November 2 - at Harper College East in Palatine, IL

The South Suburban Men’s Basketball team started the 2011-12 season ranked #9 in the country, in the pre-season NJCAA poll. They lived up to it with a 77-54 road victory at Harper College in Palatine, IL.

The first ten minutes of the season started out with tenacious defense and some nice offense as they doubled up Harper 22-11 with 10:00 to go in first half. After freshman Jovon McKinley tip-in off a sophomore Isiah Hale missed free throw, the Bulldogs took their biggest lead of the half at 42-22. The Hawks went on a 5-0 run to end the half and SSC led 42-27 at the half.

Sophomore Sultan Muhammad, a 1st team All–Region selection last year, led all scorers with 15 first half points.

Muhammad would continue his scoring spree in the second half. After his fifth 3-point basket of the game, SSC led 65-38. They extended their lead to 71-44 with 7:23 to go in the game and cruised to victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Muhammad with 24 points on 9 of 16 shots from the field. He was also 5 of 11 from behind the arch. Freshman Michael Harris also made an impact in his first college game by scoring 18 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists. The only other double digit scorer was sophomore transfer Marcus Lewis who dunked his way to 11 points. His three thunderous dunks during the game were quite notable. Lewis also grabbed 7 rebounds. Another sophomore transfer DeAndre McCamey grabbed a team high 8 rebounds as well.

The Bulldogs shot 50.5 percent (29 of 57) from the field and were 33 percent (6 of 18) from behind the “3” point arc. Harper shot 32 percent (15 of 47) from the field and were also 33 percent (5 of 15) from the “3”. SSC won the battle of the boards 42-26. South Suburban was a chilling 52 percent (13 of 25) from the free throw line, while the Hawks shot 67 percent (19 of 25) from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs had 14 turnovers while Harper threw it away 20 times.

South Suburban is now 1-0 on the season and will be back in action on Tuesday, November 8th as they open their home schedule against #15 ranked Waubonsee Community College.

November 8 - vs. #15 Waubonsee Community College East in South Holland, IL

The #9 South Suburban Bulldogs opened up the home portion of their 2011-12 schedule with a terrific defensive performance as they defeated Waubonsee Community College 61-38. The Chiefs, who came into the game ranked 15th in the country, could not get on track offensively and was held to only three baskets in the entire first half as the Bulldogs extended an early 14-5 start to a 30-12 half time lead.

The second half was a little better for the visitors as they closed the gap to 42-27 with 10:00 to go in the game. However, they could only score 11 more points for the game. The defensive effort for the Bulldogs was one of the best during the six-year reign of Coach Pigatti, especially since it was against a nationally ranked opponent. SSC held Waubonsee to 11 total baskets as they shot 11 of 53 (21%) for the game. They made more free throws than field goal as they were 13 of 16 (81.2%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban did not shoot it well from the field either as they were 19 of 44 (43.2%), and 17 of 25 (68%) from the free throw line. However they did shoot it well from behind the three-point line as they were 6 of 12 (50%). Sultan Muhammad led the 3-shooting with a 4 of 5 performance. Muhammad led all scorers with 24 points, and SSC’s only other double digit scorer was DeAndre McCamey. McCamey had an all around good game with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists. Muhammad grabbed 7 rebound of his own as the Bulldogs tied their visitors in the rebounding battle at 41. SSC’s defense was tenacious as they forced 27 turnovers and grabbed 23 steals.

The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 in the early season, and take on nationally renowned IMG Academy from Florida on Thursday, November 10th at home. Tip-ff is at 7:00 p.m.

November 10 - vs. IMG Academy (FL) in South Holland, IL

The #9 South Suburban Bulldogs continued its first home stand of the season by hosting the nationally renowned IMG Academy Prep School from Bradenton, FL. SSC racked up their second home win of the season 74-60.

The Bulldogs opened up the game on fire and scored on 4 out of its first 5 possession including three 3-point baskets made by sophomore guards DeAndre McCamey, Sultan Muhammad, and Isiah Hale. SSC opened up with a 14-2 burst, but the visitors would make a run of their own and cut the lead to 16-12. Then both teams battled close for the rest of the half, and South Suburban closed out the half with a 6-2 run to take a 35-27 lead into intermission.

The second half was highlighted by the Bulldog’s sophomore forward Marcus Lewis. Lewis, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half, started his return to the court with a thunderous dunk. He followed that by making two 3-point baskets and was a perfect 3 of 3 from the free throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds in the half, as some them were picked off the glass above the rim. Not to be out done was sophomore guard Devin Walker who made two 3's in a row, as he scored a career high 12 points. After Walkers last 3-point basket, the Bulldogs extended the lead to 59-41 with a little under ten minutes to go in the game. IMG, the visitors from Florida, would cut the lead to 12, but never get closer than the final 14 point margin.

