to 10 at 33-23 with 5:25 to go.

However Illinois Valley continued their hot shooting and only trailed 38-35 at halftime.

In the second half, South Suburban would extend their lead to 58-48 with 11:49 to go in the game. Illinois Valley would rally and trail 66-63 with 4:15 left. SSC would take a 71-64 lead with 2:37 left in the game. They actually held their 7-point lead at 73-66 with 1:16 to go.

Illinois Valley would hit several 3-point baskets down the stretch.

With 01.5 second to go and the score tied 76-76, Bulldog sophomore guard Nate Shead went to the free throw line and calmly made both free throws to seal the victory.

“I was happy to escape with a victory tonight, especially after last night’s embarrassing loss. We will need to play better, and find out how to play without H, if we are going to make some noise in the region tourney.” said Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 19 points. Sophomore forward Chris Johnson would record another double/double as he scored 18 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. Sophomores Jason Towers (11 points) and Sidney Mason (12 points-career high) scored in double digits as well for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 48-24.

South Suburban shot 29/68 (43%) from the field, 5/16 (31%) from the arch, and 15/18 (83%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 25/53 (47%) from the field, 10/19 (53%) from the “3”, and 15/21 (71%) from the free throw line.

SSC finished the regular season with a 27-3 record. That record ties for the best regular season record during Coach Pigatti’s 13 seasons at the school. They received a first round bye in the NJCAA Division II Region IV Tournament. They will play March 3rd at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL at 12:00 noon vs. the winner of the Oakton Community College and Black Hawk College.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL

March 3 – vs. Oakton Community College at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

The Bulldogs played in their 13th straight Region IV Semi-Final Game in 13 seasons since Joh has been head coach. They have now been victorious 12 times as they defeated Oakton Community College, 87-58.

The game started with the Owls shooting lights out. They made their first six shots of the game and took a 15-4 lead with 14:29 left to go in the first half. They continued their 11-point lead at 21-10 with 10:51 to go.

South Suburban then turned up its defensive intensity. Oakton only scored 9 points the rest of the half as SSC went on a 29-9 run to end the half.

The Bulldogs led 39-30 at halftime.

South Suburban would open the second half on a 22-7 run and pull ahead for good at 67=37 with 12:22 to go in the game. Oakton could never get any closer and the Bulldogs came away with the 29-point victory.

The victory improves SSC record to 28-3 on the season and advances South Suburban to the Region IV District 3 Championship Game on March 9th.

“I was very disappointed in the start of the game. However, after a few defensive adjustments, we took some pride in our defense and came away with the victory,” Said Pigatti. “If we start that way against Milwaukee on Saturday we will be in trouble.”

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jason Towers 23 points. Bulldog sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis had a stat filling game. He recorded a double/double as he scored 15 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. He also dished out 5 assists and snatched 5 steals. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were: Freshmen Malcolm Bell (14 points) and Joffari Brown (12 points), while sophomore forward Chris Johnson recorded a double/double as he chipped in 12 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 53-39.

South Suburban shot 31/74 (41.9%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 17/21 (81%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 16/60 (26.7%) from the field, 8/27 (29.6) from the “3”, and 18/23 (78.3%) from the free throw line.

The #1 ranked Bulldogs will play #3 Milwaukee Area Technical College from Wisconsin at 5:00 pm.

BOX SCORE | REGION IV TOURNAMENT BRACKET

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9 – vs. #3 Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI) at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

The top seed Bulldogs were trying to capture their 10th Regional Championship in the 13 seasons Coach John Pigatti has been at the school. Unfortunately, missed free throws (1-6) in the last two minutes, and missed shots (0-4) in the last :40 cost the Bulldogs the title as they fell to Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) 75-72.

Milwaukee Tech jumped out to an early 30-20 with 6:23 left to go in the first half. South Suburban would come back, and after a made “3” point shot at the half time buzzer, MATC only led 39-37.

South Suburban would own the first 15:00 of the second half. They actually took a 71-61 lead with 4:45 to go in the game. However MATC would out score SSC 14-1 the rest of the way for the championship.

South Suburban was lead in scoring by sophomore guard Rhyss Lewis’ 21 points.

SSC out rebounded MATC 47-41, but lost the game at the free throw line.

South Suburban shot 23/59 (39%) from the field, 7/22 (31.8%) from the “3”, and were a disappointing 19/32 (59.4%) from the free throw line. MATC shot 26/66 (39.4%) from the field, 4/22 (18.2%) from the “3”, and 19 /28 (67.9%) from the free throw line.

SSC finished the season 28-4.

BOX SCORE | REGION IV TOURNAMENT BRACKET

KKC GARLAND DILDY TIP-OFF CLASSIC in Willie Little Gymnasium at Kennedy King College in Chicago, IL

November 3 – vs. Robert Morris University

The Bulldogs opened up the 2017-18 season at the Kennedy King College Garland Dildy Tipoff Classic. Their first opponent was Robert Morris University (JV).

After a slow start, SSC regrouped and were victorious 79-60.

The game started with Robert Morris scoring the first two baskets of the game. Robert Morris had 6-2 lead with 17:00 to go in the first half.

South Suburban then started to pick up its offensive output. They would eventually take their first lead of the game at 11-10 with 14:00 to go. They would extend that lead to 34-19 at the half time break.

The second half started out with South Suburban going on a 14-4 run to take a 48-23 lead with 15:22 to go in the game. SSC would gain their biggest lead at 60-34, and cruise to the finish line for the 19-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon’s 14 points. Lemon would also grabbed a team high 9 rebounds. South Suburban had only one other double digit scorer as sophomore guard E’Mon Frison chipped in 11 points of his own. Nine out of the eleven Bulldog players that played in the game scored.

South Suburban shot 34/80 (42.5%) from the field, and a dismal 4-18 (22.2%) from behind the 3-point line. They shot 7/14 (50%) from the free throw line. Robert Morris (JV) shot 19/75 (25.3%) from the field, 7/31 (22.6%) from the “3”, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 54-37.

The Bulldogs open the season (1-0) and will play the #12 team in the country; Cuyahoga Community College from the Cleveland, Ohio area on Saturday November 4th.

BOX SCORE

November 4 – vs. Cuyahoga Community College (OH)

It was a battle of top 15 teams as #3 South Suburban played #12 Cuyahoga Community College (OH) in the final round of the KKC Garland Dildy Tip Off Classic.

The game was fierce, as both teams battle as if it was a March playoff game. In the end, Cuyahoga gave South Suburban College it’s first defeat this year as they prevailed 57-52. It was the earliest a Coach John Pigatti Bulldog team has lost since his arrival on campus 12 years ago.

Cuyahoga opened up the game with an early 5-0 lead in the first 6 minutes of the game. South Suburban would eventually tie the game at 9 with 11:26 to go in the first half. SSC took its first lead of the game at 17-16 with 6:51 to go. They would extend the lead to 24-19 with 2:24 to go in the half. Cuyahoga would battle back, and as the first half buzzer sounded they made a 3-point basket to take a 28-26 lead into the halftime break.

The second half opened with SSC taking a 41-37 lead with 10:00 to go in the game. SSC would hold a 48-46 lead with 5:00 to go in the game. Cuyahoga would take a 52-21 lead with :50 to go. On the ensuing possession the Bulldogs would turn the ball over and Cuyahoga would make 2 free throws to lead with :40 to go. South Suburban would miss a 3-point attempt but would steal the ball with :20 to go. After a timeout SSC would get a 3-point attempt by Sophomore guard Jordan Matthews. Matthews would miss the shot and Cuyahoga would leave the tipoff classic victorious.

The game was won at the free throw line as both teams shot the ball poorly. South Suburban shot 18/55 (32.7%) from the field, 3/11 (27.3%) from behind the 3-point arc, and only 13/22 (59.1%) from the free throw line. Cuyahoga would shoot 15/45 (33.3%) from the field, 2/9 (22.2%) from the “3”, and 25/31 (80.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban only had one player score in double figures (Matthews-12 pts.) Sophomore Lee Howard would lead the Bulldogs in rebounding as he grabbed 7.

However, Cuyahoga would win the rebounding battle 37-35.

South Suburban drops to 1-1 on the season.

They continue their early season road trip with a Tuesday night (November 7) contest at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL. Tipoff is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 7 – at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL

This game was forfeited by Wright College due to the use of an ineligible player. South Suburban College wins 2-0.

The Bulldogs begin a six-game home stand with a 7:00pm contest this Thursday night vs. rival College of Lake County.

BOX SCORE

November 9 – vs. College of Lake County in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs opened their 2017-18 home part of their schedule with a strong defensive effort in a 86-71 victory over the College of Lake County.

SSC opened up the game with a 5-0 run, and extended the lead to 20-4 with 10 to go in the first half. They would increase the lead to 32-11 with 5:20 to go but only lead 39-23 at halftime.

The second half started with Lake County cutting the lead to 42-32 with 16:30 to go in the game. After a SSC timeout the Bulldogs went on a 16-4 run and led 59-23 with 12:30 to go in the game.

Lake County would get to within 13 at 80-67 with 2:00 to go, but that would be as close as the score would be.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 26 points on 10/14 shooting and 3/5 from behind the 3-point line.

Other Bulldogs to score in double digits were sophomores Brian Davis and Lawrence Lemon who chipped in 13 and 12 points respectfully.

South Suburban shot 32/60 (53.3%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 27/43 (62.8%) from the field, a sizzling 7/11 (63.6%) from the “3” and 10/13 (76.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 31-21.

SSC improves to 3-1 on the season.

They continue their early six-game home stand with a 3:00pm contest this Saturday afternoon vs. 2-time National Champions Rock Valley College of Rockford, IL.

BOX SCORE

November 11 – vs. Rock Valley College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban hosted the 2-time National Champions Rock Valley College at this Saturday matinee. It was a game for the defensive minded, as there was not much offense played in the 65-53 victory for the host Bulldogs.

Rock Valley held the early lead at 6-4 with 15:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then clamp down defensively and take a 24-11 lead with 6:40 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then only score 2 points the rest of the half and Rock Valley would take a 27-26 lead into the half time break.

The second half defense for both teams picked up where they left off in the first half. However, South Suburban would open on a 18-7 run and take a 44-34 lead with 11:40 to go in the game. Rock Valley would get as close as 47-46 with 6:15 to go.

South Suburban would then go on a 11-0 run to extend the lead to 58-46 with 3:10 to go in the game and would never let the lead dwindle under the double digit mark, and they marked up their 4th victory of the season.

They are now 4-1 on the young season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 21 points. Freshman guard Courtney Carter would score 17 points for SSC while dishing out 7 assists.

Sophomore forward Brian Davis would record his first career double/double as he scored 14 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 27/60 (45%) from the field, 4/9 (44.4%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 7/11 (63.6%) from the free throw line. Rock Valley shot 17/53 (32.1%) from the field, 2/15 (13.3%) from the “3” and 17/27 (63%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 42-35.

SSC continues their 6-game home stand with a Tuesday evening contest vs. Waubonsee Community College. Tipoff is at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 14 – vs. Waubonsee Community College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban continued its early season home stand with an impressive 84-55 victory over #19 Waubonsee College.

The game was tight early with the Bulldogs holding a slim 13-9 lead with 13:00 to go in the first half. Over the next seven and a half minutes, SSC went on a 21-2 run and extended its lead to a comfortable 34-12 margin.

They went into the half time break holding a 50-26 lead.

South Suburban would continue its defensive prow less as the opened up the first 10:00 of the second half on a 20-8 run and took a 70-34 lead. They would hold their biggest lead at 82-44 before they cruised home for their fifth victory of the year.

SSC improved to 5-1 on the season.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore Jordan Matthews who scored 23 points. He would dish out 4 assists and snatch 2 steals as well. Sophomore guard Jamal Bailey would give the Bulldogs the lift they need off the bench as he scored a career high 22 points while going 10/12 from the field. Bailey would grab 7 rebounds as well. Freshman starting point guard Courtney Carter would chip in 13 points of his own while leading the Bulldogs in rebounding with 9.

South Suburban shot 35/70 (50%) from the field, 6/23 (26.1%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 8/15 (53.3%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 22/58 (37.9%) from the field, 3/13 (23.1%) from the “3”, and 8/15 (53.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 43-36.

They continue their early home stand with a 7:00pm this Thursday vs. south suburban rival, Prairie State College.

BOX SCORE

November 16 – vs. Prairie State College in South Holland, IL

When it comes to rivalries, you know the games are not going to be pretty. Well, the rivalry between South Suburban and Prairie State is no different. SSC hosted this ugly rivalry game and the Bulldogs came out victorious with a 80-65 win.

The first 10 minutes of the game no one established a lead and the game was tied at 14. Prairie State would take a 19-15 lead with 8:30 to go in the first half. Freshman Ahmad Biggins would bank in a “3” point shot to help give SSC at 33-29 lead at halftime.

Prairie State would tie the game at 41 with 13:15 to go.

However, South Suburban would go on a 23-6 run. After sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 3-point play the old fashion way, SSC held a 64-47 lead with 5:30 to go in the game.

The 15-point victory improved South Suburban record to 6-1 on the season.

Matthews was very impressive in this game. He would score a career high 46 points while dishing out 8 assists and snatching 5 steals. Sophomore forward Brian Davis would record his 4th double/double of the season as he scored 14 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 27/59 (45.8%) from the field, 11/24 (45.8%) from the “3”, and 15/25 (60%) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 22/61 (36.1%) from the field, 5/16 (31.3%) from the “3”, and 15/18 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban continues its home stand with a Monday night contest before Thanksgiving vs. Trinity Christian College (JV). Tipoff is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 20 – vs. Trinity Christian College JV in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs headed into the Thanksgiving break with a 104-43 thrashing of Trinity Christian JV. 11 out of the 13 Bulldogs that dressed scored.

The game opened with the SSC taking a 45-21 lead into the half time break.

The second half was an offensive show for the Bulldogs as they scored 59 points while holding Trinity Christian to just 22 points in the second half.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 24 points.

SSC had 3 other players score in double digits. Sophomores Jamal Bailey, Lee Howard, and Brian Davis scored 16, 10, and 10 points respectfully. Howard (10 rebounds) and Davis (12 rebounds) recorded double/doubles for the Bulldogs. Freshman guard Courtney Carter had a career high 8 steals.

South Suburban shot 39/69 (56.5%) from the field, 10/18 (55.6%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 16/23 (69.6%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot 15/42 (35.7%) from the field, 3/17 (17.6%) from the “3”, and 10/14 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 45-25. The Bulldogs improved to 7-1 on the season.

They will take a break for Thanksgiving and then start back up with a home contest next Tuesday November 28, 2017. The will play Oakton Community College at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

November 28 – vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned from Thanksgiving break to close out their early 6-game home stand.

They started out a little sluggish but came around for a 77-47 victory over Oakton Community College.

Oakton took the early 5-4 lead with 17:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then go on a 19-6 run to take a 23-11 lead with 7:30 to go in the half. They would head into the half time break leading 43-22.

The second half started with both teams’ defensive intensity at a high level. Neither team could score for the first 3:00 of the half.

Oakton would get to within 17 at 48-31 with 11:00 to go in the game.

SSC would then go on a 27-11 run to take their largest lead of the game at 75-42 with 2:40 to go in the game. They would close out the game with the 30-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Sophomore guard Jordan Matthews’ 19 points. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore forward Brian Davis. He recorded a double/double as he scored 13 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. He would also dish out 7 assists and block 5 shots.

South Suburban shot 30/63 (47.6%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from behind the 3-point line, and 9/16 (56.3%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 17/57 (29.8%) from the field, 6/25 (24%) from the “3”, and 7/10 (70%) from the free throw line. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 43-36. SSC improved to 8-1 on the season.

They head out for a quick two-game road trip starting this Thursday (November 30th) night at McHenry Count College in Crystal Lake. Tip off time is 7:15 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 30 – at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL

The Bulldogs took to the road to visit McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL. It is their first road game since November 7th. They started out sluggish but in the end prevailed 80-59.

The first three minutes of the game both teams were sluggish. No one scored. South Suburban took the 2-0 lead and never trailed in the game.

After the first 10:00 of the game SSC led 20-7. McHenry would go on a 6-0 run and close to within 22-16. South Suburban would take a 35-25 lead into the half time break.

The Bulldogs went on a 22-12 run in the first 10:00 of the second half and took a 57-37 lead. They would extend that lead to 65-40 with 8:00 to go in the game and their big lead was never challenged.

The victory improved their record to 9-1 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 25 points. He would also dish out 4 assists. Sophomores Jamal Bailey and Brian Davis were the only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs. They had 14 and 12 points respectfully. Davis also grabbed a career high 20 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 31/76 (41%) from the field, 6/21 (29%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 12/21 (57%) from the free throw line. McHenry shot 18/58 (31%) from the field, 2/17 (12%) from the “3”, and 21/33 (64%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 51-45.

South Suburban continues its two-game road trip with a Saturday contest at Kennedy King College, in Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 2 – at Kennedy-King College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs went into a hostile environment at Kennedy King College in Chicago, Il, but in the end prevailed in an exciting 63-62 victory.

The Bulldogs took an early 9-2 lead. They extended it to 28-20 with 2:40 left in the first half.

SSC took a 28-24 lead into the half time break.

The second half was one for the memory books. With 7:00 to go and SSC leading 54-47, Kennedy King went on a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 56-54 with 4:00 to go.

Immediately after Kennedy King took the lead, Bulldog sophomore guard Jordan Matthews finally connected on his 3-point shot of the day to give SSC the 57-56 lead.

Kennedy King went on a 6-1 run to take a 62-58 lead with :50 to go in the game. South Suburban’s freshman guard Courtney Carter would make a free throw, then grabbed a steal and a lay-up to pull SSC to within 1 at 62-61.

After a Kennedy King missed shot and a South Suburban time out, Matthews would be fouled on an inbounds play. He would proceed to make both free throws and the Bulldogs lead 63-62 with :07 to go. Kennedy King would get their game winning shot blocked by SSC’s sophomore forward Lee Howard and the Bulldogs would escape with the 1-point victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Matthews 14 points. Sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon would chip in 12 points of his own.

South Suburban shot 24/65 (36.9%) from the field, a dismal 2/16 (12.5%) from the “3”, and 13/22 (59.1%) from the free throw line. Kennedy King shot 24/64 (37.5%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the “3”, and 11/13 (84.6%) from the free throw line.

The rebounding battle was tied at 44. South Suburban was led in rebounds by sophomore forward Brian Davis’ 16 boards.

South Suburban returns home on Tuesday December 5th, for a 7:00 p.m. tip vs. Morton College. The Bulldogs are now 10-1 on the season.

BOX SCORE

December 5 – vs. Morton College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted Morton College. Coach Pigatti was worried about a letdown after the South Suburban was ranked #1 in the country in the latest NJCAA Division II poll earlier in the day. After a slow start, SSC pulled away in the second half for a 79-61 victory.

SSC led 8-6 with 15:00 to go in the first half. They went on a 15-2 run and took a 23-10 lead with 9:00 to go.

They led by 10 with 2:00 to go in the half when Morton made a run, and cut the halftime lead to 34-31.

The second half stared with the Bulldogs opening up on a 26-13 run and led 60-44 with 9:00 to go in the game.

Morton never got any closer and SSC would pick up their 11th victory of the year and improve to 11-1 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 22 points. Sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon would shoot a sizzling 8-10 from the field for the Bulldogs and chip in 19 points of his own. The only other Bulldog to score in double digits was sophomore guard Jamal Bailey who scored 14 points.

South Suburban shot 30-63 (48%) from the field, 6-16 (38%) from behind the 3-point line, and 13-22 (59%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 22/62 (35%) from the field, 7/29 (24%) from the “3”, and 10/15 (67%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 46-36.

The Bulldogs will take their newly acquired #1 ranking on the road this Saturday when they play at Oakland Community College in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Tip time is 3:00 p.m. (EST).

BOX SCORE

December 9 – vs. Oakland Community College in Bloomfield Hills, MI

South Suburban sophomore forward Lee Howard injured his knee in practice. As the Bulldogs boarded the bus to go to their game at Oakland Community College in Bloomfield Hills, MI, they learned they will lose their leader for the season. Howard tore his ACL and meniscus and will have to have surgery later this month.

The Bulldogs could not regroup in time on the trip and were handed a 66-53 loss at the hands of the Raiders from Oakland.

The Bulldogs did have spirit in the beginning moments of the game as they took an early 11-4 lead. However, Oakland went on a 20-3 run over the next 6 minutes and took a 24-14 lead with 6:22 to go in the first half. Oakland would lead 38-27 at half time.

The second half was a nightmare shooting for the Bulldogs. They missed eight lay-ups in the half and could pull no closer than 58-50 with 2:00 to go.

However, after another missed lay-up that would of pulled the Bulldogs to within six, Oakland would never let the visitors any closer.

The loss drops South Suburban to 11-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Courtney Carter’s 16 points. SSC sophomores Jordan Matthews and Lawrence Lemon would score 14 and 10 points respectfully. Lemon would record his first career double/double as he grabbed a game high 15 rebounds for the Bulldogs. However, Oakland would win the rebounding battle 51-47. South Suburban was as ice cold as the wintery conditions in Michigan. They shot a chilling 14/57 (25%) from the field, and even colder 4/20 (20%) from behind the 3-point line, and 21/27 (78%) from the free throw line. Oakland shot 21/68 (31%) from the field, 6/16 (38%) from the “3”, and 18/27 (67%) from the free throw line.

Besides their poor shooting the Bulldogs turned the ball over 26 times.

They now take a break from the court to concentrate on final exams. They will return to action Saturday, Decemember 16th as they host a North American JUCO/Prep School Holiday Classic. There will be two teams from Canada in the classic, Lincoln Prep and Vaughn Secondary School. The Bulldogs will play at 3:00pm on Saturday vs. Lincoln Prep (Canada), and on Sunday at 1:00pm vs. Vaughn S.S. Prep (Canada). Saturday will be Kid’s Day as well. Santa Claus will be in attendance.

BOX SCORE

NORTH AMERICAN JUCO/PREP HOLIDAY CLASSIC in the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL

December 16 – vs. Lincoln Preparatory Academy from Toronto, ONT, Canada

South Suburban welcomed two teams from Canada this weekend as they hosted the North American JUCO/Prep School Holiday Classic.

Their first game was against Lincoln Prep were they were victorious 96-47.

The game opened with Lincoln Prep making a 3-point basket. That was their last lead of the night as SSC went on a 23-0 run after the “3” to take a 23-3 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half.

South Suburban led at halftime 54-24. The Bulldogs went on a 19-3 run to start the second half, and cruised to victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by freshman guard Courtney Carter’s 21 points. He also dished out 7 assists. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores: Jamal Bailey, Jordan Matthews and E’mon Frison who scored 20,19, and 11 points respectfully.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 41-25.

SSC shot 39/73 (53.4%) from the field, 8/24 (33.3%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 10/14 (71.4%) from the free throw line. Lincoln Prep shot 18/47 (38.3%) from the field, 7/20 (35%) from the “3”, and 4/5 (80%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improves to 12-2 on the season. Tomorrow they host the another visiting team from Canada: Vaughn Secondary School. Tip time is 1:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 17 – vs. Vaughan Secondary School from Toronto, ONT, Canada

The Bulldogs concluded their North American JUCO/Prep Holiday Classic with an impressive 85-58 victory over their Canadian counterparts, Vaughan Secondary School.

Vaughan started the game out with an early 5-0 lead. South Suburban then went on a 28-2 run to take a 28-7 lead. They extended the lead to 35-9 and led 44-23 at halftime.

Vaughan would start the second half strong as they went on an 11-0 run to close the gap to 44-34. That was the closest they would get. South Suburban would then go on a 15-0 run and cruise to victory. The victory improved the Bulldogs record to 13-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews and freshman guard Courtney Carter’s 16 points. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores Lawrence Lemon and Jamal Bailey who scored 15 and 11 points respectfully. SSC would win the rebounding battle 37-25.

South Suburban shot 30/56 (53.6%) from the field, 10/26 (38.5%) from behind the 3-point line, and 15/18 (83.3%) from the free throw line. Vaughan shot 23/56 (41.1%) from the field, 7/22 (31.8%) from the “3”, and 5/7 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban gets back to Region IV JUCO action as they host Carl Sandburg College Thursday December 21st. Game time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

December 21 – vs. Carl Sandberg College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs closed out their 2017 portion of their home schedule with an impressive 94-69 victory over Region IV foe Carl Sandburg College.

Carl Sandburg made a 3-point shot on their first possession of the game to take their only lead of the game. They would only trail 9-8 with 15:00 to go in the first half when SSC would go on a 31-10 run and take a 40-18 lead with 5:00 left in the first half.

South Suburban led 48-25 at halftime.

SSC would start the second half on an 8-2 run and take a 56-27 lead. Carl Sandburg would then go on a run of their own. They went on a 27-13 run to cut SSC’s lead to 69-54 with 8:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then go on another run (17-5) and take a 86-59 lead with 2:00 to go.

Carl Sandburg would never make another run and SSC would come out with the 25-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 29 points. Sophomore guard Jamal Bailey would score 26 points of his own to help SSC. Sophomore forward Brian Davis would record a double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 12 points while grabbing 14 rebounds.

South Suburban shot a sizzling 37/58 (63.8%) from the field, 4/5 (80%) from behind the 3-point line, and 16/19 (84.2%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 27/57 (47.4%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the “3”, and 11/13 (84.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 31-24.

SSC improved to 14-2 on the season.

They will take a break for the Christmas Holiday and return to the court on New Year’s Eve weekend. They play December 30th and 31st in the John Wood Classic in Quincy, IL.

BOX SCORE

JOHN WOOD NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSIC at John Wood Community College in Quincy, IL

December 30 – vs. John Wood Community College

The Bulldogs returned from Christmas break very sluggish in the start of their game vs. John Wood Community College in the John Wood New Year’s Eve Classic. However, they recovered to prevail 66-52.

South Suburban trailed 16-2 after the first 10 minutes of the game. After three time outs were called by Coach John Pigatti, SSC woke up. Trailing 23-12 with 5:00 to go in the half, they spurted to a 15-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 27-25. The Bulldogs went into halftime with a 33-28 lead.

SSC started out the second half with a 4-0 run to take a 37-28 lead. John Wood then would answer with a 16-4 run of their own to take a 44-41 lead with 10:00 left in the game.

South Suburban would end the game on a 28-8 run and hold their host scoreless for the last 3:00 of the game.