South Suburban (3-0) were led in scoring for the third game in a row by Muhammad. He scored 16 points and also grabbed 3 steals. The balanced scoring by the Bulldogs had a total of 4 double digit scores; Muhammad, Lewis, Walker, and sophomore center Keenan Williams who scored 12 points and led the team with 6 rebounds. SSC won the battle of the boards 38-34. However IMG, who is an unbelievable athletic team, had some thunderous offensive rebounding dunks.

SSC shot 27 of 65 (41.5% from the field) and shot a season high 25 three point shots and made 13 of them for 52%. IMG shot 22 of 57 (38.5%), and only shot 8 three point baskets and made 2; for a chilling 25% from behind the arc. South Suburban was 7 of 10 (70%) from the free throw line, and IMG was 14 of 27 (51.8%). McCamey led all players by dishing out a season and South Suburban high, 9 assists.

South Suburban will now travel southeast to Robinson, IL this Saturday for a 4:00 pm tip off against Lincoln Trail College.

November 12 - at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, IL

The Bulldogs headed to southern Illinois for a road contest verses Lincoln Trail College, a NJCAA Division 1 opponent. SSC did not get the famous southern hospitality, but that did not matter as they grinded out a 91-74 victory despite Lincoln trailing going 34 of 41 from the free throw line. The game started with SSC’s sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey making a 3-point basket on the first play of the game, and the Bulldogs never trailed. South Suburban extended its lead to 22-10 after freshman guard Michael Harris rebounded a missed free throw by freshman forward Kadeem Thornton, and put it back in the basket. Then the Statesmen went on a mini 5-0 run of their own and actually cut SSC lead to “3” at 29-26 with 5:30 to go in the first half. It was the closest they would get for the game and South Suburban went on a 14-5 run of its own with the “3” point shooting of sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad. They went into halftime with a 45-37 lead.

Lincoln Trail made 21 free throws in the first half and only made six baskets.

The second half started with an offensive rebound basket by Harris, who actually had five offensive rebounds and 7 total for the game. Lincoln Trail then went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 3 at 47-44. It was a game of runs because SSC answered with one of their own and took a 55-44 lead with 12:00 to go in the game. After a Harris slashing drive to the basket, SSC took a 74-58 with 6:40 to go. The visitors would do a good job of making their free throws, with Muhammad making 7 out of 8 in the final 2:00 of the game, to seal the road victory.

Harris led all scorers with 20 points while McCamey and Muhammad scored 17 and 16 points respectively. SSC shot it well for a road game, as they were 33 of 59 (56%), while Lincoln Trail was 17 of 55 (31%) for the game. South Suburban was 7 of 17 (41.2%) from behind the “3” point arc, and Lincoln Trail was chilling 5 of 19 (26.3%). SSC shot it well from the free throw line as well, by going 18 of 28 (72%).

South Suburban also won the rebounding war 49 of 33 with sophomore forward Keenan Williams grabbing 9, and freshman forward Jovon McKinley rebounding 8 of his own. South Suburban is now 4-0 on the season.

NOTE: Sophomre guard Sultan Muhammad was named Region IV Player-Of-The-Week for his efforts this week.

November 15 - at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs continued its short road swing with a extremely hard fought 72-54 win over a Region IV-A opponent, Wright College. The Rams had just played the 2-time defending national champions Lincoln College to a two-point defeat in overtime. This game started out with South Suburban opening up a 10-3 lead. Wright continued to battle hard and never let SSC get a big lead, and only trailed 32-24 at halftime.

The second half was a different story for the first 10 minutes of the game. The Bulldogs opened on a 12-2 run and took a 44-26 lead and then extended the lead to 57-37 with 10:00 to go. However, Wright would not quit. They battled back and only trailed 62-51 with 4:20 to go in the game. Then SSC’s defense would tighten up and for the next three minutes they held the Rams scoreless. South Suburban then cruised to the 18-point victory.

Marcus Lewis, a 6' 4" sophomore forward for the Bulldogs started his first game of the season and took full advantage of it. He scored his first SSC double/double by scoring 19 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, snatching 4 steals, and dishing out 4 assists. The only other double digit scorer for South Suburban was freshman guard Michael Harris, who scored 11 points (9 of 10 from the free throw line) while only playing the second half. South Suburban shot 22 of 38 (57.9%)for the game, while Wright shot 19 of 45 (42.2%). The Bulldogs did not shoot it well from behind the arc, as there were a chilling 2 of 10 (20%). The hosts shot it better by going 6 of 15 (40%). South Suburban had its best night of the year at the free throw line by shooting 26 of 32 (81.3%) while Wright was 10 of 14 (71.4%)

SSC dominated the boards 42-27.

South Suburban (5-0) has just been ranked #2 in the country in the latest NJCAA poll, the highest ranking for a Coach Pigatti team during the first semester. Pigatti's 2010-11 squad reached #1 last February.

The Bulldogs will close out the month of November with a four-game home stand starting Saturday afternoon against Region IV opponent College of Lake County at 3:00 p.m.

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

The #2 South Suburban Bulldogs started their four game home stand in unfamiliar territory. They found themselves trailing at halftime 32-31, but their defense in the second half picked up and they came away with a 69-55 win over previously undefeated College of Lake County.