The victory improved the #5 Bulldogs to 15-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthew’s 23 points. Sophomore Jamal Bailey would chip in 17 points of his own. Freshman point guard Ahmad Biggins would get his first start due to the injury to normal starting point guard Courtney Carter’s shoulder. Biggins would respond with a 16-point (career high) 5 assists and no turnover performance.

SSC won the rebounding battle 41-39.

South Suburban shot 20/62 (32.3%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from behind the 3-point line, and 22/28 (78.6%) from the free throw line.

They will play the 8th ranked in NJCAA Division 1 Moberly Area Community College Greyhounds from Missouri on New Year’s Eve at 1:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 31 – vs. Moberly (MO) Area Community College

The #5 ranked South Suburban Bulldogs took on the #8 ranked Greyhounds of Moberly Community College of Missouri in the final game of the John Wood New Year’s Eve Classic.

After a great start, the Bulldogs fell 82-78 to their Division 1 opponent.

SSC would open the game with a 9-2 run and actually lead 23-8 with 10:00 left in the first half. They would take a 44-27 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban would open the second half on a 4-0 run for the second straight day, to take a 48-27 lead with 18:00 to go in the game. That lead was not safe as the Greyhounds would go on a 16-2 run and only trail 50-43 with 12:00 to go. South Suburban still led 57-51 when Moberly would go on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 59-57 with 8:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban would actually lead 78-69 with 2:30 to go. Sloppy and unintelligent play would plaque the Bulldogs during the final 2:30 of the game, allowing MACC would close on a 13-0 to win the game. South Suburban had the ball with :33 to go and the game tied at 78. They were playing for the last shot when an ill-advised pass was turned over and Moberly capitalized on the bad pass and took a 80-78 lead with :15 seconds to go. Sophomore guard Jordan Matthews would have the last shot for the Bulldogs, but his lay-up with :02 rimmed out and SSC fell to 15-3 on the season.

Matthews would lead the bulldogs in scoring with 33 points. SSC sophomore guard Jamal Bailey would score 24 points of his own (a career high) and dish out 7 assists.

Moberly won the rebounding battle 42-25 and they forced the Bulldogs into 21 turnovers (13 in the second half).

South Suburban shot 25/58 (43.1%) from the field, 9/21 (42.9%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 19/22 (86.4%) from the free throw line. Moberly shot 34/67 (50.7%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the “3” and 11/14 (78.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns to Region IV play after the New Year as they travel to play Bryant & Stratton College at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, WI Thursday, January 4th. Game time is 5:30pm.

BOX SCORE

January 4 – vs. Bryant & Stratton College at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, WI

The Bulldogs were shorthanded for this game. They had 3 starters out; Lee Howard (torn ACL- out the season), Courtney Carter (torn labrum- out 3 weeks), and Lawrence Lemon (strain knee ligament- out 1 or 2 weeks), but still prevailed with a 76-66 road victory at Bryant & Stratton College (WI).

It was not a pretty performance but the bench made enough plays to ensure the victory. The Bulldogs started the game with an 18-10 lead with 11:55 left in the first half.

They extended the lead to 29-19 with 7:20 to go and you thought they would cruise from there. Their host were not folding. Bryant & Stratton went on a 10-2 run and only trailed 31-29 with 4:20 left in the first half. The Bulldogs would take the 2-point lead into the half time break (38-36).

The second half turned into a game of scoring runs for each team. Bryant Stratton opened the second half on a 8-2 run and took a 44-40 lead with 17:00 to go in the game.

SSC then went on a 6-0 run to take a 46-44 lead with 16:00 to go. Then Bryant & Stratton went on a 10-2 run and took a 54-48 lead with 12:30 to go.

South Suburban went on an 8-1 run and took a 56-55 lead with 9:00 to go. They would extend the lead to 67-60 with 7:00 to go. Bryant & Stratton would not fold, they would close the gap to 67-64.

SSC would then close on a 9-2 run and secure the 10-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews. He would score 20 points (18 in the second half). There were plenty of Bulldog freshman that scored career highs. Marcus Hussey and Antonio Reed would score 14 and 9 points respectfully. Freshman point guard Ahmad Biggins would score 15 points of his own, while dishing out 5 assists.

Sophomore forward Brian Davis would grabbed a game high 15 rebounds to lead South Suburban to victory in the rebounding battle (39-32).

South Suburban shot 28/62 (45.2%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from behind the 3-point line, and 14/18 (77.8%) from the free throw line. Bryant & Stratton would shoot 29/63 (46%) from the field, 2/12 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 6/12 (50%0 from the free throw line.

#5 South Suburban improved to 16-3 on the season. They now have a little break in the schedule. They do not play again until next Saturday January 13, 2018 vs. Illinois Valley Community College. Game time at South Suburban College is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 13 – vs. Illinois Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned to the court after a long 8-day break and started off a little sluggish, but after getting into a rhythm offensively they prevailed 91-74 over Illinois Valley CC.

The Bulldogs Led 13-10 with 12:50 to go in the game. They proceeded to go on a 12-0 run and take a 25-10 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half.

They would lead 50-30 at half time.

The second half began with the Bulldogs jumping out on a 12-4, and they took their biggest lead of the game at 62-34 with 17:00 to go in the game.

Illinois Valley would not fold. They went on a 24-7 run of their own and pulled to within 11 at 69-58 with 11:00 to go in the game.

Illinois Valley would not get any closer and the Bulldogs’ victory would improve their record to 17-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by recently named NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year, Jordan Matthews, who scored 24 points (20 in the first half). SSC sophomore guard Jamal Bailey would record a double/double as he scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Fellow sophomore forward Brian Davis would also record a double/double as he scored 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.

Sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon and freshman guard Courtney Carter both returned to the lineup after sitting out the last few weeks with injuries. They both would score 10 points for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 44-32.

South Suburban shot 39/69 (52.2%) from the field, 8/20 (40%) from behind the 3-point line, and 11/14 (78.6%) from the free throw line. Illinois Valley shot 29/69 (42%) from the field, 5/21 (23.8%) from the “3”, and were a perfect 11/11 from the free throw line.

#8 South Suburban returns to action this Wednesday 1/17/18 as they host Northwestern Univ. (Club). Tip time is 7:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 17 – vs. the Basketball Club of Northwestern University in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted the club team from Northwestern University of Evanston and, after a slow start, prevailed 105-64.

SSC trailed 10-2 to start the game. They did not take their first lead of the game until sophomore guard Jordan Matthews made a lay-up with 9:20 to go in the first half. That basket gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 19-18.

South Suburban went into the halftime break with a 52-34 lead.

Northwestern would open the second half on a 3-0 run. After that it was all South Suburban.

The Bulldogs took their biggest lead at 96-53 with 2:00 to go in the game. They cruised home from there.

Every Bulldog who played scored in the game. SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jamal Bailey’s 22 points. Matthews who score 17 points of his own. The other double digit scorers for SSC were: Brian Davis (13pts.), Domagoj Jacovic (13 pts.-a career high), and Lawrence Lemon (12 pts.- on a perfect 6/6 from the field).

Freshman center Jacen Lands helped SSC win the rebounding battle 38-20. Lands grabbed a career high 8 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 43-69 (62.3%) from the field, 13/29 (44.8%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 6/12 (50%) from the free throw line. Northwestern Univ. (Club) shot 21/49 (42.9%) from the field, 5/20 (25%) from the “3”, and 17/28 (60.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban, who moved up to #5 in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, improved to 18-3 on the season. They now have a 7 day break until their next game. They travel to Chicago to play Olive Harvey College on Thursday Jan. 25th for a 7:00pm tip off time.

BOX SCORE

January 17 – at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, IL

#6 South Suburban went into hostile territory as they entered Olive-Harvey’s gym. They had not played in over a week and it showed early, but in the end, SSC survived with a 74-67 victory.

Olive Harvey jumped out to an early 12-2 lead with 16:25 left in the first half. Neither team would score for the next three minutes until SSC scored at the 13:00 minute mark of the first half. The Bulldogs would take their first lead 18-17 with 8:00 to go.

Olive-Harvey would then go on a 19-10 run to end the half and lead SSC 36-28 at halftime.

South Suburban would open up the second half on a 12-2 run of their own and take a 40-38 lead with 15:00 to go in the game. The Panthers would then build a five-point lead at 52-47 with 9:30 to go. In one minute, SSC surged to the lead after a 7-0 run. They would never look back, and improve to 19-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jamal Bailey’s 24 points (21 in the second half). Freshman point guard Courtney Carter would score 18 points for the Bulldogs and snatch 5 steals.

South Suburban shot 27/65 (41.5%) from the field, only 2/14 (14.3) from behind the 3-point arc, and 18/21 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Olive-Harvey shot 27/52 (51.9%) from the field, 1/9 (11.1%) from the “3”, and 12-18 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

The Panthers dominated the rebounding war as they out rebounded SSC 42-28.

South Suburban returns home for a two-game home stand. Their next game is Saturday January 27th against NJCAA Division 1 foe Kankakee Community College. Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 27 – vs. Kankakee Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted NJCAA Division 1 Kankakee Community College and were not gracious host. They prevailed 94-71 and improved their record to 20-3 on the season.

SSC came out firing from the 3-point line as they made their first three 3-point shots to take an early 9-3 lead. They would extend that first half lead to 45-22 with 2:45 left.

Kankakee would close out the first half verses SSC’s bench, going on a 12-4 run. South Suburban only led 49-34 at halftime.

South Suburban starters opened up the second half on a 9-0 run to lead 58-34 with 14:00 to go in the game. They would grab their biggest lead of the game at 92-58 with 4:20 to go.

The Cavaliers would close out the game on a 13-2 run, again against SSC’s bench, to close the final scoring margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthew’ 27 points. Matthews was also a perfect 11/11 from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon would score his career high 20 points while grabbing 12 rebounds (to record his first career double/double). The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore guard Jamal Bailey (15 points).

South Suburban shot 36/69 (52.2%) from the field, 10/20 (50%) from the “3”, and 12/13 (92.3%) from the free throw line. Kankakee shot 25/61 (41%) from the field, 9/29 (31%) from the “3”, and 12/20 (60%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban continues its home stand with a Tuesday, January 30 contest vs. The Bosco Institute of Crown Point, Indiana. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 30 – vs. The Bosco Institute (IN) in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs hosted The Bosco Institute, a prep school from across the border in Indiana. They were not gracious host as the defeated their visitors 84-64.

The Bosco Dons opened up the game with a 4-0 run. Then South Suburban tied the game at 9-9 with 14:00 to go in the game.

SSC went on a 12-2 run and took a 21-11 lead with 8:00 to go in the first half. Bosco would then go on a 16-6 run of their own and tie the game at 27 with 2:00 to go in the half.

South Suburban would lead 32-29 at the halftime break.

South Suburban would extend their small half time lead to 65-50 with 9:30 to go in the game. Bosco would go on a 8-2 run of their own and close the gap to 67-58 with 6:30 to go.

SSC broke the game open in the next two minutes by going on a 9-0 run. The Bulldogs never looked back.

SSC improved to 21-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews’ 27 points. Sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon almost recorded his second straight double/double for SSC, as he scored 19 points while grabbing 8 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jamal Bailey was the only other Bulldog in double figures as he chipped in 11 points. Freshman guard Courtney Carter dished out 8 assists while grabbing 10 steals. South Suburban shot 32/69 (46.4%) from the field, 8/20 (40%) from behind the 3-point line, and 12/16 (75%) from the free throw line. Bosco shot 18/39 (46.2%0 from the field, 3/11 (27.3%) from the “3”, and 25/34 (73.5%) from the free throw line.

The Dons did win the rebounding battle 33-32.

South Suburban head to Malta IL this Saturday, February 3rd for a 3:00pm contest at Kishwaukee College.

BOX SCORE

February 3 – at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL

South Suburban traveled to Malta, Il for a Region IV contest vs. Kishwaukee College. The Bulldogs led from start to finish in their 78-40 victory.

The game started with South Suburban taking a 24-10 lead with 6:50 to go in the first half. They would go into the half time break leading 41-22.

They opened the second half on a 20-5 run and led 61-27 with 11:00 to go in the game.

SSC defense was tremendous in the second half as they held Kishwaukee to 18 points in the half; which led to the 38-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthew’s 30 points. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore forward Brian Davis. He recorded a double/double as he scored 10 points, while grabbing 14 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 58-34.

SSC shot 30/75 (40%) from the field, 9/26 (34.6%) from behind the 3-point line, and 9/15 (60%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 13/55 (23.6%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the “3”, and 10/14 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 22-3 on the season. They return home to start a 3-game home stand against NJCAA Division I Harry S. Truman College from Chicago on Tuesday, February 6th. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 6 – vs. Harry S. Truman College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted NJCAA Division I Harry S. Truman College and were not very gracious. After a slow start they picked up the defensive intensity and were victorious 100-54.

The victory improved South Suburban’s record to 23-3 on the season.

The game started with Truman actually leading 13-12 with 14:00 to go in the first half. After a SSC timeout, the defense picked up.

South Suburban closed the first half on a 44-16 run and took a 56-29 lead into the half time break.

The second half started out like the first half ended. The Bulldogs went on a 25-6 run and led 81-35 with 11:30 to go in the game.

The 46-point lead held on for the final margin of victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forwards Lawrence Lemon’s career high 23 points. He also recorded a double/double as he grabbed 15 rebounds. Freshman center Levane Blake scored his career high 17 points while grabbing 8 rebounds of his own. Freshman guard Courtney Carter recorded a double/double as he scored 17 points while snatching 10 steals. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were: sophomore guard Jordan Matthews (13 pts.) and freshman forward Antonio Reed (13 points).

South Suburban shot 40/70 (57.1%) from the field, 8/22 (36.4%) from behind the 3-point line, and 12/18 (66.7%) from the free throw line. The Falcons shot 20/47 (42.6%) from the field, 6/21 (28.6%) from the “3”, and 8/13 (61.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 41-22.

South Suburban stays at home for their next contest on Saturday afternoon, February 10th, when they will play Moraine Valley Community College. Tip time is 3:00pm.

The game is designated as “Community Day”. All residents, business owners and employees in the South Suburban College District 510, as well as NW Indiana will be admitted FREE OF CHARGE. There will be special prizes and raffles during the game.

BOX SCORE

February 10 – COMMUNITY DAY vs. Moraine Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted their archrival Moraine Valley Community College during “Rivalry Week”, and prevailed 77-67 after a hard fought contest.

It was a game of scoring runs. Each team would not give in to their arch rival. South Suburban opened up the game 6-0. The Moraine Valley scored the next 9 points to take a 9-6 lead with 13:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then explode for 7 points over the next minute and take a 13-9 lead. The game was tied at 21 when South Suburban went on a 12-5 run and took a 33-26 lead with 2:00 left in the half. Moraine Valley would close the half out on a 6-1 run and SSC led 34-32 at half time.

South Suburban opened up the second half on a 15-5 run and led 49-37 with 14:30 to go in the game. Moraine Valley would proceed to go on a 11-0 run and only trail 49-48 with 11:00 to go.

After a SSC time out, the Bulldogs would go on a 7-0 run and take a 56-48 lead with 8: 00 to go in the game. Moraine Valley would get no closer and the Bulldogs would secure the 10-point victory.

South Suburban improved its record to 24-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon’s 22 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer was sophomore guard Jordan Matthews who would chip in 14 points of his own.

SSC won the rebounding battle 46-33.

South Suburban shot 24/55 (43.6%) from the field, 3/14 (21.4%) from behind the “3”-point arch, and 26/32 (81.3%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley shot 22/27 (36.6%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the “3”, and 20/36 (55.6%) from the free throw line.

SSC closes out their home portion of the schedule this Tuesday February 13, 2018, with a 7:00pm tip vs. Daley College. It will be “Sophomore Night” when eight Bulldogs will be honored. Jamal Bailey, Jordan Matthews, Lee Howard, E’Mon Frison, Brian Thomas, Brian Davis, Domagoj Jacovic, and Lawrence Lemon will be playing in their last scheduled game in the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center at SSC.

BOX SCORE

February 13 – SOPHOMORE NIGHT vs. Richard J. Daley College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs celebrated “Sophomore Night” with a convincing 103-63 victory over Richard J.Daley College of Chicago.

The victory was also Coach John Pigatti’s 350th of his career, all here at South Suburban College. Pigatti’s career record in his 12th season is 350-67. He also has a very impressive home record of 189-11.

The SSC Bulldogs started the game out with a 19-11 lead. They proceeded to go on a 16-3 run to take a 35-14 lead with 8:20 left to go in the first half. They would lead at half time 50-29.

They would open up that lead to 88-48 with 7:00 to go in the game. That 40-point lead was also the final victory margin. SSC improved to 25-3 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews’ 34 points. Sophomore guard Jamal Bailey and freshman forward Antonio Reed also scored in double figures as they chipped in 18 and 12 points respectfully.

SSC won the rebounding battle 52-34.

South Suburban shot 43/80 (53.8%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from behind the arc, and 8/9 (88.9%) from the free throw line. The visiting Bulldogs from Daley shot 25/61 (41%) from the field, 3/15 (20%) from the “3”, and 10/16 (62/5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finished up the regular season undefeated at home. Their 2 final regular season contests will be on the road. The first road game will be this Saturday, 2/17/18 at Black Hawk College. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 17 – at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL

The 2017-18 college basketball season has seen many top 5 teams go on the road and experience tough times. South Suburban became a victim of those road woes as they were defeated 57-54 at Black Hawk College in Moline. The loss dropped SSC’s record to 25-4 on the season.

They started the game on a 10-3 run and they actually led 21-14 with 8:00 left to go in the first half. However, they would only score 3 points the rest of the half and went into half time trailing 31-24.

They would take a 54-51 lead with 4:30 to go in the game. But the offense stopped from that time on and the Bulldogs did not score the rest of the way.

Black Hawk would only score 6 points in that final 4:30 but it was enough to hand SSC its fourth loss of the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Sophomore Jordan Matthews 15 points. He was the only double digit scorer. SSC narrowly lost the rebounding battle 41-40. South Suburban shot 22/67 (33%) from the field, 6/22 (27%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 4/8 (50%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 22/53 (42%) from the field, 6/18 (33%) from the “3”, and 7/11 (64%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban concludes its regular season this Thursday, February 22nd at #2 Triton College in River Grove. Game time is 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

February 22 – at Triton College in River Grove, IL

The #7 Bulldogs visited #5 Triton in the last regular season game.

After a highly contested first half, and SSC trailing 33-32, South Suburban point guard Courtney Carter had to leave and catch a flight home for a family funeral. The bench for the Bulldogs did not step up and South Suburban was soundly defeated 80-53.

Triton’s bench outscored South Suburban bench 41-4.

The game started with SSC taking a 22-13 lead with 8:00 left to go in the first half. Triton made a 20-10 run to close the half and go into the break with a one point lead.

The second half was close for a while. Triton took its final lead of the game at 43-42 with 13:00 to go. With 10:00 to go, the Trojans lead grew to 53-49.

South Suburban could only score four points the rest of the way.

Triton closed on a 27-4 run for the huge margin of victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jamal Bailey’s 23 pounds. SSC other double digit scorers were: sophomores Lawrence Lemon and Jordan Matthews, who scored 13 and 12 point respectfully. Triton won the rebounding battle 35-32.

South Suburban shot a dismal 24/62 (38.7%) from the field, a chilling 3/20 (15%) from behind the “3” point line and only 2/5 (40%) from the free throw line. Triton shot 28/50 (56%) from the field, 5/17 (29.4%) from the “3”, and 19/31 (61.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finished the regular season 25-5. It is the 11th season (out of 12) that Coach John Pigatti’s team has won 25 games or more.

They now set their sights on the NJCAA Region IV Playoffs. They open up play at home this Thursday vs. Oakton Community College. Game time is 6:30pm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT QUARTER FINAL

March 1 – vs. Oakton Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The Bulldogs opened up their quest for another three-peat of a NJCAA Region IV Championship with a hard fought 68-49 victory over Oakton Community College.

SSC opened up with a 20-8 lead with 11:30 to go in the first half. Oakton would not fold and closed the half on a 20-11 run of their own, and South Suburban led 31-28 at halftime.

Oakton opened up the second half on a 4-0 run and took a 32-31 lead with 16:30 left to go in the game. They held a 42-41 lead with 12:00 to go.

South Suburban would pick up their defensive pressure and close the game on a 25-7 run over the last 12:00 for the victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Matthews 22 points. 3 other Bulldogs scored in double figures. Sophomores Lawrence Lemon, Brian Davis and Jamal Bailey scored 16, 14, and 10 points respectfully.

South Suburban shot 31/71 (43.7%) from the field, 2/13 (15.4%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 4/8 (50%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 18/47 (38.3%) from the field, 5/14 (35.7%) from the “3”, and 8/13 (61.5%) from the free throw line.

SSC won the rebounding battle 40-34.

South Suburban improved to 26-5 on the season.

The #11 Bulldogs advance to the NJCAA Region IV Semi-Final game on Sunday March 4th at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL, vs. the host school. Game time is 6:00pm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL

March 4 – vs. Waubonsee Community College at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

South Suburban was home on the scoreboard (as a higher seed), but visitors on Waubonsee’s home court. They handled their road playoff contest with a victory over the Chiefs, 59-51.

SSC led early 10-4 with 14:27 to go in the first half. Waubonsee would hold the Bulldogs scoreless for the next 6:00 and led 14-10. South Suburban would then go on a 15-6 run and lead 25-20 with 2:56 to go in the half.

They would go into the halftime break with a slim 29-27 lead.

The game was still close at 33-31 with 14:00 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs would then go on a 20-12 run and take their biggest lead 53-43 with 3:00 to go in the game. They would hang on the 8-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jamal Bailey 22 points. Bailey also registered a double/double as he grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jordan Matthews scored 13 points, and freshman guard Courtney Carter scored 11 points while dishing out 5 assists and snatching 7 steals.

South Suburban was out rebounded by Waubonsee 41-35.

South Suburban shot 23/59 (39%) from the field, they were a dismal 2/15 (13.3%) from behind the 3-point arc, and 11/15 (73.3%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 22/55 (40%) from the field, they did not make a 3-point shot, as they were 0/6 from the “3”, and 7/13 (53.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 27-5 on the season and are the #2 seed in the tournament.. They advanced to the NJCAA Region IV Championship Game on Saturday March 10, 2018. They will play #1 seeded Morton College. Tip time is 7:30pm. The game is at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Il. The game will be streamed live at www.gochiefs.com/regionIV.

It is the 11th time in 12 seasons that Coach John Pigatti’s Bulldogs have advanced to the Region IV Championship Game.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

March 4 – vs. Morton College at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

Coach John Pigatti’s Bulldogs played in their 11th Region IV Championship Game (during his 12 seasons at SSC). After a fast start, then a slow middle of the first half, they prevailed 76-67 over Morton College. The Championship win was Coach Pigatti’s 9th in 12 season. The Bulldogs started the game out on a 7-0 run. Morton then scored 12 unanswered points to take a 12-7 lead with 14:00 to go in the first half. The game was tied at 22 with 10:30 to go. Morton would proceed to go on a 21-8 run and lead 43-30 with 3:00 to go. South Suburban would then finish the half on another 7-0 run and trail 43-37 at halftime.

South Suburban would hold Morton scoreless for the first 3:30 of the second half (7:30 total counting the end of the first half) to help them pull closer. SSC sophomore guard Jordan Matthews would make a “3” point shot and tie the game at 47 with 13:46 to go. South Suburban’s sophomore forward Lawrence Lemon would then block a shot and take the ball the entire length of the court and make a tough lay-up to give SSC the lead at 49-47 with 12:55 to go in the game. The game would be tied at 56 with 6:40 to go. Matthews would make a lay-up with 5:55 to go to help start an 8-0 run by the Bulldogs to give them a 64-56 lead with 2:00 to go in the game. They would hold on for the victory.

South Suburban shot 28/63 (44.4%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and 14/22 (63.6%) from the free throw line. Morton shot 24/58 (41.4%) from the field, 9/24 (37.5%) from the “3”, and 10/13 (76.9%) from the free throw line. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 44-31. Matthews was rewarded for his efforts by being named the Most Valuable Player of the Region Tournament. Other Bulldogs to win awards: Lemon and sophomore guard Jamal Bailey were named to the All-Tournament Team. Coach Pigatti was named Region IV Coach-of-the-Year. It is his 9th such award during his 12 seasons at SSC.

The Bulldogs now head to the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament. It will be held at Danville Area Community College in Danville, Il from March 20-24, 2018.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT – ROUND ONE

March 21 – vs. Delta College (MI) at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

Recap to follow.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT – CONSOLATION GAME

March 22 – vs. Cuyahoga Community College (OH) at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

Recap to follow.

BOX SCORE

November 1 – vs. Trinity Christian University (JV) in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban College Bulldogs opened its 2016-17 season with an impressive win over Trinity Christian College JV team 91-58. 12 out of 14 SSC players who dressed scored in their first game of the season.

Trinity Christian kept it close early, and actually had a 12-8 lead in the first half as they connected on their first four “3” point attempts. At one point in the first half Trinity Christian (JV) was 6 for 10 from behind the arch.

South Suburban got their defense under control late in the first half to take a 45-30 lead into the halftime break.

The second half was a different story for the Bulldogs as they held the Trolls to five points in the first 12 minutes of the second half.

The Bulldogs took their biggest lead of the game at 87-52 with 1:00 to go in the game.

The home victory improved Coach John Pigatti’s home record at South Suburban College to 155-11 in 11 season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Deante Cisero. Deante was a perfect 10/10 from the field and scored 21 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Returning starting forward, sophomore Anthony Harris was the only other Bulldog in double figures as he scored 13 points grabbed 6 rebounds, blocked 4 shots, and snatched 4 steals. Sophomore guard Armon Benford led the Bulldogs in assists with 5 while also snatching 4 steals.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 36-19.

SSC shot 39/67 (58.2%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from the “3”, and 7/13 (53.8) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot 19/48 (39.6%) from the field, 10/24 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 10/13 (76.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban opens 1-0 on the season, and play a road contest at Waubonsee Community College this Thursday, November 3rd in Sugar Grove, IL. Game time 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 3 – at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL

The #3 Bulldogs took to the road for their first game away from South Suburban College, and after a tough battle prevailed 74-64 over Waubonsee Community College.

The game started very slow as the Bulldogs trailed 12-8 with 11:00 to go in the first half. They will trailed 20-15 with 4:40 to go in the half but then their defensive intensity picked up and produced several baskets for the Bulldogs. After 4 straight steals South Suburban went on a 17-7 run to end the half and go into the halftime break leading 32-27.

The second half opened with a “3” point made basket by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell, and the Bulldogs vaulted to their biggest lead at 58-44 lead with 10:00 to go in the game.

Waubonsee would close the gap to 64-59 with 3 minutes to go, but could not overtake the Bulldogs.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Bell’s 13 points. Fellow sophomore guard Devon Mingo also chipped in 13 points. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward DeAnte Cisero who scored 11 points while grabbing 6 rebounds.

SSC’s sophomore center Shakur Pinder led all rebounders with 15 and helped the Bulldogs to win the rebounding battle 44-38.

South Suburban shot 27/66 (40.9%) from the field, 5/15 (33.3%) from behind the “3” point arc, and a dismal 15/27 (55.6%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 22/54 (40.7%^) from the field, 2/8 (25%) from the “3”, and 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 2-0 on the season and return home to play Tuesday night (November 8th) vs. Wright College. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 8 – vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned home for a Region IV match up against Wilbur Wright College. The Bulldogs used several defensive spurts to capture a 76-40 win and improve to 3-0 on the season.

The game started out tight as Wright had the game tied at 9 with 13:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban went on a 11-0 run over the next 2:30 to take a 20-9 lead.

The visitors did not quit. They went on an 8-0 run of their own to tighten the gap to 20-17 with 7:42 to go.

SSC would respond with a 6-0 run of their own and take a 26-17 lead with 5:45 to go in the first half.

The Bulldogs would take a 31-25 lead into the half time break. Wright would get as close as 33-28 with 17:00 to go. However, they would only score 12 points in the last 17 minutes as the Bulldogs pulled away for the 36-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore center Shakur Pinder’s 14 points. Freshman guard Jordan Matthews would score a career high 10 points, and sophomore guard Rasheide Bell would also score 10 points for the only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 52-32. SSC shot a poor 24/68 (35.3%) from the field.

A dismal 4/20 (20%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 24/36 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

Wright shot 25% from the field as well (13/52). They were 5/15 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 9/15 (60%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban now heads on the road for 4 straight games starting this Thursday at the College of Lake County, in Grayslake, IL.

BOX SCORE

November 10 – at College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL

South Suburban started its four-game road trip with an impressive 91-50 victory at the College of Lake County.

Defense intensity was the theme for the Bulldogs to start the game as they opened with a 26-5 start.

After substitution by the Bulldogs the defensive intensity fell, as Lake County went on a 11-0 run to cut the lead to 26-16. However, the Bulldogs regrouped and took a 44-25 lead into the half time break.

South Suburban opened the second half like it did the first, and went on a 17-4 run to take a 61-29 lead.

They never looked back as they posted a 41-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell’s 18 points. Bell also dished out 3 assists and snatched 3 steals. Other double digit scorers for SSC were sophomores Armon Benford and Shakur Pinder. They scored 12 and 10 points respectfully. Benford also dished out 7 assists.

Pinder recorded a double/double as he grabbed 14 rebounds as well.

South Suburban snatched 19 steals which helped their shooting percentage. SSC shot a sizzling 37/60 (61.7%) from the field. The continued the hot shooting from behind the “3” point arc. They were 6/11 (54.5%).

However, at free throw line they were freezing. They shot 11/23 (47.8%).

The Lancers shot 15/24 (27.8%) from the field, only 1/8 (12.5%) from the “3”, and 19/29 (65.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 4-0 on the year. They play at the defending National Champions, and current #1 team in the nation, Rock Valley College this Saturday in Rockford, IL.

BOX SCORE

November 12 – at Rock Valley Community College in Rockford, IL

South Suburban continue its road trip at a tough, hostile environment, Rock Valley College in Rockford, Il. Rock Valley is the current #1 team in the country and they are the Defending NJCAA Division III National Champions.

After a nip and tuck first 30 minutes the Bulldogs pulled away for a 78-65 victory.

The win improved the Bulldogs to 5-0 on the season.

SSC had a 15-13 lead early in the first half. Rock Valley answered with 21-12 run and took their biggest lead of the game at 34-27 with 4:00 to go in the first half.

South Suburban would close the gap at half time to four at 42-38.

The Golden Eagles would continue to lead 53-50 with 14:40 to go in the game. After SSC sophomore guard Rasheide Bell stole a pass and scored on the following lay-up. He completed the three point play the old fashion way (with a free throw) to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 57-56 with 10:00 to play.

SSC would continue to lead 68-65 with 4:00 to go and would hold the #1 team in the country scoreless the rest of the way to complete its 13-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Bell’s 21 points. Sophomore guard Armon Benford’s would chip in 19 points of his own. He would also dish out 7 assists while not turning the ball over once. He would also grab 5 rebounds. Sophomore center Shakur Pinder would come 1 rebound shy of a double/double as he scored 11 points while grabbing 9 rebounds.

The only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs was sophomore Deante Cisero who scored 10 points.

Rock Valley would win the rebounding battle 35-28.

SSC shot 32-64 (50%) from the field, 5/14 (35.7%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 9/16 (56.3%) from the free throw line. The Eagles would shoot 22-47 (46.8%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from the “3”, and a sizzling 15/17 (88.2%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs would force 19 Rock Valley turnovers, led by Benford’s 5 steals.

South Suburban continues its four-game road trip with a rivalry game at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL on Tuesday. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 15 – at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL

The Bulldogs headed to the next suburb to play their south suburban rival Prairie State College. They are located 10 minutes from South Suburban College in nearby Chicago Heights, IL.

After blowing a 15-point half time lead, the Bulldogs pulled away late in the game for a 76-63 victory.

They improved to 6-0 on the season.

Prairie State opened with a 10-3 lead with 16 minutes to go in the first half. They continued to lead 15-11 with 11:00 to go when Bulldog sophomore guard Armon Benford snatched 2 straight steals and SSC took the lead at 16-15.

The Bulldogs led 42-25 at halftime.

The first 5 minutes of the second half belonged strictly to the home team,. Prairie State went on a 16-5 run to start the half and pulled within 44-41.

They tied the score at 52-52 with 10:00 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs would not fold in the arch rival game. Sophomore guard Devon Mingo made two straight “3” point baskets to give SSC the lead for good.

South Suburban extended its lead to 76-61 with 2:00 to go in the game.

The victory was the third straight in their current four-game road trip. They finish the trip with a Thursday contest in Cicero, Il at Morton College at 7:00 p.m.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Mingo’s 23 points. Sophomore forward Anthony Harris opened the game with a thunderous dunk and scored 16 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Sophomore Center Shakur Pinder scored 13 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore guard Rasheide Bell; who scored 11 points while grabbing 8 rebounds of his own.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 44-41.

SSC shot 27/59 (45.8%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 16/19 (84.2%) from the free throw line.

Prairie State shot 24/62 (38.7%) from the field, 2/12 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 13/28 (46.4%) from the free throw line.

BOX SCORE

November 17 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

South Suburban finished its early season four-game road trip with an astounding 80-43 victory over Morton College.

Sophomore guard Rasheide Bell started out on fire for the Bulldogs as he would score 13 out of the first 15 points for SSC.

The Bulldogs would take a 34-12 lead with 5:00 to go in the first half and cruise to a 40-18 halftime lead.

SSC would start out the second half like the first and take a 58-23 lead with 12:00 to go in the game.

They would cruise to the 37-point victory and improve to 7-0 on the season.

Bell would finish with 22 points to lead all scorers. He would also grabbed 5 rebounds and dish out 4 assists. Freshman forward Phazon Calhoun would score a career high 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds of him own. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomores Shakur Pinder and Deante Cisero who scored 11 points each.

South Suburban shot 28/59 (47%) from the field, 6/17 (35%) from behind the “3” point line, and 18/33 (55%) from the free throw line.

Morton shot 17/60 (28%) from the field, 5/23 (23%) from the “3”, and 4/7 (57%) from the free throw line. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 49-36.

South Suburban returns home Tuesday, November 22nd to play Northwestern University (Basketball Club) before they head home for the Thanksgiving break.

BOX SCORE

November 22 – vs. Northwestern University Basketball Club in South Holland, IL

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs returned home for the holidays and were not in the holiday spirit for their visitors from the Northwestern University Basketball Club. They smashed their guest 114-60 to improve to 8-0 on the season.

Coach John Pigatti implored the posse system for all of his 15 players. He played them in groups of 3 for this game. The starting group consisted of sophomores, Armon Benford, Rasheide Bell, Anthony Harris, Shakur Pinder, and Ehab Eltayeb.

They opened the game on a 39-13 run and put the game out of reach early. The Bulldogs would take a 58-25 lead into the halftime break.

The first posse would then go on a 30-12 run to start the second half and give SSC its biggest lead of the game at that point; 88-37 with 11:37 to go.

The Bulldogs 2nd and 3rd groups took over from there, and cruised home for the victory.

All 15 players for the Bulldogs scored, led by Bell’s 18 points. Pinder recorded his 6th double/double of the season as he scored 17 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Benford controlled the game at point guard by dishing out 9 assists while not turning the ball over once.

South Suburban shot 45/78 (57.7%) from the field, 8/16 (50%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 16/27 (59.3%) from the free throw line.

Northwestern shot 18/43 (41.95) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the “3”, and 20/34 (58.8%) from the free throw line.

The win was Coach Pigatti’s 299th career victory, all at South Suburban College. His career record is 299-62 (82.8%). He will go for #300 next Tuesday at Oakton College. His home record at SSC is 157-11 (93.5%). He was just awarded the hoopdirt.com Junior College Coach-Of-The Week for the Bulldogs three-game road victories last week.

BOX SCORE

November 29 – at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs took to the road to play Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Il. After a rugged start the Bulldogs pulled away for a 74-55 victory.

South Suburban improved to 9-0 on the season, and more importantly Coach John Pigatti won his 300th career victory (all at South Suburban College). His career record is 300-62.

The game was tied at 9 early and still close at 32-28 with 4:56 to go in the first half. SSC closed with a 10-5 run and took a 42-33 lead into the halftime break.

The Bulldogs could never pull ahead comfortably in the second half, but did prevail with the 19-point victory.

South Suburban had 3 players score in double figures. Sophomore forward Anthony Harris led SSC with 17 points, while dishing out 7 assists and grabbing 7 rebounds. Sophomores Rasheide Bell and Shakur Pinder scored 14 and 10 points respectfully.

Pinder also grabbed a game high 12 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 29-66 (44%) from the field, only 6-22 (27%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 10-14 (71%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 21-51 (41%) from the field, 3-10 (30%) from the “3’, and 10-21 (48%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle by the slimmest of margins, 39-38.

The Bulldogs return home for a three-game home stand before their final exams. They will play McHenry on Thursday, December 1st at 7:00pm.

BOX SCORE

December 1 – vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs struggled early in their return to the “Pig Pen” (their home court), as they hosted McHenry County College. After a spirited 2nd half, SSC pulled away for a 86-61 victory.

The Bulldogs improved to 10-0 on the season.

The first half started slow as the Bulldogs sported a single digit lead the entire half, and took its biggest first half lead at 33-24 as they entered the halftime break.

They still held a 5-point lead at 46-41 with 12:00 to go in the game. Then the defense took a spirited turn, and they held McHenry to 4-points over the next 10 minutes to pull away for the 25-point victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore center Shakur Pinders 23 points, and career high 22 rebounds. SSC also had 2 other player score in double digits. Sophomore guards Rasheide Bell and Devon Mingo scored 13 and 12 points respectfully.

Pinder also snatched 5 steals while blocking 4 shots.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 49-29.

SSC shot 29/65 (44.6%) from the field, 7/26 (26.9%) from behind the “3”-point line, and a chilling 21/36 (58.3%) from the free throw line. The Trolls of McHenry shot 20/51 (39.2%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the “3”, and 17/27 (635) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, December 3rd at 3:00pm vs. Kennedy King College from Chicago. It is also designated as Kid’s Day on Saturday with a special guest appearance by SANTA CLAUSE!!!

BOX SCORE

December 3 – vs. Kennedy-King College in South Holland, IL

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The South Suburban College Bulldogs got their first real home test of the season. They played NJCAA Division 1 Kennedy King College, and after a fierce battle came out with a nail biting 69-68 victory.

The Bulldog’s record improved to 11-0 on the season.

Kennedy King opened the game with a 12-5 lead with 15:00 to go in the first half. SSC then went on a 14-2 run and took a 19-14 lead with 11:30 to go. The Statesmen would eventually take a 31-30 lead with 3:15 to go in the first half.

However, the Bulldogs would take a 40-37 lead into the half time break.

The Bulldogs would open the second half with a 17-7 run, and after a series of baskets by SSC’s sophomore guard’s Rasheide Bell, and Devon Mingo; South Suburban would take a 57-44 lead with 10:00 to go in the game.

Kennedy King would not fold.

As the Bulldogs continued with the 13-point lead at 60-47 at the 8:56 mark of the second half, Kennedy King would race out with a 14-3 run and cut the Bulldogs lead to two at 63-61 with 2:30 to go. The Bulldogs would extend the lead to 67-61 and snatch a steal to extend the margin.

However, a missed dunk by Bell and two free throws made by Kennedy King kept the visitors close.

South Suburban would take a 4-point lead with :09 to go but Bulldog sophomore forward Anthony Harris would foul a Kennedy King “3”-point shooter; and the visitors had three free throw attempts with 1.7 seconds to go in the game. Kennedy King elected to make all three free throws and SSC inbounded the ball safely to preserve the victory for South Suburban.

South Suburban had 5 players score in double figures led by sophomore center Shakur Pinder’s 15 points. Other double digit scorers were Bell (13pts.), Mingo (12pts.), Harris (12pts.), and sophomore guard Armon Benford’s 11 points.

Pinder grabbed 15 rebounds to help South Suburban win the battle of the boards 36-33. Mingo snatched 4 steals to help SSC force 18 Kennedy King turnovers. South Suburban shot 23/51 (45.1%) from the field, 4/11 (36.4%) from behind the “3”point line, and 19/32 (59.4%) from the free throw line. Kennedy King shot 24/60 (40%) from the field, 3/13 (23.1%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line.

SSC plays its final game of it’s home stand on Tuesday, December 6 vs. Bryant Stratton College of Milwaukee, WI. Game time is 7:00 pm.

NOTE: SHAKUR PINDER was named REGION IV-A Player of the Week for his efforts this past week.

BOX SCORE

December 6 – vs. Bryant & Stratton College – Milwaukee (WI) in South Holland, IL

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs played their final game before their exam week and closed out the three-game home stand with a 78-64 victory over Bryant Stratton College of Milwaukee, WI.

South Suburban improved to 12-0 on the season. They also moved up in the latest NJCAA National Division II Poll to #2.

The game started out slow for SSC as they held a 10-6 lead with 13:30 to go in the first half. SSC then went on a 11-3 run to take a 21-9 lead with 10:00 to go.

The Bobcats would not fold, stayed close and South Suburban only took a 31-26 into the half time break.

Bryant Stratton would pull within four at 38-34 with 17:00 to go in the game.

SSC would extend its lead to ten with 10:00 to go, and cruise to the 14-point victory.

The Bulldogs were led by sophomore center Shakur Pinder’s 10th double /double of the season. Pinder would score 24 points and grab 17 rebounds. Sophomore forwards Anthony Harris and Deante Cisero would score 15 points apiece to help the Bulldogs in their winning effort.

South Suburban College would win the rebounding battle 40-30.

SSC shot 32/70 (45.7%) from the field. They shot a dismal 3/20 (155) from behind the “3”point line, and 11/21 (52.5%) from the free throw line.

The visitors shot 18/41 (43.9%), only ¼ (2550 from the “3’, and 27/37 (73%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs will now break from their schedule to take final exams. They resume play next Friday, December 16th at the Gogebic Community College Winter Classic Tournament in Ironwood, MI. Their first game is at 4:00 p.m. against Madison College (formally Madison Area Technical Community College).

BOX SCORE

GOGEBIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE WINTER CLASSIC in Ironwood, MI.

December 16 – vs. Madison College (WI) vs. South Suburban College

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs headed north after their finals to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. They played at the Gogebic Community College Winter Classic. Their first round opponent was Madison Area Technical College.

After a sluggish start in which Madison took a 10-4 lead, SSC picked up steam and the #1 team in the country survived with a 75-69 victory. South Suburban College improved to 13-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good, 15-13 at the 9:50 mark of the first half.

South Suburban then went on an 8-0 run where SSC took a 23-13 lead. They headed into the half time break with the double digit lead at 36-24.

In the second half, Madison could not break into SSC’s lead. They came as close as 56-50 with 6:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then go on a 15-8 and take a 71-58 cushion into the final minutes.

Madison would score a few baskets at the end of the game to make the 6-point margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell’s 16 points. Two other sophomores scored in double digits: Deante Cisero and Ehab Eltayeb would score 12 and 11 points respectfully. Bell would help SSC force 22 Madison turnovers as he snatched a career high 6 steals.

Both team would tie the rebounding total at 33 apiece.

South Suburban would shoot 29/50 (58%) from the field, 2/7 (28.6%) from behind the “3” point arc, and a dismal 11/23 (47.8%) from the free throw line.

Madison would shoot 16/36 (44.4%) from the field, 6/17 (35.3%) from the “3”, and 19/25 (76%) from the free throw line.

#1 South Suburban will continue playat the Gogebic Winter Classic with a Noon tip tomorrow vs. Milwaukee Are Tech College.

BOX SCORE

December 17 – vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI) vs. South Suburban College

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

A change in the starting lineup is all Coach John Pigatti needed to get his Bulldogs off to a good start in their final game of the Gogebic Winter Classic.

They opened against Milwaukee Area Tech with a 43-13 lead.

Milwaukee then settled down for the final 6:00 of the first half and only trailed the Bulldogs 47-25 at halftime.

The closest Milwaukee would get in the second half was 74-60 with 2:00 to go in the game. South Suburban would then coast to the 18-point victory; 78-60.

The win improves #1 South Suburban to 14-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Anthony Harris. He would score 18 points while grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, and snatching 3 steals. Sophomore center Ehab Eltayeb would post his first career double/double as he scored 16 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Fellow sophomore forward Deante Cisero would be the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he contributed 15 points while grabbing 6 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 39-27.

South Suburban shot 29/55 (52.7%) from the field, a frigid 3/14 (21.4%) from behind the “3’ point line, and 11/14 (78.6%) from the free throw line.

MATC would shoot 13/35 (37.1%) from the field, 3/7 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 25/30 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns to action on Thursday afternoon at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. Game Time is 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 22 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL.

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The #1 Ranked Bulldogs continued their road trip before Christmas break at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. The venue has always been a tough place for the Bulldogs to play. The host gave SSC everything they could handle for the first half, but the Bulldogs pulled away and went home for Christmas with an 89-58 victory.

The Bulldogs trailed 24-20 with 9:00 left to go in the first half. Then South Suburban tightened up its defense and went on a 21-5 run over the last 9:00 of the half and took a 41-29 lead into the half time break.

The Bulldogs scored 8 points in the last minute of the half to take that lead.

South Suburban continued its run into the second half. They opened up on a 19-5 run and took a 60-34 lead with 12:00 to go in the game. They got the lead to as high as 38 at 77-49.

The 31-point victory was the biggest victory margin for the Bulldogs at Carl Sandburg during Coach John Pigatti’s 10+ season at the school.

South Suburban was led by sophomore forward Anthony Harris’ career high 23 points. He also recorded his first double/double of the season by grabbing 10 rebounds. Another Bulldogs scored a career high as freshman guard Jordan Matthews scored 15 points while snatching 4 steals. Two other Bulldogs scored in double figures as sophomore guards Rasheide Bell and Devon Mingo scored 13 and 10 points respectfully.

SSC won the rebounding battle 46-29.

South Suburban shot 35-70 (50%) from the field, 3/10 (30%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 16/21 (76%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 21/54 (39%) from the field, 5/21 (24%) from the “3”, and 11/18 (615) from the free throw line.

South Suburban goes into the holiday break with a 15-0 record.

They return home to play our Michigan foe, Grand Rapids College on December 30th. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 30 – vs. Grand Rapids Community College in South Holland, IL.

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

The Bulldogs returned home for the holiday to host Grand Rapids Community College from Michigan. They finished out the 2016 calendar year with an impressive 86-68 victory, improving their season record to 16-0.

The Bulldogs were sluggish to start as they trailed their visitors 20-12 with 13:00 to go in the first half. SSC proceeded to wake up and go on a 36-13 run to finish the half and take a 48-33 lead into the half time break.

The Raiders would cut the lead to 10 at 56-46 but that would be the closest they would get. South Suburban continued its double digit lead the entire half and finished with the 18-point victory.

South Suburban was lead in scouring by sophomore forward Deante Cisero. He recorded his first career double/double as he scored a career high 22 points, while grabbing a career high 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Rasheide Bell would score 22 points as well for the Bulldogs as he shot 4/5 from behind the “3’ point line.

Sophomore guard Devon Mingo would be the only other Bulldog to score in double digits, as he chipped in 13 points of his own.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 50-30. They shot 33/81 (40.7%) from the field, 5/17 (29.4%) from the “3”, and 15/19 (78.9%) from the free throw line. Grand Rapids shot 24/61 (39.35) from the field, 7/19 (36.8%) from the “3”, and 13/21 (61.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will have a week off before it hosts a Region IV contest against Kishwaukee College on Saturday, January 7th. Tipoff is at 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 7 – vs. Kishwaukee College in South Holland, IL.

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

#1 South Suburban started the 2017 Calendar year with a big Region IV home game vs. Kishwaukee College as they won 97-49 in a game that defensively was pleasing to head coach John Pigatti. The Bulldogs improved their record to 17-0 on the season, which gives them the best start to a season in school’s history.

The game started out tight as SSC held an 8-7 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half. They proceeded to go into the half time break with a 45-29 lead. The lead stood at 55-34 with 15:23 to go in the game when SSC went on a 15-8 run to take a 70-42 lead with 10:00 left to go in the game.

This is when the defense for the Bulldogs picked up. Over the next 8:30 minutes South Suburban held Kishwaukee scoreless and took their biggest lead of the game at 96-42 with 1:30 to go. They cruised home for the victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Anthony Harris’ 21 p[points on 9/12 shooting. Sophomore guard Rasheide Bell scored 19 points for SSC as he also was sizzling from the field and shot 8/11. Sophomore guard Armon Benford recorded his first career double/double for the Bulldogs as he scored 10 points while dishing out 10 assists. Sophomore guard Devon Mingo’s defense was key for the Bulldogs as he snatched a career high 9 steals.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 36-31.

South Suburban shot 42/71 (59.2%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 9/15 (60%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 19/48 (39.6%) from the field, they were 0/7 from the “3”, and 11/19 (57.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home on Tuesday night for a big game with national poll ranking implications against #11 Parkland. Earlier this year, Parkland defeated previously #1 Triton 80-70.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 10 – vs. Parkland College in South Holland, IL.

Due to NJCAA sanctions against the 2016-17 South Suburban College Men’s Basketball Program, this game has been forfeited.

It was a battle of national ranked teams in the “Pigpen” as #1 South Suburban hosted #10 Parkland.

In front of the biggest crowd in recent history, the Bulldogs survived a fierce battle and came out with a 74-63 victory to improve to 18-0 on the season. It is the best start to a season in school history. They also broke another record, as they won their 33rd straight home game (which is the longest in school history as well).

SSC started out the game strong as they took an early 10-2 lead with 14:30 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 16-7 with 11:00 to go. Parkland then got into an offensive rhythm as they started hitting some key shots. After their buzzer beating basket, they went into half time trailing 35-30.

Parkland continued its run to start the second half. They went on a 10-1 run and took a 40-36 lead with 16:00 to go in the game.

South Suburban would come back and tie the game at 43 with 13:50 to go.

With 4:00 to go in the game, The Cobras would takes its final lead at 59-57. Then Bulldog freshman Jordan Matthews would step up when his number was called.

He connected on two straight “3”-point shots and made all 6 of his free throw during a South Suburban 16-4 run to end the game which sealed the victory for the home team.

Matthews along with sophomore guard Armon Benford would lead SSC in scoring with 14 points. Benford would also grab a team high 9 rebounds, dish out 6 assists and snatch 6 steals. Sophomore forward Anthony Harris would score 13 points, while grabbing 5 rebounds as well for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs would win the battle of the boards 31-26. They would also force 22 Parkland turnovers.

South Suburban shot 27/54 (50%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 16/21 (76.2%) from the free throw line. Parkland would shoot 20/41 (48.8%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) and 18/24 (75%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs will now head on the road for two games. On Saturday they travel to Oglesby, Il to play Illinois Valley Community College. Tip time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

January 14 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The Bulldogs headed on the road for their first road contest of the 2017 calendar year. It was a successful beginning as they defeated the host Illinois Valley Community College Eagles 98-54.

The game started out close as SSC held a 14-11 lead with 13:00 to go in the first half.

Their defensive pressure then picked up and the Bulldogs held Illinois Valley scoreless for almost 8:00 as they increased their lead to 41-14.

They headed into the half time break with a 50-21 lead.

The second half was a continuous barrage of lay-ups and defensive prowess an the Bulldogs increased their lead.

The Bulldogs 44-point margin of victory was the largest at Illinois Valley in school’s history.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward DeAnte Cisero. He scored a career high 25 points while grabbing a career high 16 rebounds. He also snatched 4 steals and blocked 3 shots.

Sophomore guard Rasheide Bell scored 23 points while dishing out 5 assists. Freshman guard Jordan Matthews continued his scoring spree; as he poured in 14 points while dishing out a career high 7 assists. Freshman forward Lee Howard took advantage of his first career start as he scored 8 points while grabbing a career high 8 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 37/71 (52%) from the field, 5/15 (33.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and 19/24 (79.2%) from the free throw line. IVCC shot 14/52 (27%) from the field, 2/14 (14%) from the “3”, and 24/37 (64.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban begins classes this week for the new term, and continues its road trip on Friday with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Harry S. Truman College in Chicago.

BOX SCORE

January 20 – at Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs took to the road for a contest against a NJCAA Division 1 opponent, Harry S. Truman College of Chicago. SSC’s defensive intensity came out of the locker room and helped them to a 106-55 thumping of their host.

They opened up on several scoring runs. The first was a 16-7 run to start the game. Then a 19-5 run to take a 35-12 lead with 7:44 to go in the first half, followed by a 25-12 run to take a 60-24 lead into the half time break.

The Dawgs did not stop with the defensive intensity in the second half. They never let Truman get on a scoring run, and South Suburban finished with the 51-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell’s 22 points (20 of them were scored in the first half-he only played 4 minutes in second half). Other double digit scorers for SSC were sophomores Devon Mingo, Saniel Mijatovic, Armon Benford and DeAnte Cisero. They scored 15,14,12,and 10 points respectfully.

Mijatovic’s 14 points were a career high.

Benford also recorded a double/double as he had 10 assists with no turnovers.

South Suburban had 26 steals in the game led by Benford’s five.

South Suburban shot 43/78 (55.1%) from the field, 12/28 (42.9%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 8-13 (61.5%) from the free throw line. Truman shot 18/48 (37.5%) from the field, 2/9 (22.2%) from the “3”, and 17/25 (68%) from the free throw line.

SSC returns home on Thursday evening, January 26th for a Region IV game vs. Olive Harvey College. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.

Due to NJCAA sanctions the Bulldogs had to forfeit 11 games, so their record now stands at 9-11 on the year. However, they are undefeated (20-0) on the court.

BOX SCORE

January 26 – vs. Olive Harvey College in South Holland, IL

It has been tumultuous time lately for the Bulldogs lately… off the court, not on.

They returned to the “Pig Pen” for a Region IV game against Olive Harvey and did not disappoint their home crowd. Their 100-45 victory was the largest margin of victory in the Olive Harvey/South Suburban series.

The Bulldogs had their defense on full throttle from the beginning as they opened up a 24-3 lead with 9:00 to go in the first half. They extended it to 33-10 with 6:00 to go and went into the halftime break leading 40-19.

Olive Harvey found a little offense in the second half. However after Bulldog Head Basketball Coach John Pigatti started to substitute,, SSC’s defense picked up. They held Olive Harvey to just 1 point in the last 7 minutes of the game to obtain the 55-point victory margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell’s 20 points. The Bulldogs had 5 other players in double figures: Devon Mingo, Shakur Pinder, Anthony Harris Jordan Matthews, and Armon Benford had 14, 13, 12,12, 10 points respectfully.

Pinder was a beast on the boards as he snatched a career high 24 rebounds.

Benford and Bell led South Suburban in steals with 5 a piece.

SSC shot 32/66 (48.5%) from the field, 3/9 (33.3%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 33/42 (78.6%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 13/53 (24.5%) from the field, 2/8 (25%) from the “3”, and 17/32 (53.1%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban remained undefeated on the court (21-0), but because of the forfeits improved its record to 10-11.

They head back out on the road this Saturday. They play a NJCAA Division 1; Kankakee Community College. Tip time is 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 28 – at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

The #9 Bulldogs headed out on the road to play a tough NJCAA Division I school Kankakee Community College in Kankakee.

SSC opened up the game with an attitude on the defensive end, and jumped to a 12-4 lead with 16:30 to go. They extended the lead to 30-15 with 7:00 to go in the first half.

The Bulldogs ended the first half on a 15-6 run to enter the half time break leading 45-21.

Kankakee got with 61-45 with 6:15 to go in the game.

Then South Suburban went on a 12-2 run and took a 73-47 lead with 3:30 to go. They cruised to the 24-point victory.

SSC improved to 11-11 (after the forfeits) on the season, but 22-0 on the court.

The Bulldogs had 4 players in double figures, led by sophomore guard Raheide Bell’s 20 points. Fellow sophomore guard Devon Mingo scored 17 points while snatching 5 steals.

Sophomore forward/centers DeAnte Cisero and Shakur Pinder scored 11 and 10 points respectfully. Pinder grabbed a game high 15 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 30-28. Sophomore point guard Armon Benford dished out a game high 10 assists for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban shot 29/59 (49.2%) from the field, 4/14 (28.6%) from behind the “3” point line, and 14/20 (70%) from the free throw line. The Kougars shot 16/36 (44.4%) from the field, 4/11 (36.4%) from the “3”, and 16/25 (64%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home for two games next week. Tuesday, January 31st they will open the brief home stand with a 7:00pm tip vs Robert Morris University (JV).

BOX SCORE

January 31 – vs. Robert Morris University (JV) in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs returned home to play a 4-year school; Robert Morris University (JV). The visitors’ lineup included former Bulldog jerry Davis Jr., who was honored at a pre-game ceremony. They also had several varsity players on the team.

They provided a formable opponent for the Bulldogs as they fought for all 40 minutes. In the end, the Bulldogs were victorious 94-70.

The game started out with the Bulldogs taking an early 12-7 lead. Robert Morris pulled within two at 30-28 with 6:30 to go in the first half.

SSC went into the half time break leading 44-36.

The Bulldogs held a 11-point lead at 69-58 with 9:00 left to go in the game. They proceeded to close on a 25-12 run to end the game with the 24-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore center Shakur Pinder’s 23 points. He also grabbed a game high 22 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 70-25.

Four other Bulldogs scored in double figures. Freshman Jordan Matthews scored a career high 16 points while grabbing 7 rebounds of his own. Sophomore’s Anthony Harris, Armon Benford and DeAnte Cisero scored 14, 11, and 11 points respectfully. Sophomore Center Ehab Eltayeb, who was playing against his former team, scored 8 points while grabbing his South Suburban high 10 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 37/82 (45.1%) from the field, a chilling 2/14 (14.3%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 18/26 (69.2%) from the free throw line. Robert Morris (JV) shot 25/65 (38.5%) from the field, 11/32 (34.4%) from the “3”, and 9/16 (56.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 12-11 on the season. However, they are still undefeated on the court winning their 23 games on the scoreboard.

The Bulldogs return to action at home on Saturday February 4th. They play Black Hawk College at 3pm. The game day is designated as “Community Day”.

BOX SCORE

February 4 – vs. Black Hawk College in South Holland, IL. COMMUNITY DAY

The Bulldogs finished their brief home stand with a unimpressive 89-72 victory over Black Hawk College.

They started out the game with a 27-17 lead, but went through the motions after that. They actually trailed 41-38 at half time for the first time in over two months.

Black Hawk took its biggest lead to start the second half at 43-38. South Suburban then went on a defensive run and took a 60-47 lead with 10:00 to go in the game.

The final 17-point margin of victory was the largest lead for the game for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban had 3 players. Sophomores Rasheide Bell, Anthony Harris, and Devon Mingo scored 16 points each. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore guard Armon Benford who chipped in 10 points.

Sophomore center Shakur Pinder grabbed 15 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 75-25.

South Suburban shot 35/71 (49.3%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 11/16 (68.8%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot a sizzling 29/51 (56.9%) from the field, but were only 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”, and 12/17 (70.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 13-11 on the season (even though they are 24-0 on the court). They head out on the road this week for two games. They play at NJCAA Division I Richard J. Daley College in Chicago on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Then continue the road trip with a 3pm tip on Saturday at Moraine Valley.

BOX SCORE

February 9 – at Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, IL.

The #7 Bulldogs headed out on the road at NJCAA Division I Richard J. Daley College without their head coach John Pigatti. Pigatti missed the game due to an illness. However, after a tough first half, SSC prevailed with a hard fought 74-55 victory.

Their record improved to 14-11.

The Bulldogs opened the game on a 15-2 run triggered by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell’s two make “3”-point shots. The Bulldogs continued with the double digit lead until the final minutes of the first half when Daley went on a scoring spree of their own, and closed the Bulldog’s lead to 38-33 at the half time break.

South Suburban then picked up their defensive intensity in the second half, and after Bell connected on three more “3” point shots, SSC took a 60-40 with 10:00 to go in the game. South Suburban then cruised to the 19-point victory.

South Suburban shot 22/46 (47.8%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from the “3”, and 24/33 (72.7%) from the free throw line. Daley shot 20/55 (36.4%) from the field, only 2/7 (28.6%) from the “3”, and 13/21 (61.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 30-31, led by sophomore forward Anthony Harris’ 11 rebounds. Harris also recorded a double/double as he scored 18 points.

Bell led all scorers with a career high 30 points. Sophomore forward DeAnte Cisero was the only other Bulldog to score in double digit as he chipped in 10 points.

South Suburban continued its road trip on Saturday February 11th, with a 3:00 p.m. tilt against arch rival Moraine Valley Community College.

BOX SCORE

February 12 – at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL.

The Bulldogs headed to Palos Hills, IL to take on their arch rival, the Cyclones of Moraine Valley Community College.

They opened the game up with a lot of emotions but had to hang on to a 87-71 victory.

The win improved the Bulldogs record to 15-11 on the season, even though they have not lost a game on the court.

SSC opened up on a 14-2 run to start the game.

Moraine Valley could not close the gap and the Bulldogs headed into the halftime break with a 48-29 lead.

Moraine Valley picked up their intensity in the second half, and actually closed the lead to 8 with 10:00 to go.

With two starting guards on the bench with foul trouble, the Bulldogs picked up their intensity, stopped fouling, and finished with the 16-point victory.

SSC’s sophomore guard Rasheide Bell only played 22 minutes while being in foul trouble all night. He led the Bulldogs in scoring with 24 points, while dishing out 5 assists. Freshman guard Jordan Matthews took advantage of some playing time and had 11 points, all in a 5-minute time span during the second half. His scoring run stopped Moraine Valley in their tracks, and helped SSC build up their second half lead.

The Bulldogs other player in double figures was SSC sophomore point guard Armon Benford. He scored a career high 18 points.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 50-48.

The Bulldogs shot 32/77 (42%) from the field, 4/12 (33%) from behind the “3” point line, and 19/27 (70%) from the free throw line. MVCC shot 22/59 (37%) from the field, 7/19 (37%) from the “3”, and 20/35 (57%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs now have a week off before they return home to play Don Bosco Prep from Crown Point, IN. That game will be played Saturday February 18th. Tip-off is 1:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

February 18 – vs. Don Bosco Preparatory Academy (IN) in South Holland, IL.

After a week off, the Bulldogs took to the floor for a tough home contest against one of the best Prep Schools in the country; Don Bosco Preparatory Academy of Crown Point, IN. Although Don Bosco has several NCAA Division 1 athletes on the team, the Bulldogs intensity was too much for the prep school and SSC was victorious 91-75.

South Suburban jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first few minutes of the game. They extended the lead to 20-5 with 13:30 to go in the first half.

Don Bosco then went on a 18-7 run of their own and closed the margin to 27-23 with 4:00 to go in the half.

South Suburban would extend the lead again, and go into the half time break leading 41-29.

South suburban would lead by as many as 25 in the second half (72047) with 8:00 to go as they cruised to the 16-point home victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomores Armon Benford, and DeAnte Cisero who scored 17 points apiece. Sophomore guard Devon Mingo would score 16 points as well for the Bulldogs.

Sophomore center Shakur Pinder was the only other Bulldog in double digits as he scored 12 points while grabbing 8 rebounds.

SSC won the rebounding battle 38-23.

SSC shot 34/65 (52.3%) from the field, a dismal 3/16 (18.8%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 20/28 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

Don Bosco shot 24/57 (51.1%) from the field, a chilling 1/11 (9.09%) from the “3”, and 26/37 (70.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban forced Don Bosco into 20 turnovers in the game.

The Bulldogs improved to 16-11 on the season, even though they are undefeated (27-0) on the court.

This Monday, they will play in a national game verses Potomac State College of West Virginia. The game will be played at Hiram College, in Hiram, OH. Game time is 1:00pm (EST).

BOX SCORE

February 20 – at Potomac State College in Hiram, OH.

The Bulldogs traveled to Hiram, Ohio for a neutral site President’s Day matinee vs. nationally ranked Potomac State College of West Virginia.

The Bulldogs started out slow but survived a hard fought battle to win 75-63. The win improved the Bulldogs’ record to 17-11 for the season and 28-0 on the court.

Potomac came out firing and took and early 4-0 lead. Coach John Pigatti would then substitute five new players because of the lack of intensity in the starters. The strategy worked as the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run to take a 9-4 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half.

The game would be tied at 13 with 12:00 to go when South Suburban would go on a 17-3 run and take a 30-16 lead with 5:00 to go in the half.

They would lead 36-29 at halftime.

The Bulldogs would take their biggest lead of the game at 62-48 with 11:00 to go in the game. However, the Bulldogs would not score for the next 6 minutes of the game.

Their defense only surrendered 5 points during that time and SSC’s lead was protected. SSC would then make free throws at the end of the game to secure the 12-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Rasheide Bell. He scored 18 points while grabbing 8 rebounds. Freshman guard Jordan Matthews scored 15 points and snatched 3 steals to help the Bulldogs. Sophomore forward Anthony Harris was the only other Bulldog in double figures as he scored 10 points of his own.

Sophomore center Shakur Pinder grabbed a game high 18 rebounds to help SSC win the rebounding battle 49-35.

South Suburban shot 26-64 (40.6%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the “3”-point line, and 16/28 (57.1%) from the free throw line. Potomac State shot 21/52 (40.4%) from the field, 5/13 (38.5%) from the “3”, and 16/29 (55.2%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home this week to finish the regular season. On Thursday night, they host the #1 team in the country Triton College. Game time is 7:00 pm.

Then Saturday will be Sophomore Day. Nine sophomores will be honored at the 3pm game vs. Ivy Tech Northwest Community College in Indiana.

BOX SCORE

February 23 – vs. #1 Triton College in South Holland, IL.

In front of a jammed pack gym, it was a playoff atmosphere at the “Pigpen” when the #7 Bulldogs hosted #1 Triton. It was a big-time college basketball environment.

In the end, after a tough battle, the Bulldogs came out victorious with an 82-77 win. The win improved South Suburban’s record to 18-11 (but 29-0 on the court.)

Triton took the early lead 10-7 with 17:00 to go in the first half. SSC then went on a 10-1 run to take a 17-11 lead with 13:30 left to go. South Suburban’ s sophomore center Shakur Pinder rebounded his own missed free-throw, and put the lay-up in to give SSC their biggest lead of the game at 29-21.

The Bulldogs would continue to lead 36-29 with 5:00 to go. Then SSC went scoreless the rest of the half, and took only a 36-34 lead into the half-time break. Triton would start the second half on a 5-0 run (which combined with the 5-0 run to end the first half; made it really a 10-0 run). The visitors led 39-36 with 18:00 to go in the game.

They would continue to lead 50-46 with 13:00 to go, when the crowd and Bulldog defense rose to its highest possible level. After SSC’s 2 blocked shots by sophomore forward DeAnte Cisero, and a transition made “3” point basket by freshman guard Jordan Matthews, the Bulldogs led for good 53-50 with 12:00 to go.

After Matthews basket the crowd erupted causing Triton to take a timeout. “It was the loudest I have ever heard this place in my 11 season at South Suburban”, said Coach John Pigatti. South Suburban would never trail the rest of the way, and made some clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Pinder and Cisero’s 14 points. Pinder had a monster game as he also grabbed a game high 21 rebounds, and blocked a career high 10 shots. Other double digit scorers for SSC were: Matthews, sophomores Anthony Harris and Rasheide Bell who had 12, 12 and 10 points respectfully. Bell would also snatch 5 steals.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 59-48. Neither team shot the ball well due to great defense on both sides. South Suburban shot 27/82 (32.9%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the “3”, and 24/38 (63.2%) from the free throw line. Triton shot 22/67 (32.8%) from the field, 4/10 (40%) from the “3”, and 29/42 (69%) from the free throw line.

It was the 5th time during Coach Pigatti’s 11 season that a #1 ranked team in the country played at the “Pigpen”. SSC is 5-0 in those games. The Bulldogs end the regular season with a 3pm tip on Saturday vs. Ivy Tech College. It will be “Sophomore Day” as well.

BOX SCORE

February 25 – vs. Ivy Tech Community College (IN) in South Holland, IL. SOPHOMORE DAY

It was “Sophomore Day” at South Suburban College, and the honorees did not disappoint their family and friends. Ivy Tech was the opponent and after all the introductions, SSC started out strong and finished with an impressive 120-27 victory.

The nine sophomore who were honored were: Rasheide Bell, Armon Benford, DeAnte Cisero, Ehab Eltayeb, Anthony Harris, Saniel Mijatovic, Devon Mingo, Shakur Pinder, and Marshawn Tobin. The victory Improved the Bulldogs final regular season record to 19-11; (but they were undefeated on the court at 30-0).

The two international sophomore players must have been inspired by their native national anthems which were played before the game. Saniel Mijatovic (Serbia) scored a career high 29 points as he single handily out-scored Ivy Tech. Ehab Eltayeb (Sudan) also scored a career high in points and rebounds as he chipped in 18 points, and grabbed 18 rebounds.

Bell, Harris and Cisero were the other Bulldogs who scored in double figures; as they scored 15, 13, and 12 points respectfully. South Suburban shot 50/100 (50%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from behind the “3”-point arc, and 14/20 (70%) from the free throw line.

Ivy Tech shot 9/50 (18%) from the field, they missed all 18 “3” point attempts, and were 9/18 (50%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban now heads to the post season as the #1 seed in District 3. They received a first round bye and will play in the semi-final on Sunday March 5, 2017, tip time is 2pm. They will play the winner of the Moraine Valley/Olive Harvey contest.

It is the 9th time in 11 season that Coach Pigatti’s Bulldogs have received the #1 seed in the region tourney.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
March 5 – vs. Moraine Valley Community College at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

In the semi-finals of the Region IV-A (District 3) tournament, the #1 seeded Bulldogs faced a very tough #4 seeded Moraine Valley team.

After 39.6 minutes the Bulldogs finally were victorious with a 63-61 victory.

Moraine Valley opened the game 13-6 lead with 14:00 to go in the first half. They held the 7-point lead until the 11:30 mark of the first half.

That is when SSC went on a 13-7 run and pulled to within one at 25-24 with 5:30 to go. South Suburban would take a narrow 35-34 lead into the halftime break.

SSC would take its biggest lead of the game at 49-41 with 13:00 to go in the game, but Moraine Valley would not fold. They actually took a 55-54 lead with 5:20 to go in the game.

The game would remain tight the rest of the way. The Bulldogs led 61-59 with 1:30 to go.

Moraine Valley’s Nick Sims would make a lay-up with :12 seconds to go to tie the game at 61, and set the heroics by South Suburban’s sophomore guard Armon Benford. Benford would drive the lane and get fouled with .4 seconds on the clock. He would proceed to make both free throws to win the game for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Rasheide Bell’s 22 points. Benford would score 20 points of his own.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 46-31. South Suburban shot a dismal 23/68 (33.8%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 14/16 (87.5%) from the free throw line. Moraine Valley would shoot 18/48 (37.5%) from the field, 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”, and 23/27 (85.25) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 20-11 (but 31-0 on the court.) They advanced to the Championship game vs. Carl Sandburg College.

The game will be played next Saturday March 11, 2017. The game will be played at Waubonsee CC, tip time is 5pm.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV-A (District 3) DIVISION II TOURNAMENT FINAL
March 11 – vs. Carl Sandburg at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

The #1 seeded Bulldogs played in their 10th Region IV-A (District 3) Championship Game during Coach John Pigatti’s 11 season at SSC. For the eighth time they came out victorious with a 81-69 win over Carl Sandburg College.

The game started with SSC leading 17-8 with 11:43 to go in the first half. They extended it to 10 at 20-10 with 9:00 to go.

Carl Sandburg then went on a 14-2 run and took a 24-22 lead with 3:43 to go in the first half.

However, the Bulldogs would close the half on a 10-2 run and take a 34-27 lead into the halftime break.

SSC would extend their lead to 14 at 58-44 with 9:32 to go in the game.

Then Carl Sandburg would make their final push of the game; and close the gap to 61-57 with 5:00 to go.

That is when South Suburban’s sophomore guard Rasheide Bell would stop Carl Sandburg’s run with two 3-point made field goals and several free throws.

The Bulldogs would never look back and bring home the title with a 12-point victory.

Bell led all scorer with 26 points, He also grabbed 8 rebounds, dished out 8 assists and snatched 5 steals.

All five starters for the Bulldogs would score in double figures. They did not receive any help from their bench as the subs were held scoreless for the first time all season.

Sophomore forwards Deante Cisero and Anthony Harris would score 17 and 12 points respectfully. Both players would record double-doubles as they grabbed a game high 10 rebounds. Sophomore guards Devon Mingo and Armon Benford would score 14 and 12 point respectfully as well.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 39-28.

They would shoot 27/63 (42.9%) from the field, 8/16 (50%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 19/24 (79.2%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg would shoot 20/44 (45.5%) from the field, 3/13 (23.1%) from the “3”, and 26/34 (76.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 21-11 on the season (even though they are 32-0 on the court).

Bell was rewarded for his effort in the playoffs as he was named MVP of the Region IV-A (District 3) Tournament. Harris and Benford were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Coach Pigatti was named Region IV-A (District 3) Coach-of-the-Year. It is his 8th time in 11 seasons that he has won that award.

South Suburban will now head to the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Danville, IL. The tournament runs March 21-25, 2017.

The will find out their seed and who they play this Tuesday March 14, 2017.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
ROUND ONE
March 21 – vs. Dakota County Technical College (MN) at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

Recap to come.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
QUARTER FINAL
March 23 – vs. Niagara County Community College (NY) at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

Recap to come.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
SEMI FINAL
March 24 – vs. Louisburg College (NC) at Danville Area Community College’s Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL.

Recap to come.

BOX SCORE

October 31 – vs. Trinity Christian College (JV) in South Holland, IL

The 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Season started off with a bang as 13 of the 14 players who dressed, scored in a 99-36 home trouncing of Trinity Christian (JV). The Bulldogs who start the season ranked #19 in the country trailed 4-3 with 18:00 left to go in the first half. Their offense and defense started to gell and they finished the first half by holding their visitors to just 2 points in the last 8 minutes. They went into halftime with a 54-16 lead. The second half was more of the same as the defense stymied the visitors to just 2 points in the last 5 minutes to help in the 66-point victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring and rebounding by freshman center Shakur Pinder, who recorded his first career double/double as he scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Other double digit scorers for SSC were: sophomore guard Jalen Myers (12 points), freshmen Donald Fisher, Saniel Mijatovic, and Anthony Harris (11 points each), and freshman Devon Mingo (10 Points). The Bulldogs shot 32/71 (45%) from the field, 5/15 (33%) from behind the “3” point line, and 30/38 (79%) from the free throw line. Trinity Christian (JV) shot only 11/52 (21%) from the field, 4/27 (15%) from the “3” , and 10/14 (71%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 1-0 and play host to Waubonsee on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7pm.

BOX SCORE

November 3 – vs. Waubonsee Community College in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban College Bulldogs showed a lot of grit as they trailed by 17 points in the second half, but rebounded to defeat Waubonsee Community College 74-72 for their second home victory of the season.

SSC trailed 20-9 with 10:00 to go in the first half. They could not get any closer than five points in the first half and went into halftime trailing 43-30.

The visitors took a 47-32 lead with 19:00 to go in the game before the Bulldogs started their comeback.

SSC still trailed 55-45 with 13:30 to go when they went on an 8-1 run to pull within 56-52 with 9:00 to go in the game. The Bulldog’s freshman forward Donald Fisher would ignite the comeback with several made “3” point baskets. His made “3:” with 6:41 left in the game, would give SSC a 61-60 lead. Waubonsee would answer with a 7-1 run of their own, and regain the lead at 67-62 with 4:30 to go in the game. SSC’s sophomore guard Jovan Mooring would make a “3” point basket with 2:50 to go to give the Bulldogs a 70-67 lead. The game would be tied at 71-71 with :25 to go when Mooring would hit another “3” to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 74-71.

Mooring would lead all scorers with 25 points. He would also grab 6 rebounds. Fisher would score all 12 of his point from behind the “3” point line. Freshman center Shakur Pinder would finish with his 2nd straight double/double as he scored 13 points and grabbed a game high 19 rebounds. SSC would shoot 26/66 (39%) from the field, 8/25 (32%) from the “3” and a chilling 14/29 (48%) from the free throw line. Waubonsee shot 30/68 (44%) from the field, 4/15 (27%) from the “3” and, only 8/16 (50%) from the free throw line.

SSC improves to 2-0 on the season and head to Perrysburg, Ohio this weekend for the Owens Tip-Off Classic tournament at Owens Community College.

BOX SCORE

OWEN TIP-OFF CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
November 7 – vs. Wayne County Community College (MI) at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, OH.

The #19 Bulldogs went to Ohio to play in the Owens CC tournament and started out with an 83-74 victory over Wayne Count CC (a team from near Detroit Michigan.).

They opened a 12-0 lead in the first 3 minutes of the game. They actually extended the lead to twenty at 55-35 before entering halftime with a 57-42 lead.

Wayne County would start the second half on a 14-6 run and pull to within seven at 63-56 with 10:00 to go in the game.

They would never get any closer and the Bulldog would pull away for the victory and improve to 3-0 on the young season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jalen Myers’ 18 points. Myers would make all 11 of his free-throws. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would score 12 points and lead the Bulldogs in rebounding with 8. Sophomore guard Erick Locke and freshman forward Marlon Northern would also score in double figures, as they score 11 points each. Locke would shoot 9/11 from the free throw line as SSC would shoot 32/38 (84%) from the charity stripe.

SSC shot 23/56 (41%) from the field, and 5/16 (31%) from behind the “3” point line. Wayne County would shoot 23/57 (40%)from the field, 2/10 (20%) from the “3”, and 26/45 (58%) from the free throw line. The new rules about fouling came into play in this game, as 60 fouls were called on the two teams.

SSC narrowly won the rebounding battle 39-38.

South Suburban plays undefeated Jamestown (NY) tomorrow at 1pm. Jamestown (NY) is fresh off a victory over the tourney host Owens CC.

BOX SCORE

November 8 – vs. Jamestown Community College (NY) at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, OH.

This early afternoon neutral court contest started out with both team strutting their offensive firepower. Neither team missed a shot in their first five possessions but in the end South Suburban would reign victorious 86-65 over Jamestown (NY) Community College.

South Suburban would lead 21-20 with 12:00 to go in the first half, until Jamestown took their first lead of the day at 25-23 with 11:30 to go in the first half.

They would build the lead to six at 34-28 with 8:40 to go in the half, but SSC would go on a 12-5 run to take a 40-39 lead with 2:00 to go. Jamestown would close the half on a 6-0 run and take a 45-40 lead into the halftime break.

South Suburban would come out with a different defensive mindset in the second half. The Bulldogs would still trail 52-46 with 11:00 to go in the game. They would go on a 25-7 run over the next 7 minutes and take a 71-59 lead with 4 minutes to go in the game. They would continue to build on the lead, hold Jamestown to just 20 second half points, and finish with the 22-point victory while improving to 4-0 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring, who would score 23 of his game high 29 points in the second half. He would also dish out 4 assist and grab 4 rebounds. For his effort in this game he was named Region IV-A Player-of-the-Week. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers would continue his successful tournament as he scored 16 points. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would again lead the Bulldogs in rebounding with 5, while scoring 16 points of his own.

South Suburban would shoot 29/59 (49%) from the field, 7/17 (41%) from behind the “3” point line, and a sizzling 15/16 (95%) from the free throw line. Jamestown would cool off their shooting in the second half and finish 19/50 (38%) from the field, they were 8/19 (42%) from the “3”, and 13/15 (87%) from the free throw line.

SSC would win the rebounding battle 31-27.

South Suburban continues their 3-game road trip with a Tuesday contest at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL.

BOX SCORE

November 10 – at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs had 11 out of 14 players scored in this road contest as South Suburban never trailed and routed their host, Wilbur Wright College 118-66.

South Suburban would only lead by 10 at 20-10, when they would pull away in the later part of the first half and take a 55-35 lead into the halftime break. South Suburban would extend the lead with their defensive intensity as they forced Wright into 32 turnovers for the game.

However, the Bulldogs would only win the rebounding battle 40-33. The 52-point margin of victory was the largest in Coach John Pigatti’s tenure as the head coach at South Suburban College.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-0 on the season, and Pigatti’s career record (all at South Suburban College) is now 262-59.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Jalen Myers, who scored 23 points in only 25 minutes of play. He would shoot 7-10 from the field, and 4-6 from behind the “3” point line. Region IV-A Player-of-the-Week sophomore guard Jovan Mooring would score 22 points as he shot (3-5) from the “3”. Freshman forward Donald Fisher would score a career high 14 points and he was (2-4) from the “3”. Other double digits scorers for the Bulldogs were freshmen Anthony Harris and Shakur Pinder. They scored 13 and 10 points respectfully. South Suburban would shoot 44-78 (56.4%) from the field, 10-20 (50%) from the “3”, and 20-33 (60.6%) from the free throw line.

Wright College shot 21-50 (42%) from the field, 3-10 (30%) from the “3”, and 21-28 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returns home for three games starting on Saturday, November 14th with a home contest vs. The College of Lake Country. Game time is 3:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

November 14 – vs. College of Lake Forest in South Holland, IL

The #19 Bulldogs returned home to start a three game home stand with a resounding 93-59 victory over The College of Lake County.

SSC stated the game with a 24-9 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 38-18 at the half time break. Lake County could not break into the Bulldog’s lead, and still trailed 70-38 with 9:00 left in the game. South Suburban would gain its biggest lead of the game at 87-52 with 2:50 to go.

They would then finish with the 34-point victory.

12 out of the 14 Bulldogs who played scored. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring. He scored 21 points in just 25 minutes of play, and grabbed 5 steals while dishing out 5 assists. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers scored 18 points while also dishing out 5 assists. Freshman guard Devon Mingo was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he poured in 11 points.

The Bulldogs shared the ball well as they dished out 23 assist on 35 made baskets for the game. SSC freshman center Shakur Pinder was the game leading rebounder with 15 helping the Bulldogs win the battle of the boards 42-39. South Suburban shot 35/63 (55.5%) from the field. 9/21 (42.9%) from behind the “3” point line, and 14/20 (70%) from the free throw line.

Lake County shot 20/60 (33%) from the field, 4/16 (25%) from the “3”, and 15/22 (68%) from the free throw line.

#19 South Suburban improved to 6-0 on the season and continue their home stand with a Tuesday November 17th contest verses their south suburban rival Prairie State College. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

November 17 – vs. Prairie State College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs south suburban rival, Prairie State College, came to South Holland for a big early season Region IV matchup.

South Suburban College was not a good host as they defeated their rivals 82-45.

SSC jumped out to an early 9-0 lead with 14:30 to go in the first half. Prairie State would pull to within six at 11-5 with 10:55 to go in the half.

The Bulldogs would proceed to go on a 21-1 run and take a 32-6 lead with 4:50 to go.

SSC would lead 37-13 at half time.

The Pioneers would trail 47-26 with 13:00 to go in the game, when SSC would go on a 28-9 run and take a 75-35 lead with 4:00 to go.

The Bulldogs would then close out the game with the 37-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring who would score 25 points. He would also grabbed 4 rebounds, dish out 3 assist, and snatch 4 steals.

SSC would only have one other player score in double figures. Freshman center, Shakur Pinder would record his 5th double/double of the season as he scored 11 points, while grabbing 14 rebounds.

South Suburban would shoot 32/68 (47%) from the field, 6/25 (24%) from behind the “3’ point line, and 12/20 (60%) from the free throw line. Prairie State shot 15/41 (37%) from the field, 5/20 (25%) from the “3” and 10/18 (56%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 45-30.

They also forced 29 Prairie State turnovers.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-0 on the season.

They finish up their 3-game home stand Thursday, November 19th, with a 7:00 p.m. contest verses Morton College.

BOX SCORE

November 19 – vs. Morton College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs did not start their final game of their 3-game home stand very well as they trailed 39-38 at half time to Morton College. They put together a second half for the offensive ages, as they scored 60 points in the final 20 minutes and won their Region IV matchup 98-73.

The game would start out with SSC trailing 17-14 with 11:08 to go in the first half. They would take the lead at 20-19 with 9:00 to go, and actually held a 38-36 lead with 1 minute to go in the half.

However, Morton would take the 1 point lead into the half time break.

The second half would start out slow for the Bulldogs as they continued to trail 47-45 with 16:45 left to go in the game.

The game was tied at 50 when SSC would pick up the offense and defensive intensity.

They proceeded to go on a 31-9 run and take a 81-59 lead with 6:30 to go in the game.

They would never look back and finish with the 25-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring who scored 27 points while dishing out 6 assists. Freshman Guard Erick Locke would score a career high 19 points while dishing out 7 assists of his own. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers would score 18 points while dishing out a career high 9 assists.

Freshman forward Anthony Harris would be the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he chipped in 17 points of his own.

Freshman forward Marlon Northern would miss out on his first career double/double by 1 point as he scored 9 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 35/65 (53.8%) from the field, 9/18 (50%) from behind the “3” point line, and 19/27 (70%) from the free throw line.

Morton shot 23/52 (44.2%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from the “3”, and 23/31 (74.25) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the battle of the board 45-30.

South Suburban improves to 8-0 on the season, and head on the road this Monday, November 23rd, to Lincoln, Il for a contest with Lincoln Christian College (JV).

BOX SCORE

November 23 – at Lincoln Christian College (JV) in Lincoln, IL

#19 South Suburban College took it’s travels to Lincoln, Il for an out of region contest verses the junior varsity squad of Lincoln Christian College. The Bulldogs headed back up I-55 with a resounding 101-59 victory, and improved their record to 9-0.

South Suburban took and early 11-5 lead and expanded that to a 49-28 half time lead. They extended the lead throughout the second half with its bench players, and finished with the 42-point victory.

SSC’s bench outscored Lincoln Christian’s bench 64-26.

Every player (14) for South Suburban scored in the contest.

Sophomore guard Jovan Mooring scored 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Mooring was named Region IV-A Player-of-the-Week for his efforts last week. It was his second Player-of-the-Week honor this season.

South Suburban out rebounded Lincoln Christian 49-18.

They also shared the ball well as they dished out 27 assists.

South Suburban shot 42/73 (57.5%) from the field, 6/30 (30%) from behind the “3” point line, and 12/18 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldog defense had a lot of bite in it as Lincoln Christian only scored four 2-point baskets, and shot 15/49 (30.6%) from the field, 11/28 (39.3%) from the “3”, and 18/25 (72%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will enjoy the Thanksgiving break and not return to the hardwood until next Tuesday’s home contest on December 1st vs. Oakton Community College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 1 – vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

It must have been too much turkey over Thanksgiving because the Bulldogs were very sluggish to start their home game against Oakton Community College. They picked up their intensity in the second half and prevailed 85-48.

The “stuffed” Bulldogs took an early 17-7 lead with 10:00 left in the first half.

Oakton would close the gap to 21-14 with 4 minutes left, and SSC would take a 31-16 lead into the half time break.

The Raiders would open the second half with a made 3-point basket and it would be the closest the would get to their host.

The game was still in doubt with 15:00 to go and the score 37-24. However, South Suburban would go on a 30-4 run over the next 7 minutes and take a 61-28 lead with 8:00 left to play.

The game was never in doubt after the scoring surge.

South Suburban’s sophomore guard Jovan Mooring would lead three Bulldogs in double digit as he scored 20 points. He also snatched 6 steal and grabbed 8 rebounds. Sophomore guard Erick Locke would score a career high 14 points and grab 7 rebounds while dishing out 5 assists. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would score 12 rebounds while grabbing 5 rebounds of his own. Fellow freshmen Shakur Pinder and Marlon Northern would grab 13 and 12 rebounds respectfully to help SSC win the rebounding battle 52-32.

South Suburban shot 32/74 (43%) from the field, a chilling 5/19 (26%) from behind the “3” point line, and 16/20 (80%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot a frigid 12/45 (27%) from the field, 5/18 (28%) from the “3”, and 19/30 (63%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban, who just moved up to #3 in the latest NJCAA Poll, improves to 10-0 on the season.

This Thursday, December 3rd, they head on the road to play at 5-1 McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL. Game time is 7:15 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 3 – at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL

The Bulldogs travel to a very hostile environment at McHenry County College and were fortunate to get out of there with a 74-65 victory.

The first half started out slow for the Bulldogs as they were trailing 18-10 with 10:00 to go in the first half. They would continue to trail 35-28 at half time. The second half was a different story for the Bulldogs as they picked up their defensive intensity by holding their host McHenry to 2 points in the first 8 minutes of the second half, They would take their first lead with 6:00 to go in the game and never look back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman forward Anthony Harris who scored 22 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. It was his first career double/double. The only other Bulldog to score in double figures was sophomore guard Jovan Mooring; who scored 17 points, while snatching 4 steals. SSC shot 24/60 (40%) from the field 6/24 (25%) from behind the “3” point line, and 20/27 (74%) from the free throw line.

McHenry shot 21/50 (42%) from the field, 5/19 (26.3%) from the “3”, and 18/29 (62%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 11-0 on the season. They return home for a Sunday, December 6th 1:00 p.m. tip vs. Northwestern University (Club).

BOX SCORE

December 6 – vs. Northwestern University Basketball Club in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs returned home for a Sunday contest vs. Northwestern University (Club) team and won resoundingly 126-64.

The Bulldogs never trailed in the game and held a 61-33 halftime lead. They picked up the defensive intensity in the second half and held Northwestern (Club) scoreless for about 6 minutes in the second half. The 62-point margin was the second highest of the year for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring who scored 43 points, while grabbing 9 rebounds and snatching 8 steals in only 25 minutes of play. Freshman center Shakur Pinder recorded another double/double (his 6th of the season) as he scored 16 points while grabbing a career high 20 rebounds. All 13 Bulldogs that dressed scored. South Suburban shot 51/95 (53.7), 10/25 (40%) from behind the “3” point line, and 14/19 (73.7%) from the free throw line.

Northwestern University (Club) shot 22/58 (37.9%) from the field, a chilling 4/20 (20%) from the “3”, and 16/20 (80%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 12-0 on the season. For their effort so far this season, they were recently ranked #1 in the country in the latest NJCAA Division II poll. It is the third time during Coach John Pigatti’s 10 season at South Suburban College that the Bulldogs have been ranked #1 in the country.

The Bulldogs will take their new ranking to Kewanee, IL and battle the Warriors of Black Hawk College East Tuesday, December 9th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

December 9 – at Black Hawk College – East in Kewanne, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs took their recent #1 ranking on the road to Kewanee, IL and tried to pull off a furious comeback. They came up two points short as they lost to Black Hawk East College 74-72.

The Bulldogs started the game like the #1 team in the land as they took and early 8-2 lead with 16:00 left to go in the first half. However, their host was not intimidated by the ranking, and the Warriors fought back with a furious scoring run of their own and took a big 45-34 lead into the half time break.

They would extend the lead to 51-35 before the Bulldogs started to act like the #1 team in the country.

SSC went on a scoring run for the ages as they scored 20 unanswered points in a 2 ½ minute span and took a 53-51 lead with 10:00 to go in the game. The scoring run was triggered by South Suburban’s sophomore guard Jalen Myers. Myers would make four “3’ point shots in the spurt to help SSC take the lead.

The game was tight throughout the last 10 minutes, and every time South Suburban took the lead, Black Hawk East answered with a score of their own.

The game was tied at 67 with 1:30 to go when South Suburban’s (and recently named National Player-of-the-Week) Jovan Mooring drove the right side of the lane and pull up for a 15-foot jump shot. As the shot rimed out of the basket, Black Hawk East rebounded the ball and would score on the next possession to take the lead for good.

Mooring would have the last shot as Black Hawk East missed 2 free throws with :07 to go. SSC’s freshman guard Erick Locke would drive the ball quickly up the court. He would find Mooring open for a winning “3” point shot, but it would not fall, and the Bulldogs fell from the ranks of the unbeaten.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Mooring’s 20 points. Myers would score 18 points of his own. Freshman center Shakur Pinder would score 10 points despite shooting 3/13 from the field. He would also grab 11 rebounds to give him his 7th double/double of the season.

South Suburban shot 25/64 (39%) from the field, 7/18 (38.9%) from behind the “3” point line, and 15/19 (78.9%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk East was led in coring by freshman guard Joe Williams who scored 28 points (a career high). They shot 25/49 (51%) from the field, 6/16 (38%) from the “3” and 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban falls to 12-1 on the season and return home this Saturday, December 12th for a 3:00 p.m. tip vs. Joliet Junior College. This game will also be designated as Kid’s Day, and there will be a special guest appearance by Santa Claus!

BOX SCORE

December 12 – KID’S DAY vs. Joliet Junior College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs had a rough few days after they received the #1 ranking in the NJCAA Division II poll. They lost at Black Hawk East and had a few days to dwell in their misery. So it was quite understanding that they came into Kid’s Day (which featured 2 clowns and Santa Claus) as angry as the scrooge.

They took their anger out on their visitors from Joliet Junior College by handing them a 133-74 defeat.

The game opened with the Bulldogs in complete control and focus on “righting the ship”. They took and early 28-7 lead with 10:30 left to go in the first half. They would extend the lead to 51-24 with 2:50 to go and go into the half time break with a 56-35 lead.

Joliet would open the second half with a 4-point run, but after SSC’s current National Player-of-the-Week; sophomore guard Jovan Mooring made a “3” point basket, it stopped any hope of a Joliet comeback. The Bulldogs would extend the lead some more at 75-41 with 12:00 to go in the game, and then finish with 39-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Mooring’s 33 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists and snatched 2 steals. Sophomore Jalen Myers would score 17 points and freshman center Shakur Pinder would record another double/double, the 8th this season, by scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Freshman forward Donald Fisher would score all of his points at garbage time, but would shoot a sizzling 5/6 from behind the “3” point line, and finish with his career high of 17 points.

South Suburban shot 39/69 (57%) from the field, 14/25 (56%) from “3”, and 21/24 (88%) from the free throw line. Joliet would shoot 23/62 (37%) from the field, only 2/10 (20%) from the “3”, and 26/32 (81.3%) from the free throw line. South Suburban improved to 13-1 on the season.

They will break for final exams this week, and travel to Grand Rapid (MI) Community College on Monday December 21st for their final game before the Christmas break.

BOX SCORE

December 21 – at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, MI

The Bulldogs headed out to Michigan for their final game of the first semester when they traveled to Grand Rapids (MI) Community College.

After a record scoring performance by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring, South Suburban headed into the Christmas break with a 104-81 victory. They finished the first half of their season 14-1 on the year.

Moorings scored 51 points, which was a Bulldog scoring record during Coach John Pigatti’s ten seasons at the school.

The game did not start well for the Bulldogs as they trailed 22-12 with 12:00 to go in the first half. Mooring then started to assert himself offensively, and helped SSC take a 50-41 lead into the half time break.

The second half was the Jovan Mooring show as he scored 31 of his 51 points in the Bulldogs’ 54-point half. South Suburban’s 23-point victory margin was the largest of the game.

South Suburban had 3 other scorers in double figures. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers and freshman guard Erick Locke scored 16 and 11 points respectfully. Freshman center Shakur Pinder recorded his 10th double/double of the season as he scored 11 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. He also snatched 5 steals, while Mooring had 6 of his own.

South Suburban shot 34/66 (51.5%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%) from behind the “3” point line, and a sizzling 29/33 (87.9%) from the free throw line.

Grand Rapids shot 23/59 (39%) from the field, 8/21 (38.1%) from the “3”, and 27/37 (73%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban will take some time off for Christmas and start 2016 off with a huge road contest at Triton College in River Grove, IL.

BOX SCORE

January 3 – at Triton College in River Grove, IL

The Bulldogs went on the road to play one of their biggest Region IV rivals; Triton College. They still had holiday legs as the game was the first game back from Christmas break.

SSC was never in the game as they trailed 41-13 early, 49-20 at the half, and lost 91-55.

It was their biggest lost in Coach John Pigatti’s 10 seasons at the helm.

Triton sizzled during the first half as they shot 70% while the Bulldogs only shot 20%.

South Suburban’s sophomore guard Jovan Mooring led all scorers with 21 points. He also has 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Freshman guard Erick Locke was the only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs as he scored 14 points.

Three of South Suburban’s top six players did not score in the game.

South Suburban shot a horrible 21/71 (30%) from the field, a chilly 3/20 (15%) from behind the “3” point line, and 10/16 (63%) from the free throw line.

The Trojans were unstoppable as they shot 33/56 (59%) from the field, 6/12 (50%) from the “3”, and 19/22 (86%) from the free throw line.

They also won the battle of the boards 44-34, and had 5 blocks, 4 in the first half leading to 10 points.

South Suburban falls to 14-2 on the season, and travel to Champaign, IL this Thursday (January 7) to play Parkland College. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 7 – at Parkland College in Champaign, IL

The Bulldogs headed back on the road licking their paws after the beating they took at Triton. Their game at Parkland College in Champaign, IL was totally the opposite of last Sunday’s game at Triton, and the Bulldogs left with a with a 83-67 victory.

They started the game more focus and took and early 20-14 lead. They would finish the first half on a 23-14 run and take a 43-28 lead into the half time break.

SSC’s momentum would carry over in the second half, and they would open the first 9 minutes with a 25-15 run and take a 68-43 lead with 11:00 to go in the game. They would take their biggest lead at 76-48 with 6:00 to go.

Parkland would make a late run to pull within the 16-point deficit.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring’s 26 points. Freshmen Shakur Pinder and Anthony Harris would be the only other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs as they scored 15 and 14 points respectfully. They both would also record double/doubles as they grabbed 12 rebounds each.

Their rebounding efforts helped South Suburban win the battle of the boards 55-40. Freshman point guard Erick Locke would dish out 6 assists, while Mooring grabbed 4 steals for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban shot 31-57 (54.3%) from the field, 6-16 (37.5%) from behind the “3” point line, and 15-24 (62.5%) from the free throw line.

Parkland shot (27/70) 38.5% from the field, (3/15) 20% from the “3”, and only (10/22) 45.5% from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 15-2 on the season and return home this Saturday with a big Region IV game vs. Carl Sandburg. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 9 – Carl Sandburg College in South Holland, IL

The visitors from Galesburg, IL started the game out with hot shooting which propelled Carl Sandburg to and early lead 5-0.

However, South Suburban then settled in for their home game and finished with a 81-58 victory.

After the early start for Carl Sandburg, the Bulldogs went on a 19-3 run to take and 19-8 lead with 12:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban turned up its defensive intensity and took a 39-22 lead into the half time break.

The Bulldogs would go on an 21-13 run in the first 11:00 minutes of the second half and take their biggest lead of 60-35 with 9:24 left in the game. The game would never get much closer and the Bulldogs would extend their home winning streak to 17 games carrying over from last year.

South Suburban was led in scoring again by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring. Mooring would have an overall nice game as he scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 4 assist, and snatched 3 steals. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would record his second consecutive double/double as he scored 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs would win the battle of the boards 52-30. They moved the ball well in the game and dished out 20 assists as a team.

South Suburban shot 32/66 (48.5%) from the field, 7/16 (43.8%) from behind the “3” point line, and shot only 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line for the second consecutive game.

Carl Sandburg shot 23/62 (37.1%) from the field, a chilling 3/21 (14.3%) from the “3”, and 9/12 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 16-2 on the season, and have a week off before they host Illinois Valley next Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 9 – Illinois Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted Illinois Valley in a Region IV contest on Saturday. They trailed early 9-6 but after a “3” point made shot by sophomore guard Jalen Myers, which tied the game at 9, the host never trailed again in a 108-69 victory.

The game remained tied at 11 with 12:00 to go in the first half when Myers hit another “3” to give SSC a 14-11 lead. They would go on a 16-6 run and take a 27-17 lead with 8:45 to go in the half.

Illinois Valley would then start its’ “3” point shooting barrage and pull within four at 40-36 with 1:45 to go in the half.

The Bulldogs would close out the half on a 8- 2 run and take a 48-38 lead into the half time break.

The second half was a totally different story for the Bulldogs’ defense. SSC would open the half on a 12-2 run and take a 60-40 lead with 15:00 to go in the game. Illinois Valley closed the gap to 78-61 with 9:30 to go.

South Suburban would then clamp down defensively and out score their visitors 30-8 to win by the 39-point margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring. He had an all-around good game as he scored 29 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, snatched 6 steals and dished out 4 assists. Myers would score 19 points of his own. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would score a career high 21 points while recording a double/double and grabbing 10 rebounds. The man in the middle; freshman Shakur Pinder recorded his 11th double/double of the season as he scored 12 points while grabbing a career high 20 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 46-31.

South Suburban shot 37/70 (52.9%) from the field, 13/27 (48.1%) from the “3”, and 21/27 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

Illinois Valley shot 24/58 (41.4%) from the field, 7/25 (28%) from the “3”, and 14/21 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 17-2 on the season.

They now travel to Kentucky for two games this week, and then play two more on the road before heading home to play on Saturday January 30th.

That game is designated as “Community Day”. All residents, business owners and employees in the South Suburban College’s District 510, and Northwest Indiana will are admitted free of charge. There will be special prizes and raffles during the game.

BOX SCORE

January 21 – at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, KY

The Bulldogs headed to the Nor’easter snow storm in Kentucky, and pulled a storm off of their own as they scored early and often and dominated their host from Owensboro, KY 108-42.

The Bulldogs took and early 12-0 lead and never looked back.

At halftime they led 53-26. They held Kentucky Wesleyan (JV) to 16 second half points as they turned up their defensive storm.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring’s 30 points. Mooring also grabbed 6 rebounds. South Suburban had five players score in double figures as freshmen Erick Locke, Shakur Pinder, and Anthony Harris scored 17, 12 and 10 points respectfully.

Sophomore guard Jalen Myers chipped in 12 points of his own.

Pinder also recorded another double/double of the season as he grabbed 13 rebounds to help SSC win the rebounding battle 46-20.

South Suburban shot 43/73 (59%) from the field, 7/17 (41%) from behind the “3” point line, and 15/21 (71%) from the free throw line. Kentucky Wesleyan (JV) shot 11/37 (29.7%) from the field, 0/8 from the “3”, and 19/29 (65.6) from the free throw line.

the #6 Bulldogs improved to 18-2 on the season.

BOX SCORE

January 22 – at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, KY

Due to the facility problems and the snow storm in Kentucky, the Bulldogs game vs. Jefferson Tech was canceled. South Suburban was already in Kentucky so Kentucky Wesleyan offered to play the Bulldogs again for the second straight day.

After several players were late for the bus going to the game, discipline was handed out, and a new starting lineup was installed by Coach John Pigatti.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 20-10 lead and led 59-25 at half time. They would proceed to coast to another dominating victory over Kentucky Wesleyan (JV) 101-58.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman forward Anthony Harris’ 18 points. He also led the team in steals with 7, and grabbed 6 rebounds.

This time South Suburban had 6 players score in double figures. Sophomores Jovan Mooring, Jalen Myers and Russell Robinson Jr. scored 15 ,14 and 10 points respectfully. Freshmen Shakur Pinder, and Erick Locke scored 14 and 13 point respectfully as well.

Pinder grabbed a game high 9 rebounds to help South Suburban win the rebounding battle 40-34.

For the second consecutive game SSC shot 59% (41/70) from the field. They only shot 4/11 (36%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 15/22 (68%) from the free throw line.

Kentucky Wesleyan played much better in this game as they shot 21/58 (36%) from the field, 3/13 (23%) from the “3”, and 13/18 (72%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban returned home in the blizzard 19-2. They have two huge Region IV road games this week. They start out with a Monday contest at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL, game time is 7:30pm.

BOX SCORE

January 25 – at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL

The Bulldogs continued their four-game road trip at tough Region IV rival Kishwaukee College. The game was a game of runs by each team, and in the end South Suburban came out victorious 95-92.

The Bulldogs came out of the shoot on fire as they opened up a 31-17 lead with 8:00 to go in the first half. Kishwaukee then went on a huge run of their own, and actually went into the halftime break with a 41-38 lead.

The second half was very intense as South Suburban trailed 67-57 with 10:00 left in the game.

Over the next 5-minutes sophomore guards Jovan Mooring and Jalen Myers would find their shooting stroke from behind the “3” point line and help the Bulldogs go on a 21-11 run and tie the game at 78 with 5:00 to go. South Suburban would then take an 87-82 lead with 1:30 to go.

The Kougars were not done though. They would proceed to bank in a “3” point shot and make another “3” pointer to close the gap to 93-92 with :03 to go.

Mooring would proceed to make 2 free throws to help the Bulldogs extend their lead, and when Kishwaukee’s half court heave fell short; SSC improved their record to 20-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Moorings 32 points, while grabbing 9 rebounds. Myers would score 19 points of his own. South Suburban’s point guard Erick Locke would be the only other Bulldog who scored in double digits as he scored 13 points, while dishing out 7 assists.

Freshman forward Anthony Harris would record his 4th double/double in the last 5 games as he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 33/64 (51.6%) from the field. 9/21 (42.9%) from the “3”, and 20/24 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

Kishwaukee shot 32/65 (49.2%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from the “3” and 22/32 (68.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban narrowly won the rebounding battle 37-34.

The Bulldogs finish their road trip this Thursday with a local rivalry game at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, Il. Tip-off time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

January 28 – at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs closed out it’s four-game road trip with a trip to Olive Harvey College in the city of Chicago. The rivalry between the two schools is intense and it showed in front of a raucous crowd, but in the end SSC came out victorious 93-80.

South Suburban came out of the gate ready for the rivalry. They took and early 25-7 lead, and held a 38-16 lead with 3:44 left in the first half. They still led 26-28 with 1:00 to go when Olive Harvey went on a 7-0 run to end the half; and only trail 48-35 at halftime.

Olive Harvey opened up the second half on another 7-0 run to close the gap to 46-42 with 18:30 to go in the game. They stayed close with the Bulldogs and only trailed 50-47 with 16:00 to go.

Then South Suburban picked up its scoring and defensive intensity and proceeded to go on a 15-4 run to take a 65-51 lead with 10:00 to go in the game. Olive Harvey would proceed to make several “3’ point shots to try to come back. However, they could not cut into the Bulldog’s lead and SSC would prevail with the 13-point victory.

South Suburban sophomore guard Jovan Mooring would record a double/double as he scored a whopping 38 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds. He would also dish out 5 assists. Freshman center Shakur Pinder would record a double/double as well, as he scored 23 points while grabbing 16 rebounds. He would also block 6 shots. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would be the only other Bulldog in double figures as he scored 12 points.

Sophomore forward Russell Robinson Jr. would block 8 shots in the game for SSC.

South Suburban shot 37/68 (54.4%) from the field, 6/16 (37.6) from behind the “3” point line, and 13-21 (61.9%) from the free throw line.

Olive Harvey shot 29/76 (38.2%) from the field, 9/23 (39.1%) from the “3”, and 13/19 (68.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban would win the battle of the boards 51-35. They would also block a season high 15 shots for the game.

The #5 Bulldogs improved to 21-2 on the season. They return home for a Saturday contest vs. Indiana Elite Prep Academy. The game is designated as “Coaches vs. Cancer” game that falls on our annual “Community Day”. Game time is 3:00pm.

BOX SCORE

January 30 – vs Midwest Prep Elite in South Holland, IL

There was a nice crowd in honor of Coaches vs. Cancer and “Community Day” at South Suburban’s home contest vs. Indiana Elite. The Bulldogs didn’t disappoint their home crowd as they took an early lead, fought off a feisty opponent and prevailed 109-75.

SSC opened the game leading 13-8 with 14:42 to go in the first half. Indiana Elite would tie the game at 24 with 10:00 to go, but they would never get any closer. The game would stay close at 34-32, but the Bulldogs would close the first half on a 18-8 run, and take a 52-40 lead into halftime.

SSC would open up the second half on an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 20 at 60-40.

They would never lose that double digit lead, and finish with the 34-point lead.

South Suburban’s sophomore guard Jovan Mooring would continue his scoring tear as he scored 45 points to lead all scorers. He would also grab 8 rebounds. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would continue his double digit scoring spree by chipping in 18 points for the Bulldogs. He has now scored double figures in 6 out of the last 8 games. Freshman center Shakur Pinder would record another double/double as he scored 12 points while grabbing 14 rebounds.

Freshman forward Russell Robinson Jr. would score in double digits for his first time as a Bulldogs. He scored 12 points while blocking 3 shots.

South Suburban shot 40/72 (55.6%) from the field, 9/22
(40.9%) from behind the “3” point line, and 20/27 (74.1%) from the free throw line. Indiana Elite would shoot 25/55 (45.5%) from the field, 5/15 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 20/27 (74.1%) from the free throw line.

Freshman point guard Erick Locke would dish out a career high 10 assists for SSC.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 48-30.

South Suburban improved to 22-2 on the season and play another home game this Thursday vs. the junior varsity from Robert Morris University, out of Chicago. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

February 4 – vs Robert Morris University JV in South Holland, IL

The recently ranked #2 Bulldogs entertained Robert Morris University (IL) (JV) and had the pleasure of playing against two former graduates of SSC, Asante Smiter and Jerry Davis III. Both Smiter and Davis scored 18 and 17 points respectfully against their former team, but in the end the Bulldogs prevailed 114-80.

The game started out strong for SSC as they took a 24-9 lead with 11:00 to go in the first half. They still led by a large margin at 43-27 with 4:30 left, when Robert Morris went on a scoring spree of their own and South Suburban only led 48-38 at the half time break.

Smiter would score the first basket of the second half against his former team, but that was the closest Robert Morris would get at 48-40.

South Suburban would go on a 22-7 run and take a 70-47 lead with 13:47 left in the game. They would extend the lead to 99-63 and cruise to victory after that.

Sophomore guard Jalen Myers would have a career night as he shot 9/11 from behind the “3” point line and score 34 points to lead all scorers. He would also grab a career high 7 rebounds.

Recently named NJCAA Division II National Player-of-the-Week Jovan Mooring would score 24 points for the Bulldogs as well. SSC would have three other players score in double figures. Freshmen Anthony Harris and Shakur Pinder would score 14 and 11 points respectfully.

Sophomore forward Russell Robinson Jr. would score a career high 12 points to help in the victory. South Suburban won the rebounding battle 48-41.

Pinder recorded another double/double as he grabbed a team high 13 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 40/75 (53%) from the field, 14/36 (39%) from the “3”, and 20/30 (67%) from the free throw line. Robert Morris (JV) shot 28/65 (43%) from the field, 3/19 (16%) from the “3”, and 21/31 (68%) from the free throw line.

The #2 Bulldogs improved to 23-2 on the season. They finish up the road portion of their schedule Saturday, February 6th when they travel to Moline, Il for a 3:00 p.m. tip at Black Hawk College.

BOX SCORE

February 6 – at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL

South Suburban traveled to Moline, Il for its final road contest of the year as they took on Region IV foe Black Hawk College. The road games in college basketball are never easy and this one was no different. In the end the Bulldogs came out victorious 79-70, improving their road record to 10-2 on the season.

They are also 2-0 in neutral site games.

South Suburban came out of the gate and took an early 11-4 lead with 14:00 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 25-17 with 6:30 to go. Black Hawk then found their 3-point shooting as they made back to back 3’s and finished the half on a 21-12 run to take a 38-37 lead into the halftime break.

They second half was very intense as Black Hawk would extend their lead to four points at 60-56 with 9:30 to go in the game.

South Suburban would then turn up the defensive pressure and force several Black Hawk turnovers and finish the game on a 23-10 run to improve to 24-2 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring’s 30 points. He would also dish out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds. Freshman forward Anthony Harris would score the first 11 points of the game for the Bulldogs and finish with 21 points while grabbing 8 rebounds.

Freshman Center Shakur Pinder would record his 6th straight double/double as he scored 15 points and led SSC in rebounding with 14.

Bulldog sophomore guard Jalen Myers would be the only other scorer in double figures for SSC as he scored 11 points of his own.

South Suburban shot 29/60 (48%) from the field, they were only 3/13 (23%) from behind the “3” point line, and 18/27 (67%) from the free throw line for the second consecutive game.

Black Hawk shot 27/61 (44%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from the “3”, and 10/16 (63%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 42-33.

The Bulldogs finish the regular season with 4 straight home games. The first one is Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Richard Daley College

BOX SCORE

February 9 – vs Richard J. Daley College in South Holland, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs returned to South Holland to start their final 4-game home stand with a tough contest verses Richard Daley College, a NJCAA Division 1 opponent. Game One was very successful as they were victorious 86-66.

The game started with sophomore guard Jalen Myers scoring the first 10 SSC points to help give the Bulldogs an early 19-11 lead. They extended the lead to 31-20 with 4:20 left, but Daley finished the half on a 10-2 run and South Suburban only led 33-30 at half time.

Daley pulled to within two at 36-34 at the start of the second half. South Suburban would then go on a 27-10 run and take a 63-44 lead with 10:00 left to go in the game.

SSC would gain its biggest lead at 75-51 with 4:00 to go. Daley would never threaten that lead and the Bulldogs would end up with the 20-point victory. South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring who scored 24 points. He would also grab 5 rebounds, dish out 6 assist, and grab 2 steals. Myers would finish with 16 points.

The inside post duo of sophomore forward Russell Robinson Jr. and freshman center Shakur Pinder would score 11 and 10 points respectfully. Pinder would grab 12 rebounds, while Robinson tallied 6 of his own.

The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 39-33.

South Suburban would shoot 32/61 (52.5%) from the field, 19/24 (41.7%) from behind the “3” point line, and 12/22 (54.5%) from the free throw line.

Daley would shoot 21/58 (36.2%) from the field, 5/18 (27.8%) from the “3”. And 19/23 (82.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs would dish out 26 assists on 32 baskets.

#2 South Suburban improved to 25-2 on the season, and continue the final home stand with a Saturday contest against Moraine Valley Community College. Tip time is 3:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live online at livesportscaster.com

BOX SCORE

February 13 – vs Moraine Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The #2 South Suburban Bulldogs hosted their rivals from Moraine Valley and were not very hospitable. They picked up their defensive intensity in the second half and pulled away for a 95-61 victory.

The game started out as a rivalry game. Bulldog sophomore guard, Jovan Mooring was aggressively fouled with 5:00 gone in the first half. That incited a shoving match which was quickly calmed down by the referees.

The game remained tied at 15 with 12:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs took a 35-29 lead with 2:00 left to go and finished the half on an 8-2 run to take a 43-31 lead into the half time break.

SSC sophomore guard Jalen Meyers started the second half with back-to-back “3” point baskets, and the Bulldogs started the half on a 12-2 run to take a 55-33 lead with 17:21 to go in the game. The Bulldogs continued its lead at 59-38 with 15:00 to go, when they went their defense took over.

They went on a 28-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game (85-42 ) with 5:00 left to go. After the Bulldogs subbed, the defensive intensity quieted, and they only finished with the 34-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Mooring’s 22 points. He also had a solid game by grabbing 7 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and snatching 7 steals. Myers contributed 14 points of his own. The inside duo of Russell Robinson Jr. and Shakur Pinder was very solid.

They both recorded double/doubles.

Robinson recorded his first career double/double as he scored 12 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Pinder scored 11 points while leading all rebounders with 14. South Suburban’s freshman forward Anthony Harris almost recorded a double/double of his own, as he scored 12 points, while grabbing 9 rebounds.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 55-26. SSC shot 37/73 (50.7%) from the field, 5/21 (23.8%) from the “3”, and 16/27 (59.3%) from the free throw line.

Moraine Valley shot 19/60 (31.7%) from the field. The 3rd leading “3” point shooting team in the nation was held to only 3/20 (15%) from behind the “3” point line, but were a sizzling 20/22 (90.9%) from the free throw line.

#2 South Suburban improved to 26-2 on the season. They finish up the regular season with a pair of home games. The first is on Wednesday, February 17th vs. Don Bosco Prep. Game time is 7:00pm. They finish with a Saturday, February 20th contest vs. Robert Morris University (Springfield) at 3pm.

BOX SCORE

February 17 – vs Don Bosco Prep in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs started their last week of the regular season with a tough home contest against Don Bosco Prep, a highly touted prep school out of Indiana. They answered the challenge and in the end finished with a 91-55 victory.

The game started out with a tight 9-6 advantage for the Bulldogs with 14:00 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 19-11 with 10:30 to go in the half. That is when the Bulldog’s defense took over. They implored a pressing style and finished the half on a 29-7 run and took a 48-18 lead into the half time break.

The second half started with SSC going on a 16-10 run and they took a 62-28 lead with 13:12 to go in the game. They extended their lead to 80-43 with 4:49 left, and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring who scored 29 points while snatching 5 steals. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers scored 18 points for the Bulldogs as well.

SSC finished with five players in double digits.

Freshman center Shakur Pinder recorded his 19th double/double of the year as he scored 14 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. His inside mate, Russell Robinson Jr., scored 11 points while grabbing 9 rebounds of his own.

The other Bulldog who scored in double digits was freshman forward Anthony Harris. He scored 10 points while grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and snatching 5 steals.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 42-36. SSC shot 34/66 (51.5%) from the field, 10/21 (47.6%) from behind the “3” point line, and were a chilly 13/25 (52%) from the free throw line.

Don Bosco shot 20/56 (35.7%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from the “3”, and 9/14 (64.3%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 27-2 on the season. They finish the 2015-16 regular season with a home contest this Saturday against Robert Morris University (Springfield). They will honor their four sophomores, Jovan Mooring, Greg Martin, Jalen Myers, and Russell Robinson Jr., that day as well. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

February 20 – SOPHOMORE DAY vs Robert Morris University (Springfield) in South Holland, IL

South Suburban celebrated “Sophomore Day” at the PE Center on Saturday and honored it’s sophomores Greg Martin, Jovan Mooring, Jalen Myers, and Russell Robinson Jr. Each sophomore scored in the game as the Bulldogs defeated Robert Morris Univ. (Springfield), a 4-year school, 106-51.

Robert Morris (Springfield) held an early 3-2 lead, but South Suburban would proceed to go on a 38-8 run and gain its biggest lead in the first half at 40-11 with 5:40 to go. They would lead 52-28 at halftime.

Robert Morris would score the first basket of the second half, but SSC would then pick up its defensive intensity, and hold RMU to just 37 total points with 5:00 to go in the game. They would cruise to the 55-point victory.

Mooring would lead all scorers with 33 points. He would also grab 8 rebounds, dish out 7 assists, and snatch 3 steals.

Robinson would also have an all-around good performance on his “Sophomore Day”, as he scored 10 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, snatched 4 steals, dished out 4 assists, and blocked 6 shots.

Myers and Martin would score 8 points, and 3 points respectfully to round out the sophomore scoring.

Other double digit scorers were freshman Shakur Pinder and Anthony Harris. They would score 18 points and 13 points respectfully as well.

South Suburban shot 44/74 (59.5%) from the field, 9/23 (39.1%) from behind the “3” point line, and a dismal 9/17 (52.9%) from the free throw line.

Robert Morris Univ. (Springfield) would shoot 17/56 (30.4%) from the field, 2/12 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 15/19 (78.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban finishes the regular season with a 28-2 record. It is the best regular season record in school history. The Bulldogs finished the regular season undefeated (16-0) at home.

They received the #2 seed in the upcoming Region IV post season tournament. They will host a first round game this Thursday, February 25th. They will play Waubonsee Community College and the game time is 7:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL
February 25 – vs. Waubonsee Community College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

The Bulldogs opened up the 2016 Region IV tournament with a home contest vs. Waubonsee Community College. They earned the #2 seed in the tournament, and lived up to their seeding with a 101-55 victory over Waubonsee.

Both teams started out sluggish and Waubonsee actually led 9-5 with 11:32 left to go in the first half. The game remained close with the Bulldogs leading 21-17 with 5:30 to go. South Suburban decided to pick up their defensive intensity and went on a 22-2 run, and after a half court heave by SSC’s sophomore guard Jovan Mooring went through, South Suburban led 43-19 at half time.

Waubonsee never threatened in the second half and the Bulldogs advanced to the semi-finals of the Region IV Tournament.

SSC was led in scoring by Mooring’s 22 points (20 in the first half). Bulldog sophomore center Russell Robinson Jr. scored a career high 20 points, while fellow sophomore Jalen Myers scored 19 points.

South Suburban freshman center Shakur Pinder recorded his 22nd double/double of the year as he scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

Freshman point guard Erick Locke had a career high 10 assists for the Bulldogs as well.

South Suburban shot 40/67 (59.7%) from the field, 11/26 (42.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and 10/15 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

Waubonsee shot 19/45 (42.2%) from the field, 4/13 (30.8%) from the “3”, and 13/24 (54.2%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs improved to 29-2 on the season. They finished undefeated at home (17-0), and have an 154-11 home record during Coach Pigatti’s ten seasons.

SSC will now play in the semifinals vs. Carl Sandburg College at 4:00 p.m. Sunday (February 28). The game will be held at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
February 28 – vs. Carl Sandburg College at Waubonsee Community College’s Erickson Hall in Sugar Grove, IL.

The #2 seeded Bulldogs were taking on the #6 seeded Carl Sandburg Chargers as South Suburban College was competing in its tenth straight final four game during Coach John Pigatti’s ten seasons at the school.

The game started out tight, but the Bulldogs pulled away in the first half and advanced to their ninth Region IV Championship game with a 96-67 victory.

The first half was a game of scoring spurts for both teams.

South Suburban took an early 7-0 lead. Carl Sandburg then went on an 8-0 run of their own to take an 8-7 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half. SSC would then go on a 9-0 run of their own to take a 16-8 lead. They would then take a 30-14 lead with 8:50 to go in the half. They would double up Carl Sandburg and take their biggest lead of the first half at 48-24 with 1:00 to go. Carl Sandburg would end the half on a 5-0 run of their own, and the Bulldogs led 48-29 at the half time break.

The second half would find the Bulldogs increasing their lead to 71-40 with 9:45 to go in the game. Carl Sandburg would go on a 11-0 run of their own to pull within 20 at 71-51. They would get only as close as 77-58 before South Suburban would end the game with some defensive intensity and finish with the 29-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jalen Myers 21 points. Freshman center Shakur Pinder would record his 23rd double/double of the season as he would score 18 points and grab 18 rebounds. The leading scorer in the nation, Bulldog guard Jovan Mooring, was held to 17 points. However, Mooring did dish out 4 assists.

Freshman point guard Erick Locke almost recorded his first triple/double as a Bulldog. He grabbed 10 rebounds, while dishing out 11 assists, and scored 8 points.

South Suburban would score 40 points in the paint as opposed to Carl Sandburg’s 18.

South Suburban shot 33/70 (47.1%) from the field, 8/30 (26.7%) from behind the “3” point line, and 22/33 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg was 23/57 (40.5%) from the field, 11/26 (42.3%) from the “3”, and 10/18 (55.6%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 52-33. They also shared the ball well as they dished out 23 assists on 33 made baskets.

South Suburban improves to 30-2 on the year. It is the fourth time that a Bulldog team has won 30 games in Pigatti’s tenure as coach. They now advance to the Region IV Championship game where they will play Morton College Saturday, March 5th. The game will be played at Eriksson Hall at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL,. Tip off time is 7:30pm.

The game will also be a live/archived stream on www.LiveSportscaster.com.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA REGION IV DIVISION II TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
March 5 – vs. Morton College at Waubonsee Community College’s Erickson Hall in Sugar Grove, IL.

South Suburban was playing in their 9th Region IV Championship game during the 10 season that Coach John Pigatti has been at the helm. They had were going for their 7th in 10 years. Their mission was accomplished as they defeated Morton College 100-70.

They started their championship game versus Morton College with a 23-18 lead with 10:00 left to go in the first half.

Morton would pull to within 32-30 with 6 minutes to go. The Bulldog defense would then hold Morton to just 2 points in the final 6 minutes and SSC would take a 42-32 lead into the halftime break.

The Bulldogs would start out the second half with a 28-16 run over the first 10 minutes and take a 71-48 lead. They would gain their biggest lead of 93-61 at the 3:00 mark of the second half, never look back, and win their 7th Region IV Championship.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Jovan Mooring’s 27 points. He would also grab 6 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jalen Myers would also contribute to the Bulldogs scoring as he poured in 21 points while going (6/8) from behind the “3” point line.

The Bulldogs freshman also shined in this championship game. Anthony Harris recorded a double/double as he scored 16 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Point guard Erick Locke recorded his first career triple double as he scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

South Suburban won the rebounding battle 44-28.

The Bulldogs shot 39-67 (58.2%) from the field, 12/24 (50%) from the “3”, and 10/14 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

Morton shot 27/65 (41.5%) from the field, 8/27 (29.6%) from the “3”, and 8/14 (57.1%) from the free throw line.

Mooring was named the Tournament’s MVP, while Myers was named to the All-Tournament Team. Pigatti was named Region IV Coach of the Year. It is the 7th time he has won that award during his 10 seasons at South Suburban College.

The #2 ranked South Suburban Bulldogs received the #4 seed in next week’s NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Danville, IL. They will play Kansas City (KS) CC on Wednesday March 16, 2016. Game time is 11:00am.

BOX SCORE

NJCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
March 16 – vs. Kansas City (KS) Community College in the Mary Miller Center at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

Day 2 at the NJCAA DII Men’s Basketball Tournament paired South Suburban College against Kansas City Kansas Community College. Kansas City’s appearance was their first ever in the National Tournament.

A steal by Jovan Mooring scored the first basket of the game came off of an inbounds from underneath Kansas City’s own basket. A missed dunk by the Bulldogs stalled an early run and Kansas City countered scoring nine straight points due in part to the Bulldogs starting one for their first nine from the field.

Mooring, the nations leading scorer knocked down a long three pointer closing the gap but the Blue Devils continued to execute on their end and held a 20-14 lead with 6:15 to go in the half.

A rebound and put back by Dehven Talley led to a Bulldog time out as they fell behind by eight. Out of the time out and over the next few minutes, South Suburban went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead since 3-­‐0.

By the end of the half, South Suburban held a three-point 27-24 lead despite shooting 33 percent from the field.

Both teams came out flat shooting the ball as they did in the first half and after five and a half minutes the score was tied at 31 a piece.

Mooring, the nation’s leading scorer, took a charge on one end and a couple possessions later drove to the hoop and scored to give the Bulldogs a six point lead. The Blue Devils kept going down low to the post in Joe Lendway and Murray. By 9:30 they had cut an eight-­‐point deficit down to four, 41-37.

After a steal and dunk by the Blue Devils, Mooring cashed in from NBA range to put the Bulldogs up seven, 48-­‐41.

A strong take by Talley had the Blue Devils down three, 48-­‐45 as both teams were unable to score at any rate. The teams traded baskets and at 2:44 mark the second-seeded South Suburban Bulldogs held onto a slim three point lead, 50-­‐47.

A steal by Kansas City and a three by Mike Lee Jr. tied the game with just over two minutes to go. With the ball after an offensive rebound, Kansas City was unable to get a shot off in the next 30 seconds and turned the ball over to South Suburban with 1:11 to go.

Out of the timeout, South Mountain scored an easy lay up from Eric Locke giving them a two-­‐ point edge with 41.3 seconds remaining. As Kansas City attempted to tie the game, Armani Shorter stepped out of bounds on the left wing to give the ball over to South Suburban. From that spot, Russel Robinson Jr. broke wide open towards the hoop but before the pass was thrown, Mooring called a timeout, which eliminated an easy layup.

Mooring was fouled and converted two free throws to give the Bulldogs a two-­‐possession lead, 54-­‐50 with 27.3 remaining. In Kansas City’s attempt, Shorter misfired from three and Shakur Pinder, the nations second leading rebounder, secured the ball for South Suburban.

South Suburban held on to win 57-­50.

Leading scorers for South Suburban were Jovan Mooring, – 22 pts, 4 rebs, 9/24 FG; Eric Locke, 10pts, 4rebs, 4/5 FG; Russel Robinson Jr., 9pts, 9rebs, 3blks.

South Suburban College will advance to play the winner of Game 8 – Schoolcraft College vs. Cecil College on Thursday at 8:30pm.

BOX SCORE

2015-16 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket

March 17 – vs. Schoolcraft (MI) College in the Mary Miller Center at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

Game 17 featured two opening round winners, Schoolcraft College and South Suburban College in a quarterfinal match up.

South Suburban started the game on a 7-0 run, five points coming from the nations leading scorer, Jovan Mooring. Schoolcraft was unsuccessful from their first seven shots before they finally got on the board at the 16:02 mark.

The teams went back and forth for the next three minutes until Tyler Johnson found himself wide open on the left wing and drilled a three leading to a South Suburban timeout up two, 11-9.

South Suburban rushed back to a six-point lead with two quick baskets. Two layups by Ocelot big man, R.J. Coil had Schoolcraft within one, 15-14 with 10:22 left in the half. The Bulldogs countered when Russel Robinson hit a three from the wing and an Erick Locke jumper to bounce back up six, 20-14.

Davon Taylor hit the second three for Schoolcraft and cut the margin to three, 20-17. Mooring countered immediately with a mid-range jumper, 22-17 Bulldogs. The teams traded points, and the Bulldogs held a five-point lead with four minutes left in the half.

The first run since the start of the game came of six points, five from Locke and South Suburban took their biggest lead of 11, 35-24. Esa Abduljami kept Schoolcraft in the game hitting a three and by half, South Suburban’s lead was seven, 37-30.

South Suburban scored first in the second half to extend their lead to nine. From there Schoolcraft went on and 8-0 run over the next three minutes with two lay ups from Black, a put back by Warley-Fritz and a windmill dunk in transition from Ja’Christian Biles. The Bulldogs called a timeout.

Mooring scored off a put-back to break the 4:25 scoring lull. Biles made a three for the Ocelots next time down to tie the game at 41, the first time since tip off. South Suburban then reeled off six straight points to reestablish a lead.

Biles didn’t allow it to last long as he hit two long jumpers, one being a three to tie the game at 49. The teams traded and with a bucket at 8:38, Coil put Schoolcraft ahead for the first time in the game. South Suburban responded and regained the lead with a three-point play and free throws.

Johnson canned a deep three to put the game within one, 58-57. The teams traded back-and-forth for the next four minutes until Mooring cashed in two threes in 30 seconds to give the Bulldogs an eight point lead and forced Schoolcraft to use a timeout.

Out of the timeout, Johnson was able to connect from three, his fourth of the game, to make it 70-65. South Suburban sustained with a basket and free throws and pumped their lead back to nine.

Schoolcraft kept fighting. With two baskets by Coil, one by Biles and two from Black, with 29.7 seconds left, the game was within two points in favor of South Suburban, 78-76. Myers made one of two free throws, which gave Schoolcraft an opportunity to tie with no timeouts and 21 seconds left.

The Ocelots tried to get Johnson open but he was unable to find an opening. Black was forced to launch from mid-way between half-court and the free throw line. His shot banked hard off long off the glass as the horn expired.

Scoring leaders for South Suburban College were freshman forward Erick Locke, 15pts, 4ast, 4reb; sophomore guard Jovan Mooring; 21pts, 11rebs, 5ast; Russell Robinson Jr., 13pts, 6rebs, 3stls and Shakur Pinder, 12pts, 4rebs

South Suburban College will advance to face Region IV rival Triton College on Friday at 8:00pm in a semi-final matchup.

BOX SCORE

2015-16 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket

March 18 – vs. #1 Triton College in the Mary Miller Center at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

The second semi-final game featured the top two teams in the country, South Suburban College and Triton College in the battle to go to the National Championship game.

Both teams stayed with close for the first five minutes, with four lead changes and no team going ahead by more than four. Triton jumped out to the first substantial lead of eight points after Eric Gillespie made a pair of free throws with 13:55 to go in the half.

South Suburban countered with an 11-3 run to jump back in front five minutes later 17-16.

Shakur Pinder and Jovan Mooring paced the Bulldogs, scoring 26 of the teams 36 points in the first half. Gillespie along with two other Trojans each had eight after the first 20 minutes.

Triton went into the half up two points, 38-36.

The Region IV showdown continued as Triton found a lead in the first half with 2:11 to go and didn’t look back. In a back and forth battle all second half, the closest South Suburban was to taking the lead was at the 16:09 mark when Mooring completed a three-point play to tie the game at 43.

There were 25 fouls called in the first half and that didn’t change in the seconds. The teams shot a combined for 31 fouls in the second half, totaling 56 for the game.

The finish was a flurry. Triton jumped ahead 75-66 but South Suburban gave it one last shot. Mooring knocked in a pair of free throws, Harris was fouled and made the shot but couldn’t complete at the line, Mooring scored again and the lead was down to two, 75-73.

Triton added a free throw. With 50 seconds left, Mooring, who played much of the second half with four fouls, took the ball to the rim, finished at the rim and was fouled. However, stepping to the line, he missed the game-tying free throw.

Josh Ross in the next Trojan possession drove through and open lane from the left wing for a two-hand slam and a three-point lead.

In South Suburban’s final attempt, Nick Norton rejected a put-back attempt. Triton corralled the rebound. Free throws sealed the win for the Trojans, who finished 35-40 from the line.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore Jovan Mooring with 28pts, 4rebs, 10/17 FG. Forward Shakur Pinder had 18pts, 9rebs. Eric Locke finished with 10pts, 4ast and Anthony Harris scored 10pts, 5/7 FG.

South Suburban College will play Essex County College of Newark, New Jersey at 5:30pm in the 3rd place game.

BOX SCORE

2015-16 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket

March 19 – vs. #7 Essex County (NJ) College in the Mary Miller Center at Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL.

The 3rd place game of the tournament featured Essex County College and South Suburban College in the 25th of 26 games during the 2016 NJCAA DII Men’s Basketball National Tournament.

Half number one got off to a slow start as the teams combine for just 12 points in the first five minutes and Essex held a 8-6 lead due in part to a pair of three pointers. A 13-4 run over the span of ten minutes put the Bulldogs ahead 17-12, which would be their largest lead in the first half.

DeAndre Thomas hit his third three of the game as the scoring got going, putting Essex behind by two, 22-20.

Shakur Pinder was a force down low for South Suburban. He scored three field goals, aided by four offensive rebounds, and was able to get to the free throw line times. He and Jovan Mooring led the Bulldogs with nine points a piece.

Essex relied on seven different scorers and trailed at half time 33-29.

South Suburban’s Javon Mooring led the nation in scoring with 26 points per game. He would put on a show in the second half to lead South Suburban to a convincing victory.

The sophomore guard scored 32 second half points. He connected a number of long threes mid way through the half that propelled the Bulldogs into a commanding lead. A 16- 4 run by the 10-minute mark had South Suburban up 19 points.

Mooring finished with 41 points, a tournament high, on just 19 field goal attempts. He did much of his work from the free throw line finishing 14 of 16.

South Suburban’s lead would extend to 27 points, which would be the final margin when the clock hit zero. Essex County, who blew a 24-point lead in the semi-finals, couldn’t mount a comeback of any sort and the game would end 93-69.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore Jovan Mooring; 41pts, 11/19 FG, 14/16 FT; Shakur Pinder, 11pts, 8rebs; Jalen Myers, 10pts, 3rebs, 5ast and Anthony Harris with 10pts, 8rebs.

Essex County was led by DeAndre Thomas, 19pts, 5/9 3PT; Frank Rokins, 14pts, 9rebs, 3ast; Qadry Calloway, 11pts, 4rebs and Dwayne Dixon, 9pts, 7rebs.

The victory earns South Suburban College a 3rd Place finish at the 2016 DII NJCAA Men’s Basketball Championships. Essex County finishes in 4th.

BOX SCORE

2015-16 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket

November 1 – vs. Northwestern Club in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs opened up the 2014-15 campaign with an impressive offensive showing and an 111-72 victory over Northwestern Univ. (Club).

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore forward Jordan Perry’s 29 points. Perry also grabbed 11 rebounds to record his first double/double as a Bulldog. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore guards Lavell Boyd (15), Jerry Davis III (13) and Shane Roberts (11). Freshman forward Tyreon Gates had 10 points as well for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs only shot 40.7% (44/108) from the field. They were only 30% (6/20) behind the “3” point arch, and were 65.3% (17/26) from the free throw line. Northwestern (Club) shot 33% (20/60) from the field, 23.8% (5/21) from the “3” and 79.4% (27/34) from the free throw line.

South Suburban dominated the rebounding war 66-28. The Bulldogs also dished out 22 assists, led by Boyd’s 4.

November 4 – at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL

South Suburban played its’ first road game of the season, and actually shot it better than they did in their home opener. They opened with a 17-4 run, took a 46-26 halftime lead and cruised to a 99-51 victory to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 61-31 after the first five minutes of the second half and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 35 points. He also dished out 4 assists and snatched 4 steals. He shot a sizzling 7/10 from behind the “3” point line. 2 other Bulldogs scored in double figures, Sophomore guards Xavier Wells and Jerry Davis III score 10 points each. Davis recorded his first double/double as a Bulldog as he grabbed 11 rebounds as well. He also dished out 8 assists.

The Bulldogs shot 58.7% (37/63) from the field, 50% (12/24) from the “3” but were only 46.4% (13/28) from the charity stripe. Waubonsee shot 32.7% (17/52) from the field, did not make a 3 point shot, and were 63% (17/27) from the free throw line.

South Suburban dominated the rebounding war as they out rebounded their hosts 47-29.

November 8 – vs. Henry Ford Community College in South Holland, IL:

South Suburban has had an incredible 124-6 home record during Coach John Pigatti’s 8+ seasons as the Bulldog’s head coach. Henry Ford College was not going to be intimated by the 124-6 record, as they jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, took a 25-16 lead into the halftime break, and finished with a 71-60 victory.

The Bulldog loss was only their 7th home lost in the last 9 seasons. South Suburban actually took a 14-10 lead, and the game was tied at 16 with 6 minutes to go in the first half. The Bulldogs did not score another point during the last 6 minutes of the first half. Henry Ford opened the second half on a 20-10 run and never looked back.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd. He scored 30 point for the second straight game. He also snatched 7 steals, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. SSC only made 8 baskets from the other 12 players who played the game.

The Bulldogs shot a freezing 27% (15/55) from the field, and only 24% (6/25) from the behind the “3” point line. They did shoot it well from the free throw line as they were 70.5% (24/34). Henry Ford shot it well as they were 52.8% (28/53) from the field, but were only 28.5% (4/140 from the “3”. They were 78.5% (11/14 ) from the charity stripe.

Henry Ford out rebounded the Bulldogs 53-36. South Suburban dismal shooting was their demise and they fall to 2-1 on the season.

November 11 – vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban got back on the winning track at home with an exciting 80-72 overtime victory versus Wright College.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 16-7 lead with just 9 minutes left in the first half. They extended that lead to 33-20 at halftime. SSC continued to lead 40-31 with 15:00 to go in the game, and then their visitosr did not give in. As South Suburban missed 8 straight free throws, Wright continued to score on the offensive end. Wright actually took the lead with 6:00 to go and led 62-55 with 3:30 left in the game. The Bulldogs would then pick up their full court pressure and forced Wright into several turnovers down the stretch. After sophomore guard Lavell Boyd scored a driving lay-up and proceeded to steal the inbounds pass and pass to sophomore guard Xavier Wells for another lay-up; the Bulldogs tied the game at 62. Regulation would end with a 66-66 tie. South Suburban would then open the overtime on a 12-2 run and finish with an 8-point victory.

Boyd would finish the game with 32 points, which was his 3rd straight game scoring 30 or more points. Sophomore’s Jordan Perry and Jerry Davis would chip in 13 points apiece to help the Bulldogs improve to 3-1 on the season.

South Suburban shot it bad again at home as they went 24/75 (32%) from the field, 5/24 (20.8%) from behind the “3” point line, and were a horrific 27/56 (48.2%) from the free throw line. Wright shot 22/53 (41.5%) from the field, 4/18 (22.2%) from the “3” and 24/41 (58.5%) from the free throw line.

Both teams tied the rebounding battle at 58. South Suburban’s defense would force 31 Wright turnovers which helped them to improve their home record to 125-7 under Coach John Pigatti.

November 15 – at College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL

South Suburban headed on the road for the first of a 3-game road trip, and did not get the start they needed as Lake County’s Gabe Ramirez hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to lead the host to a 56-54 victory.

Lake County jumped out to a 9-2 lead, but the Bulldogs would fight back and take a lead at 25-23 with 2:30 to go in the first half. SSC would not score again in the first half and Lake County would take a 30-25 lead into the halftime break. Lake County would extend their lead to 14 at 48-34 with 8:00 left to go in the game. SSC’s full court pressure would hold the host to only two baskets the rest of the half. After South Suburban’s sophomore guard Lavell Boyd hit a baseline jump shot with :07 to go, the Bulldogs led 54-53. Lake County’s heroic shot foiled South Suburban’s comeback bid and dropped the Bulldogs to 3-2 on the season.

Boyd had his 3-game 30-point barrage stopped as he led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points. Sophomore guard Xavier Wells also scored 12 points for the Bulldogs.

South Suburban had another dismal shooting night as they were only 19/59 (32.2%) from the field, and just 3/14 (21.4%) from behind the “3” point line. They did however shoot it better from the free throw line as they were 13/17 (76.4%). Lake County shot 21/47 (44.7%) from the field, 6/13 (46.2%) from the “3” and only 10/19 (52.6%) from the free throw line.

Lake County won the battle of the boards 28-26.

November 18 – at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL

The Bulldogs would use their rivalry game with Prairie State to get back their shooting touch, and after they made their first three “3” point shots, they led 11-2, and would never look back in their 91-65 victory. South Suburban would extend their lead to 23-12 with 12:43 to go, but Prairie State would not give in easily. The host cut the lead to 36-25 with 8:00 to go in the first half, but SSC would take a 55-35 lead into the halftime break. SSC’s rival would not get any closer and the Bulldogs would extend their lead and finish with the 26-point victory.

South Suburban’s Lavell Boyd would get back his 30-point groove; as he scored 30 points, snatched 7 steals, and dished out 6 assists. South Suburban’s sophomores, guard Xavier Wells scored 18 points, and forward Jordan Perry scored 17 point to help the Bulldogs in the victory. Perry would also record his 2nd double/double of the season as he grabbed 14 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 49-36.

South Suburban shot 29/58 (50%) from the field, a sizzling 15/24 (62.5%) from behind the “3” point line, and 18/24 (75%) from the free throw line. Prairie State would shoot a sizzling 23/64 (35.9%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from the “3”, and 16/26 (61.5%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban improved to 4-2 on the season, and they finish their pre-Thanksgiving road trip on Thursday night at Morton College.

November 20 – at Morton College in Cicero, IL

South Suburban finished their 3-game road trip just like they started it; with a last second loss. This time they played at Morton College and when Morton’s Greg Carter hit a driving lay-up and was fouled with :08 to go in the game, Morton came out victorious 71-68. South Suburban would take and early 11-2 lead. They continued to lead 29-21 with 4:45 to go in the first half. However, Morton would go on a 13-5 run to end the half and both teams went into the halftime break tied at 34.

Morton would come out on fire in the second half. They made their first two “3” point shot and took a 10-point lead at 50-40 with 12:00 to go in the game. South Suburban would then go on a run of their own and actually take a 55-53 lead with 10:00 to go in the game. The game would see saw back-n-forth until the last minute when Carter’s heroics won it for the host from Cicero, IL.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jerry Davis III. He scored 16 points, and grabbed 4 rebounds. Bulldog sophomore guard Xavier Wells would be the only other double digit scorer as he scored 10 points while snatching 3 steals. South Suburban shot 25/66 (37.8%) from the field, 7/20 (35%) from behind the “3” point line, and were 11/13 (84.6%) from the foul line, Morton only made 18 baskets (7 less than SSC), and were 18/38 (47.4%) from the field, and 5/13 (65%) from the “3”. The host did shoot a whopping 35 free throws (compared to SSC’s 13) and made 30 of them for a 85.7%.

November 26 – vs. Jefferson Technical and Community College (KY) in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned home for Thanksgiving, after a 3 game road trip and welcome the friendly confines as they defeated their guest; Jefferson Tech (from Louisville, KY) 80-60. Jefferson Tech held their only lead of the game at 5-4 but South Suburban would then take their biggest lead of the first half at 28-19 with 5:00 left to go, and would lead 34-29 at halftime. The Bulldogs would then go on a 32-11 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 66-40 with 8:00 left in the game. SSC would then cruise to the 20 point victory which improves their home record to 126-7 during Coach Pigatti’s 8+ seasons.

The Bulldogs had 4 players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Lavell Boyd led the way with 16 points. He also dished out 6 assists and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore forward Jordan Perry scored 15 points, and grabbed 8 rebounds. Sophomores Jerry Davis III and Dominique Jeter score 13 points each for South Suburban. Jeter also snatched 4 steals.

Freshman center Jeremiah Wilson led South Suburban in rebounding with 11; as helped SSC win the battle of the boards 46-35. South Suburban shot 30/64 (46.9%) from the field and were 4/8 (50%) from behind the 3-point line. They were also 16/23 (69.6%) from the free throw line. Jefferson Tech shot 21/57 (36.8%) from the field, 6/18 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 12/16 (75%) from the charity stripe. South Suburban improved to 5-3 on the season.

December 2 – at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs took to the road after the Thanksgiving break and played at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL. They came out with a hard fought 80-65 victory. The game started with the Bulldogs taking an early 16-8 lead with 14:00 to go in the game, and SSC led 42-28 at half time. They Bulldogs never really extended the lead in the second half, but help on to their double digit lead and finished with the 15-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Jordan Perry who scored 26 points. Perry also led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 8. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore guard Xavier Wells, Lavell Boyd and Jerry Davis III as they scored 14, 13, and 10 points respectfully.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards by a slim 33-31 margin. SSC shot 30/61 (49.2%), 8/18 (44.4%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 12/14 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 21/62 (33.9%) from the field, they were only 1/11 (9%) from the “3”, and 20/31 (64.5%) from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs improved to 6-3 on the season.

December 4 – vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban returned home for a contest vs. McHenry County College. The home court was favorable to the Bulldogs as they won 93-55.

The game started slow for SSC as the score was tied at 11 with 13:30 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would then go on a 11-3 run and lead 22-14 with 9:30 to go. They would extend their lead to 43-26 at halftime. South Suburban would then pick up its defensive intensity in the second half. They jumped out of the break with a 15-0run, and led 58-26 with 15:30 to go in the game. They would never look back.

It was a career night for several South Suburban Bulldogs. Sophomore guard Lavell Boyd finished with 30 points (his 5th 30+ scoring night of the season). He also dished out 8 assists and snatch 5 steals. Sophomore guard Shane Roberts would score a career high 12 points for SSC, and freshmen Jeremiah Wilson and Ken Odiase scored a career high 13 and 8 points respectfully. Wilson also recorded his first career double/double as he grabbed 11 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 37/73 (50.6%) from the field, and 8/24 (33.3%) from behind the “3” point arc. They were also 11/15 (73.3%) from the free throw line. The Scots shot 16/48 (33.3%) from the field, 2/14 (14.2%) from the “3” and 21/27 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 45-33.

South Suburban improved to 7-3 on the season.

December 13 – at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs went on the road after their finals and lost a highly intense, exciting contest at Joliet Junior College 71-69.

The Bulldogs opened up the game with a 22-15 lead and went into the halftime break with a 35-30 lead. They did not sustain their lead in the second half, as they got destroyed in the rebounding battle 53-37.

The game’s ending was not one for the faint hearted. Joliet grabbed one of their 24 offensive rebounds and put it back in the basket and was fouled to take a 64-61 lead with a minute to go. SSC sophomore guard Lavell Boyd would then hit a 3-point basket after a time out and tie the game at 64. Joliet’s Daymean Stewart would then hit a 3-point basket of his own and Joliet led 67-64. Boyd would then dribble up the floor and make another 3-point basket to tie the game at 67. Joliet would then score on another offensive rebound and take a 69-67 lead with :30 to go in the game. Boyd would then drive the length of the court and score a reverse lay-up and tie the game at 69. After a huge defensive mistake by the Bulldogs; Joliet would score on a backdoor lay-up with :18 to go in the game.

South Suburban would have one last chance as Boyd drove the lane and found a wide open Xavier Wells in the right corner for a 3-point shot that would of won the game for SSC. Wells missed the shot, and Boyd got the offensive rebound but missed a 15 foot shot at the buzzer and South Suburban fell to 7-4 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jerry Davis III who scored 22 points. Boyd would score all of his 15 points in the second half. Bulldogs sophomore Jordan Perry was the only other double digit scorer for SSC as he chipped in 12 points of his own.

South Suburban shot 21-55 (38.2%) from the field, 8/24 (33.3%) from behind the “3’ point line, and were 23/36 (63.9%) from the free throw line. Joliet shot 26/66 (39.4%) from the field, 2/14 (14.3%) from the “3”, and 19/31 (61.3%) from the free throw line.

The game was very physical and 56 fouls were called on both teams.

December 16 – vs. Southeastern Community College (IA) in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted the all-time winningest junior college basketball program in the country and the school with the most national championships; Southeastern CC (Iowa). SSC fought hard but could not persevere on their home court and lost 62-54. It was their second home loss of the season (which has not happen since Coach Pigatti’s first year, the 2006-’07 season at South Suburban College).

The game started out well for the Bulldogs as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead and the score was tied at 14 with 11:00 to go in the first half. Southeastern would then go on a 7-0 run and never look back in the first half. They led 37-23 at halftime.

The Bulldogs came to life to start the second half as they would go on an 18-8 run and only trailed 45-41 with 10:00 to go in the game. SSC could not get any closer. They actually still trailed by only 6 with :52 to go at 60-54; but could not make a last second push to go ahead. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 7-5 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd who scored 21 points. He also dished out 6 assists and snatched 6 steals. The only other Bulldog in double digit scoring was sophomore forward Jordan Perry who scored 13 points and led SSC in rebounding with 7. South Suburban struggled shooting as they were a chilly 19/58 (32.8%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line. Southeastern shot 23/48 (47.9%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the “3” and 12/18 (66.7%) from the charity stripe.

Southeastern out rebounded South Suburban 41-33.

The Bulldogs play one more game at home before the Christmas holiday. Lakeland (OH) CC visits South Suburban this Saturday for a 3pm tip. The day had been designated as “Kid’s Day”. Santa Claus will be present, as well as plenty of games and balloons for the kids.

December 20 – vs. Lakeland Community College (OH) in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban College Bulldog’s did not have a joyous celebration of Kid’s Day (with Santa Claus present) as they blew a 10-point halftime lead and fell to visiting Lakeland Community College (OH), 80-72.

The Bulldog’s opened up with a 19-12 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half, and held a 30-28 lead with 4:30 to go. SSC then went on a 10-2 run to close the half with a 40-30 lead. Lakeland was not in the giving holiday spirit as they opened the second half on a 14-6 run and only trailed South Suburban 46-44 with 15:00 to go in the game. The Bulldogs kept their lead until the score was tied at 55 with 9:43 to go in the game. Lakeland then went on a 9-0 run during the next minute and took their biggest lead of 64-55. South Suburban would not give in, as they cut the Lakeland lead to 73-71 with 1:05 to go in the game. Lakeland would then lead by 3 with 1:00 to go and South Suburban would miss a wide open “3” point shot to tie the game. Lakeland would then hold on and escape South Suburban with a 8-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’ who scored 18 points, while leading SSC in rebounding by grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. The Bulldogs had 2 other players score in double figures: Sophomore guards Jerry Davis III and Dominique Jeter scored 14 and 13 points respectfully. South Suburban did however win the battle of the boards 40-33. But their shooting was their Achilles’ heel. They shot a wintery 40.3% (27/67) from the field. They were a chilling 4/17 (23.5%) from the “3” point arch, and were only 14/25 (56%) from the free throw line. Lakeland shot 23/52 (44.25) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from the “3” and 30/38 (78.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban lost their 3rd home game of the year and 2nd straight. They also dropped to 7-6 on the season as they head into the Christmas break.

December 30 – vs. Grand Rapids Community College (MI) in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban College Bulldogs had a 3-game losing streak coming into their home contest vs. Grand Rapids Community College.

They struggled in the first half, but picked up their defensive intensity in the second half and came victorious in their 2014 finale 89-79. They game started with SSC leading 8-6 with 14:52 to go in the first half. Grand Rapids would then go on a 8-2 run and take a 14-10 lead with 11:31 to go. They would extend their lead to 32-25 with 4:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would pull to within two at 42-40 at the halftime break.

The Bulldogs would then open the second half up on a 6-0 run to take a 46-42 lead, Grand Rapids would then take their last lead of the game at 56-54 with 12:14 remaining in the game. SSC would go on a 12-2 run to take a 66-58 lead. They would extend the lead to 14 and then finish with the 10-point victory.

Sophomore guard Lavell Boyd led the Bulldogs in scoring with 31 point. He also snatched 6 steals and dished out 8 assists. South Suburban’s sophomore forward Jordan Perry was the only other Bulldog in double digits as he scored 17 points.

South Suburban shot 35/72 (48.6%) from the field, 8/17 (47%) from behind the “3” point line, and were 11/14 (78.5%) from free throw line. Grand Rapids shot 32/71 (45%) from the field, 4/21 (19%) from the “3”, and were a sizzling 14/16 (87.5%) from the free throw line. Grand Rapids did win the battle of the boards 44-40.

South Suburban improved to 8-6 on the year and now start 2015 out with a tough Region IV game vs. Triton College on Saturday January 3rd.

January 3 – vs. #13 Triton College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban opened the 2015 part of the schedule by hosting their Region IV rival, #13 Triton College. The Bulldogs took twice as many shots as their guests; shot 23 more 3-point shots; had 17 more offensive rebounds; and 5 less turnovers than the Trojans, but still lost a hard fought game 79-75.

However, Triton did shoot 47 free throws to the Bulldogs 20 to help with the win.

South Suburban opened up on a 10-4 run but Triton responded with a 11-2 run and took an early 15-12 lead with 11:40 left to go in the first half. South Suburban would then take the lead back at 18-17, and go into the half time break with a 32-30 lead.

The game was tied at 40-40 when Triton’s center Eric Ross converted back-to-back old fashioned 3-point plays (a basket and a foul shot), and the Trojans took a 6 point lead at 46-40 with 15:00 to go in the game. Triton would extend the lead to 10 at 56-46, but South Suburban’s sophomore guard Dominique Jeter would catch fire and score seven straight points to help the Bulldogs tie the game at 58 with 10:48 to go. Triton would again extend their lead to 6 at 64-58. South Suburban would then answer with back to back made threes by Jeter and sophomore guard Lavell Boyd, and the game was tied 64-64. After a turnover and an intentional foul by South Suburban’s Jordan Perry, Triton extended their lead to 74-66. Triton would then hold South Suburban scoreless for the next 3 minutes, and never looked back for the huge road victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Boyd’s 22 points. He would also dished out 9 assists and snatch 4 steals. Jeter and Perry were the only other Bulldogs in double figures as they scored 17 and 16 points respectfully. Jeter would lead the Bulldogs in rebounding with 8 as South Suburban would hold Triton to just 7 offensive rebounds, but their poor shooting would allow the visitors to win the battle of the boards 41-37.

South Suburban shot a dismal 27/73 (36.9%) from the field, 10/33 (30.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and were only 11/20 (55%) from the free throw line. Triton shot a sizzling 22/37 (59.5%) from the field, 5/9 (55.6%) from the “3’, and were a whopping 30/47 (63.8%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban falls to 8-7 on the season and host another Top 20 team in #18 Parkland College on Thursday night January 8th. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m., weather permitting.

January 8 – vs. #18 Parkland College in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs finished up their tough holiday schedule vs. top 20 teams with a heartbreaking 63-61 home defeat to #18 Parkland College.

The game started very slowly and the first half did not produce much offense from both teams; as the Bulldogs took a 23-22 lead into the halftime break.

SSC continue to lead 45-40 with 10:00 to go in the game when Parkland went on a 15-1 run to take a 55-46 lead with 4:00 to go in the game. South Suburban would then catch fire and after a scoring barrage by the Bulldogs they pulled to with three at 61-58 with :40 to go in the game. Sophomore guard Lavell Boyd would shoot 2 free throws to cut into Parkland’s lead. He would make the first one and miss the second. However, after a good hustle play by Boyd, he rebounded his own missed free throw and would get fouled with the Bulldogs trailing 61-59. He would proceed to make both free throws and tie the game at 61 with :38 to go in the game. Parkland would then score on a driving lay-up with :05 to go in the game to take a 2-point lead. South Suburban would have one last shot. SSC sophomore forward Jordan Perry would dribble up the floor and pass to Boyd for the game winning “3” point shot. When it clanked off the front of the rim, Parkland escaped with a two-point road victory.

South Suburban shot 20/46 (43.5%) from the field, but only 31% in the first half. They shot 7/12 (58.3%) from behind the “3” point line, and 14/23 (60.9%) from the free throw line. Parkland shot 24/53 (45.3%) from the field, 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”, and were a dismal 13/33 (39.4%) from the free throw line. Parkland won the battle of the boards 40-36 and forced 16 South Suburban turnovers.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Boyd’s 19 points. He also dished out 7 assists. Freshman Cory Womack was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits. He scored a career high 11 points while grabbing a team & career high 7 rebounds.

South Suburban falls to 8-8 on the year, and they now venture out on a 4-game road trip staring in Galesburg, IL against Carl Sandburg College.

January 10 – at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

The Bulldogs took to the road to stop their two-game losing streak. They had a very successful second half and stopped their losing streak with a 83-60 victory at Carl Sandburg College. The win raised their record above .500 (9-8).

Carl Sandburg’s home gymnasium is one of the toughest places to play in the country, and Coach John Pigatti’s Bulldogs have only won twice there in 8 years, so the road victory was greatly needed. The game started with both teams staying neck and neck with each other. South Suburban would take a 35-34 lead into the halftime break. The game was still very close with South Suburban leading 42-40 with 15;00 left to go the game. SSC would then go on a 10-0 run to take a 52-40 lead with 13:00 left in the game. The host Chargers would never again get the scoring margin under double figures and South Suburban would go on to the 23-point victory.

South Suburban’s sophomore forward Jordan Perry would lead the way both in scoring and rebounding as he scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. SSC’s leading scorer sophomore guard Lavell Boyd would score 17 points despite Carl Sandburg’s box-n-one defense on him. Boyd also recorded a double/double as he dished out 10 assists, while snatching 3 steals. Bulldog sophomore guards Dominique Jeter and Jerry Davis III would score in double figures as well. They chipped in 12 and 11 points respectfully.

South Suburban would win the rebounding battle 43-33.

South Suburban would shoot 29/50 (58%) from the field, 2/12 (16.7%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 23/27 (85.2%) from the free throw line. Carl Sandburg shot 21/46 (45.6%) from the field, 3/12 (25%) from the arc and were 15/28 (53.6%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban continues its road trip to Chicago with a 7:00pm tip on Tuesday Jan. 13 at NJCAA Division 1 Richard J. Daley College.

January 13 – at Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs continued their road trip with a game at NJCAA Division 1 Richard Daley College in Chicago, IL. They had a sluggish first half but would prevail 91-74 to improve to 10-8 on the season.

South Suburban jumped out to an early 9-1 lead, but could not sustain the impressive start and only took a 40-36 lead into the half time break. Daley opened up the second half on an 8-2 run and took a 44-42 lead with 17:00 to go in the game. After Coach John Pigatti sub in a totally different 5 players, the Bulldogs went on a 29-7 run to take a 20-point lead at 71-51, and they never looked back from there.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 25 points. He also dished out 5 assists and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore forward Jordan Perry scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds for SSC. Bulldog freshman forward Cory Womack led South Suburban in rebounding as he grabbed a career high 12 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 50-28.

South Suburban shot 36/63 (57.1%) from the field, 7/12 (58.3%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 12/14 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Daley shot 28/64 (43.8%) from the field, 6/14 (42.9%) from the “3” and were only 12/26 (46.2%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban continues its 4-game road trip this weekend as they travel to Cincinnati, OH to play two games against four-year schools: Ohio Midwestern College, and #3 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

January 18 – at Ohio Midwestern College at Cincinnati State Technical College in Cincinnati, OH

The Bulldogs started their Cincinnati, Ohio road trip with a 86-78 victory over a 4-year school, Ohio Midwestern College as the game was played at Cincinnati State Tech College.

The game was tied at 7 when SSC went on a 10-2 run and they took a 17-9 lead with 10:30 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would take a 48-30 lead into the half time break.

They Bulldogs would extend their lead to 20 at 52-32, and keep a double digit lead throughout most of the second half. However, Ohio Midwestern pulled to within five at 77-72 with 1:33 left to go in the game but could never get any closer. The win improves SSC’s to 11-8 on the season.

South Suburban had two players who would record double/double’s in the game. Sophomore guard Lavell Boyd would lead all scorers with 26 points, while dishing out 12 assists. He also snatched 7 steals. Bulldog sophomore forward Jordan Perry would score 18 points while grabbing 10 rebounds to record his 5th double/double of the season. Sophomore forward Tevin Parker would score a career high 10 points while going a perfect 5-5 in the game. SSC’s freshman forward Marquise Magee would also score a career high 10 points while pulling down 8 rebounds of his own.

South Suburban shot 33.62 (53.2%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 13/20 (65%) from the free throw line. Ohio Midwestern shot 27/64 (42.2%) from the field, 4/17 (23.5%) from the “3”, and were 20/26 (76.9%) from the charity stripe. Both team grabbed the same amount of rebounds (39), but SSC snatched 16 steals and dished out 26 assists.

The Bulldogs continue their Ohio road trip with a 3:00pm EST tip on Monday Jan. 19 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) against the host #3 Cincinnati State Tech.

January 19 – at #3 Cincinnati State Technical College in Cincinnati, OH

The South Suburban College Bulldogs finished the last leg of their Ohio trip with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day visit to #3 Cincinnati State, where they were defeated 68-62. The loss drops their record to 11-9 of the season.

The game began with 3 Bulldog starters being suspended because of tardiness during the trip. The SSC bench hung tough with the #3 ranked team in the country, and only trailed 22-21 with 5:21 left to go in the first half. South Suburban took its only lead of the game 25-24 when sophomore forward Jordan Perry scored on a basket in the paint. Cincinnati State did take a 35-33 lead into halftime.

The beginning of the second half was the story of the game. During the first 5 minutes of the game Cincinnati State outscored the Bulldogs 18-6 and took a 53-39 lead with 15:00 left to go in the game. South Suburban would then stiffen up its defense and pull to within four at 66-62 with :45 to go in the game, but they could never get any closer.

The biggest factor in the game was the rebounding battle as Cincinnati State out rebounded the Bulldogs 43-31. 21 of those rebounds were offensively as Cincinnati State scored 23 second chance points for the game; as opposed to the Bulldog’s 12.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Perry’s 18 points. SSC leading scorer Lavell Boyd scored 17 points while only shooting 5/17 for the game. However, he did lead the Bulldogs in rebounding with 6. Sophomore guard Jerry Davis III was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he scored 13 points, while going 9-13 from the free throw line. South Suburban shot 19/44 (43.2%) from the field, a chilling 3/14 (21.5%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 21/30 (70%) from the free throw line.

Cincinnati State shot 24/56 (42.9%) from the field, 2/10 (20%) from the “3” and 18/35 (51.4%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban returns home for an extended 6-game home stand starting this Thursday January 22 vs. Robert Morris University JV squad.

January 22 – vs. Robert Morris University JV in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned home after a 4-game road trip and picked up their offensive production in a 105-88 victory over Robert Morris (JV).

The game did not start out well for the Bulldogs as they trailed 23-22 with 6:00 to go in the first half. SSC ended the first half on a 19-10 run and led 41-33 at the half time break. They extended the lead to twelve at 49-37 with 17:30 to go in the game. After a “3” point barrage by the visitors (they made 17 total for the game), the game was tied at 55 with 13:53 to go.

Then South Suburban’s leading scorer, Lavell Boyd, took over with some 3-point shooting of his own. He made three “3” point baskets in a row to give the Bulldogs a 64-55 lead with 11:00 to go in the game. The Bulldogs would extend the lead to 20 at 105-85 and the finish with the 17-point victory margin.

Boyd led all scorers with 29 points, 22 in the second half. He also dished out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds. SSC freshman forward Marquise Magee would score a career high 22 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. SSC sophomore forward Jordan Perry would score 17 point and grabbed 9 rebounds to help South Suburban win the battle of the boards 48-42. The only other Bulldog who scored in double figures was sophomore guard Jerry Davis III who chipped in 16 points while grabbing 7 rebounds of his own. South Suburban shot 39/69 (56.5%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 20/29 (69%) from the free throw line.

Robert Morris let their shots fly as they were 30/80 (37.5%) from the field, while gong 17/43 (39.5%) from the “3” and were 11/18 (61.1%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban had a team record 30 assists in the game, and improved to 12-9 on the season.

January 24 – vs. Black Hawk East College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs continued their extended home stand with a convincing 83-49 victory over Black Hawk East College. Their game, and offense did not start well for the Bulldogs as they trailed 18-14 with just 5:15 left in the first half. Black Hawk East came out on fire and made their first 6 shots of the game. However, SSC woke in time to go on an 18-2 run to end the half. Propelled by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 17 first half points, the Bulldogs led 32-20 at half time.

The second half would also start out slow for the home Bulldogs as they only led 39-28 with 15:19 to go in the game. SSC proceeded to go on a 24-2 run and led 63-30 with 8:06 to go in the game. They would extend the lead to forty at 78-38 with 5:30 to go and never look back. The victory improves the Bulldogs to 13-9 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Boyd who scored 27 points while shooting 9/13 from the field and 5/8 from behind the “3” point line. Boyd also dished out 3 assists. For the second straight game South Suburban sophomore forward Jordan Perry missed a double/double by 1 rebound as he scored 21 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. Sophomore guard Dominique Jeter was the only other Bulldog in double figures as he scored 10 points while dishing out 4 assists. South Suburban shot 33/67 (49%) from the field, a sizzling 10/16 (62.5%) from the “3”, and 7/8 (87.55) from the free throw line. Black Hawk East shot 17/46 (37%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from the “3”, and 10/13 (76.9%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban did force 28 Black Hawk East turnovers. SSC also won the rebounding battle 44-35.

South Suburban continues it’s home stand next Saturday, January 31st as they welcome in the #1 team in the country, Kishwaukee College, for a 3:00pm tip.

January 31 -vs. #1 Kishwaukee College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs entertained their 5th #1 team in the country during Coach John Pigatti’s nine seasons at South Suburban College. #1 Kishwaukee College came to SSC, and the result was just like the other four teams before them. A loss to the Bulldogs, 96-82.

The South Suburban victory also gave Coach John Pigatti his 250th career coaching win. He is 250-56 at SSC overall.

The game started with the Bulldogs taking an early 20-17 lead with 11:00 to go in the first half. Kishwaukee did take a 36-35 lead with 3:00 to go in the half, but South Suburban finished on a 6-2 run and took a 41-38 lead into the halftime break.

At the beginning of the second half the game remained close as Kishwaukee took their last lead of the game at 54-53 with 13:13 left to go in the game. South Suburban would then tighten up its defense and let loose offensively as they went on a 22-11 run and took a 75-65 lead with 6:20 to go in the game. SSC would extend the lead to seventeen at 94-77 before they finished with the 14-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Jordan Perry’s 30 points. Perry also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. SSC’s sophomore guard Lavell Boyd scored 22 points while dishing out 9 assists. SSC’s sophomore guard Jerry Davis III was the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he scored 14 points while grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists of his own. South Suburban shot 40/71 (56.3%) from the fields, a chilling 3/15 (20%) from behind the 3-point line, and were 13/17 (76.4%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 27/60 (45%) from the field, 5/13 (38.5%) from the “3”, and 23/33 (69.7%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban dominated the battle of the boards 45-28.

South Suburban improves to 14-9 on the season and will play back to back home games this Monday and Tuesday vs. Trinity Christian (JV) and Olive Harvey College respectfully.

February 2 – vs. Trinity Christian University JV in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted the Trinity Christian University JV team on a snowy Monday night. After a sluggish start, SSC regrouped and marched to a 86-65 victory.

The game started slow for the Bulldogs as they trailed 31-29 with 3:30 to go in the first half. After a made 3-point basket by SSC’s Lavell Boyd the Bulldogs took the lead for good at 32-31 with 3:00 to go in the half. They would close the first half on a 15-3 run and take a 44-34 lead into the half time break.

SSC opened the second half on a 19-7 run and took a 63-41 lead with 11:05 to go in the game. The Trojans would only get 1 point closer and SSC went away with the 21-point victory. The win improves South Suburban’s record to 15-9 on the season.

Pigatti’s Bulldogs had 5 players score in double figures led by sophomore forward Jordan Perry’s 19 points. Sophomore guard Jerry Davis III scored 16 points, and three SSC sophomore’s; Boyd, Tevin Parker, and Dominique Jeter scored 10 points apiece. Perry also recorded his 6th double/double of the season as he grabbed 11 rebounds to help South Suburban win the rebounding battle 41-33. SSC shot 29/66 (43.9%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the 3-point line, and 22/31 (71%) from the free throw line.

Trinity Christian JV shot 22/56 (39.3%) from the field, 12/32 (37.5%) from the “3”, and 9/12 (75%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban plays the second of the back-to-back home games with a Tuesday night tilt vs. #24 Olive Harvey. Tip time is 7:00 p.m.

February 3 – vs. #24 Olive-Harvey College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs entertained their second top 25 team in four days as #24 Olive-Harvey College came to SSC. South Suburban took care of business again as they won 99-86 in an exciting overtime game. A game where the lead changed hands 12 times, and there were 16 ties.

The game started out well for the Bulldogs as they took a 21-12 lead with 9:30 to go in the first half. The Panthers would then pick it up offensively and actually took the lead into the halftime break 38-36.

After Olive-Harvey started the second half out with 2 technical foul free throws, the Bulldogs came out with attitude and went on a spirited 16-0 run and took a 52-40 lead with 14:00 to go in the game. Olive-Harvey would then come back and take a 64-63 lead with 8:00 to go in the game. SSC would proceed to take a lead of their own at 75-72 after sophomore guard Jerry Davis scored a three point play the old fashion way (a “2” point basket and a foul shot).

The Panthers answered with a “3” of their own and then take a 78-77 lead with an old fashion three point play of their own. SSC’s sophomore guard Lavell Boyd got fouled on a 3-point attempt and make all three free throws to give the Bulldogs a 80-78 lead.

After Olive-Harvey made a two-point basket to tie the game at 82 with :30 to go, South Suburban was set to take the last shot of the game. However after sophomore guard Dominique Jeter turned the ball over, Olive-Harvey was set up for the game winner. They missed a spinning driving lay-up and SSC freshman center Jeremiah Wilson secured the rebound to put the game into overtime.

South Suburban would take control of the overtime and out score Olive Harvey 17-4 for the 13-point victory. SSC improves to 16-9 on the year and have won 8 out of their last 9 games.

Boyd led South Suburban in scoring with 31 points. He also recorded a double/double as he grabbed 10 rebounds as well. He also had 6 steals and 3 assists. Davis scored 22 points for the Bulldogs while grabbing 7 rebounds. South Suburban’s sophomore forward Jordan Perry (who was just named Region IV-A Player-of-the-Week), scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds of his own. Jeter was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures as he scored 10 points, while dishing out 5 assists.

Wilson led all Bulldogs in rebounding as he pulled down 11 boards to help SSC win the battle of the boards 52-36. South Suburban shot 36/74 (48,6%) from the field, 2/8 (25%) from behind the “3” point line, and were 25/35 (71.4%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 29/64 (45.3%) from the field, 6/17 (35/3%) from the “3” and 22/39 (56.4%) from the free throw line.

SSC’s next game is this Saturday February 7th. They host Black Hawk College in the annual Community Day game. Residents of the entire SSC District 510 and Northwest Indiana, local businesses and their employees are encouraged to come out and see the exciting the game free of charge.

February 7 – vs. Black Hawk College in South Holland, IL

It was Community Day at South Suburban College and the Bulldogs and their opponent Black Hawk College from Moline, IL provided an exciting game for the community. South Suburban did not lead in the game until the final minutes of the game, as they were victorious 83-79.

The visiting Braves had their biggest lead at 32-20 in the first half, and still led 34-28 at half time. SSC trailed by as many as 9 in the second half; but put together consecutive defensive stops to pull ahead late and improve their record to 17-9 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 24 points. Boyd also grabbed 6 rebounds. Sophomores Jerry Davis III and Jordan Perry were the only other double digit scorers for South Suburban as they scored 20 and 17 points respectfully. Davis led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 7 as they out rebounded Black Hawk 42-35.

The Bulldogs shot 25/62 (40.3%) from the field, 3/10 (30%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 30/37 (81.1%) from the free throw line. Black Hawk shot 31/65 (47.7%) from the field, 6/19 (31.6%) from the “3”, and 11/15 (73.3%) from the free throw line.

SSC will now head on the road for three games starting at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL.

February 10 – at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The Bulldogs headed on the road for the first of their three game road trip, the last of the season. After a good start, they were victorious over Illinois Valley 79-64.

South Suburban took a 29-18 lead with 7:55 to go in the first half and expanded that lead to 43-30 at half time.

The second half stated out well for the Bulldogs as they extended their lead to 55-40 with 14:00 to go in the game. However, that is when their host, Illinois Valley, got sizzling hot from the field and went on a 12-0 run to tighten the score to 55-52 with 10:00 left to go in the game. SSC would proceed to go on a 22-10 run and take a 77-62 lead with a little over a minute to go in the game. The South Suburban win improves their record to 18-8 on the season and are currently ranked #18 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 27 points. He also dished out 6 assists and snatched 3 steals. Sophomore Jordan Perry and Jerry Davis II were the only other Bulldogs in double digits as they scored 15 and 12 points respectfully. Perry recorded his 7th double/double of the season as he grabbed 11 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 50-35. Freshman center Jeremiah Wilson grabbed 10 rebounds of his own for SSC.

South Suburban shot 31/72 (43%) from the field, 5/15 (33%) from behind the “3” point arc, and were 12/15 (80%) from the free throw line. The Eagles shot 19/51 (37.3%) from the field, 10/22 (45.5) from the “3”, and 16/31 (51.6%) from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs continue their road trip Saturday, February 14th with a 3:00 p.m. contest at Moraine Valley Community College.

February 14 – at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL

There was very little love on this Valentine’s Day as the Bulldogs traveled to Palos Hills to face rival Moraine Valley Community College in a game that started out bad for the Bulldogs and it got worse as they lost to Moraine Valley 74-72 in a heated rivalry contest. SSC had equipment issues before the game, but started the game like they did not have any problems at all as they took an early 21-10 lead with 10:00 to go in the first half. The Cyclones would go on a mini 8-2 run and cut the lead to 27-26 with 2:30 to go in the first half, but SSC would lead at half time 32-29.

The second half was a disaster for the Bulldogs. They still held a lead at 42-36 with 14:30 to go in the game but it did not last long. Moraine Valley would go on a 10-0 run during the next 4 minutes and take a 46-42 lead with 12:00 left to go. SSC would eventually tie the game at 61 with 5:00 to go in the game. South Suburban actually took a 67-65 lead with 2:35 to go in the game. But would trail 72-69 with :20 to go. Bulldog sophomore guard Jerry Davis III would make a 3-point shot to tie the game, but South Suburban did not get back defensively quick enough and Brian Townsend of Moraine Valley would get fouled driving to the basket with :11 to go.

He made both free throws, leaving South Suburban one last chance. SSC sophomore guard Dominique Jeter missed 7-foot floater. Moraine Valley secured the rebound and sealed the loss. The #18 Bulldogs fall to 18-10 on the season.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 21 points. Sophomore forward Jordan Perry would be the only other Bulldog to score in double digits as he scored 14 points. He also recorded his 8th double/double of the season as he grabbed 10 rebounds. South Suburban shot 31/68 (47%) from the field, 4/14 (28.5%) from behind the “3” point line, and were only 6/11 (54.5%) from the free throw line.

Moraine Valley shot 25/66 (37.9%) from the field, 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”, and shot a ton of free throw (22/38) for 57.9%.

The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards 43-37, but gave up 17 offensive rebounds.

South Suburban finishes its last road trip of the season on February 18 at Robert Morris University (Springfield) with a 7:00 p.m. tip.

February 18 – at Robert Morris University (JV) in Springfield, IL

South Suburban started the night out bad with bus problems, and finished up the night bad as they dropped their last true road contest of the season to a 4-year school; Robert Morris (Springfield) University 80-64.

The Bulldogs were late getting to the game, the game started without a proper warm-up for SSC and hence they missed their first six shots of the game and trailed early. However they did take a 21-20 lead on a sophomore forward Tevin Parker dunk with 6:30 to go in the game. The lead would not last and Robert Morris went into the halftime break with a 36-29 lead.

SSC would pull to within 4 at 42-38 with 16:30 left to go in the game, but the Eagles would not give in. They would proceed to go on runs of 7-0, 13-3, 12-0 as they would extend their lead to 80-54 with 2:00 to go in the game. SSC would score the last 10 points of the game to close the deficit.

It was South Suburban College’s worst performance of the season as they fall to 18-11 on the year. The 11 losses are the most during Coach Pigatti’s nine seasons at SSC.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd who scored 17 points. They were led in rebounding by sophomore forward Jordan Perry’s 8 rebounds. However Robert Morris (Springfield) won the battle of the boards 36-29. South Suburban shot 24/58 (41.4%) from the field, 6/15 (40%) from behind the “3” point arc, and 10/17 (58.8%) from the free throw line.

Robert Morris (Springfield) shot it well as they were 30/51 (58.8%) from the field, 5/12 (41.7%) from the “3” and 15/23 (65.2%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban return home for their last regular season contest as they will play Midwest Prep Academy at 4:00pm on Saturday.

February 21 – vs. Midwest Preparatory Elite Academy in South Holland, IL

It was “Sophomore Day” at South Suburban College and the seven honorees did not disappoint as SSC defeated Midwest Prep Elite Academy 94-76. All seven scored in their final regular season home game, five out of the seven scored in double figures.

SSC took their first lead of the game at 12-10 with 11:11 to go in the first half. They extended the lead to 41-28 at half time. During the first half the only sophomore to not score in the game was Bulldog leading scorer Lavell Boyd.

That would change in the second half. He would score all of his 19 points in the second half and SSC would lead by as many as 21 (77-56) with 5:18 to go in the game. They would then cruise home to a sophomore day victory and finish the regular season 19-11, and 12-5 at home.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Jordan Perry who recorded his 9th double/double of the season. He scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The other double digit sophomore scorers were: Dominique Jeter (19 points/a career high),Jerry Davis III (11 points), and Xavier Wells (10 points). Sophomores Shane Roberts and Tevin Parker also scored 5 and 4 points respectfully. Davis also dished out 8 assists. South Suburban shot 33/77 (42.9%) from the field, 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3” point line, and 12/21 (66.7%) from the free throw line.

Midwest Prep Elite shot 28/63 (44.4%) from the field, 3/18 (16.7%) from the “3” and 17/28 (60.7%) from the charity stripe. South Suburban won the battle of the boards 45-40.

South Suburban received the #2 seed in the Region IV Tournament and will play #7 seed Oakton Community College at SSC on Thursday, February 26th at 7:30 p.m.

NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV TOURNAMENT QUARTER FINALS
February 26 – vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

The #2 seeded South Suburban College Bulldogs opened up the 2015 Region IV Tournament with a home victory over #7 Oakton 73-53. The win improves the Bulldogs to 20-11 on the season. Head Coach John Pigatti has won at least 20 games in all nine season at South Suburban College. The Bulldogs finished the 2014-15 season with a 13-5 home record, and are 136-11 at home with Pigatti.

The game started out well for the Bulldogs as they took an early 10-point lead at 24-14 with 10:30 remaining in the first half. However, as it happens in the playoffs, Oakton fought back and actually took a 27-25 lead with 6:10 to go in the first half. South Suburban would regain their composure and take a 35-30 lead into half time.

SSC came out with a lot of emotion and focus defensively to start the second half. They went on a 8-0 run to start the half and took a 43-30 lead with 14:00 to go in the game. They would actually extend the lead to 18 at 58-40 with 8:00 to go in the game. They would hang on to the big lead and advance to the semifinals with a 20-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd’s 18 points. He would also dish out 5 assists and snatch 3 steals. Three other Bulldog sophomores scored in double figures. Jordan Perry, Jerry Davis III, and Xavier Wells would score 17, 13, and 10 points respectfully. Davis would lead South Suburban in rebounding with 7, and help his team win the rebounding battle 30-27.

South Suburban shot 28/54 (51.9%) from the field, 4/15 (26.7%) from behind the “3” point line, and 13/23 (56.5%) from the free throw line. Oakton shot 21/46 (45.7%) from the field, 2/6 (33.3%) from the “3”, and 9/11 (81.8%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban will play Lake County in the semi-finals at Elgin Community College this Sunday March 1st at 4:00 p.m.

NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV TOURNAMENT SEMI FINALS
March 1 – vs. College of Lake County at Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL

The Bulldogs went into their semi-final game with revenge on their mind as they took on Lake County who had bet them earlier in the season. This time the game result was a lot different and South Suburban went away with a 73-67 victory and advanced to the championship game of the Region IV Tournament.

It is their 9th berth in the championship game in the last 10 years, 8 out of 9 under Head Coach John Pigatti.

The game did not start out well for the Bulldogs as they had several defensive lapses and trailed 19-17 with 9:33 to go in the first half. They would eventually trail 34-30 at halftime.

The second half started out differently for the Bulldogs as they went on a 7-0 run (all points scored by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd) to start the second half and took a 37-34 lead. However Lake County would not give in. They actually went on a little run of their own and held a 51-50 lead with 10:00 to go in the game. Sophomore guard Domonique Jeter made 2 free throws with 9:40 to go to give SSC the lead for good at 52-51. The Bulldogs also went on a 15-5 run to take a 65-56 lead with 4:00 to go. They held on for the 6-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Boyd who scored 29 points and dished out 5 assists. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore forward Jordan Perry who had 18 points while leading SSC in rebounding with 6. South Suburban shot 24/55 (43.6%) from the field, 5/17 (29.4%) from behind the “3” point line, and 20/29 (69%) from the free throw line. Lake County shot 21/52 (40.4%) from the field, 5/19 (26.5%) from the “3” and 20/26 (76.9%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 39-33.

South Suburban improves to 21-11 on the season and will play Olive-Harvey College in the Region IV Championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday March 7,2015. The game will be played at Kankakee Community College.

NJCAA DIVISION II REGION IV TOURNAMENT FINALS
March 7 – vs. Olive-Harvey College at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

The Bulldogs made their 9th Region IV Championship Game appearance in the last 10 years, most of any one in the region. They were also making their 8th championship game appearance during Coach John Pigatti’s nine seasons at South Suburban College. However they could not capture their 7th title as they were defeated by Olive-Harvey College of Chicago 79-62.

The game started out with the Bulldogs scoring the first basket, but the lead did not last. Olive Harvey took a 34-14 lead with 3:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then go on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 10. Olive Harvey would make a 3-point basket at the half time buzzer to take a 37-24 lead into the break.

SSC would not come out in the second half with the intensity they needed to cut into the Olive Harvey lead. They could only get as close as 10 points but would not be able to put together a run to cut into the lead. The loss was Coach Pigatti’s first ever to Olive-Harvey and the Bulldogs finished the season with a 21-12 record.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Lavell Boyd who scored 21 points while dishing out 5 assists. Sophomore forward Jordan Perry recorded his 10th double/double of the season as he scored 18 points while grabbing 14 rebounds.

South Suburban did win the rebounding battle 52-40.

SSC shot a chilling 22/60 (36.7%) from the field, a freezing 3/12 (255) from behind the “3” point arc, and a poor 15/28 (53.6%) from the free throw line. Olive Harvey shot 29/65 (44.6%) from the field, 7/17 (41.2%) from the “3”, and 14/30 (46.7%) from the free throw line.

Notes: Lavell Boyd was named to the All-Tournament team, and he was also named the Player-of-the-Year in Region IV-A.