The game started out with SSC taking a 15-9 lead with over 12 minutes left in the first half. They continued to still lead at 31-27 with :53 to go in the half as Lake Country scored 5 points on the next two possession to take a 32-31 lead into halftime.

The Lancers were led by their freshman sensation Jalen Riley who scored 14 of his game high 22 points in the first half.

After the break South Suburban woke up and their defensive pressure was outstanding. They opened the first three-and-half minutes of the second half on a 10-0 run led by freshman Jovon McKinley. During that time; McKinley scored 8 points grabbed 4 offensive rebounds and had 2 steals. SSC continued its’ dominance of the second half and took its’ biggest lead of the game at 57-42 with 4:30 to go. They would go on to cruise to their 3rd home victory of the season, and improve their home record to 77-4 during Coach John Pigatti ‘s six years at the school.

McKinley led the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding with a double/double. He had career highs in scoring (16) and rebounding (12), 9 of those were on the offensive end. Another Bulldog recorded a double/double as freshman forward Kadeem Thornton had a career high in points (13), and a career high in rebounds (11). The only other Bulldog to score in double digits was sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad who chipped in 11 points of his own. South Suburban shot only 40% (24 of 60) for the game while Lake County was a chilling 34.6% (17 of 48). Both teams shot 22 free throws, and the Lancers made 17 of 22 (77.2%), while SSC made 16 of 22 (72.7%).

South Suburban dominated the boards with a 49-33 margin. Sophomore forward Marcus Lewis led the stingy defense of the Bulldogs by snatching 5 steals, while Muhammad, and freshman guard Michael Lewis, grabbed 3 steals each.

South Suburban improves to 6-0 on the season. Lake County fell to 4-1. The home stand continues Tuesday night when Sauk Valley Community College visit the Physical Fitness and Athletic Center.

November 22 - vs. Sauk Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The #2 ranked Bulldogs in NJCAA Division II hosted a high scoring NJCAA Division 1 team, Sauk Valley Community College, and came out victorious 75-64. Sauk Valley came into the game averaging 90 points a game. However, the Bulldogs had a defensive bite tonight and did not allow them to get into their scoring mode.

The game started very aggressively and the score remained close at 12-11 with 12:16 to go in the first half. SSC started to pull away during the next 8 minutes, and after freshman guard Michael Harris grabbed one of his 3 steals on the night and passed it to sophomore Marcus Lewis for a lay-up, they led 32-24 with 4:10 to go. Lewis who had 22 points on the night, made a three-point basket as time expired in the first half to give the Bulldogs a 45-34 lead.

Lewis started out the second half, just liked the first, and made a “3” point basket and then had a thunderous dunk during a 8-0 run to start the half that gave SSC their biggest lead of the game, at 53-34 with 14:00 to go in the game. The visitors would not quit. They cut the lead to 60-52 with 8:00 left to go, but missed two free throws that would of cut the lead even more. Both team went on a scoring drought for the next 2 minutes. Harris would then make a 3-point play the old fashion way, and SSC’s would extend their lead. Sauk Valley cut the lead again to 7 at 64-57, but SSC’s snatched 3 steals in a 2:00 time frame and built the lead back up to 74-57 with 2 minutes to go. South Suburban would then cost to the double digit victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore DeAndre McCamey would had his best game as a Bulldog thus far. He recorded his first double/double as a Bulldog by scoring a game high 25 points, and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also snatched 5 steals, and blocked 2 shots. Lewis had a good over all game as well, as he had 6 steals, while grabbing 7 rebounds. Harris also got in the double digit scoring column with 11 points, and sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad chipped in 10 points. Freshman forward Jovon McKinley grabbed 8 rebounds (5 offensively) to help SSC win the battle of the boards 49-37. South Suburban shot a chilling 24 of 65 (37%), and was 8 of 21 (38%) from behind the “3”-point arc. Sauk Valley was held to 17 of 52 (32.6%) shooting, and only made 2 of 10 (20%) from the “3”. The two made “3” point baskets is way below their average. They averaged 8 made “3”s a game. SSC forced 22 turnovers but did not help themselves, as they turned it over 21 times of their own.

South Suburban improves to 7-0 on the season. They will continue their 4 game home stand after the Thanksgiving break, by hosting south suburbs rival Prairie State College at 7pm on Tuesday November 29th.

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

Two south suburban rivals Prairie State College and South Suburban College squared off at SSC, and the host Bulldogs pulled away late for a 75-55 victory. The rivals were neck and neck in the first half. Each team made their own scoring runs and at the end of the first half the game was tied at 33.

The second half started with South Suburban picking up its defensive pressure. The Bulldogs held Prairie State scoreless for the first six and a half minutes of the second half and took a 42-33 lead with 13:30 to go in the game. The Pioneers would make their last scoring run of the game and only trailed 49-44 with 9:20 to go. SSC would then pickup its defensive pressure again and go on a 16-7 run over the next 6 minutes and lead 65-52 with just under three minutes to go in the game. SSC would convert their free throws down the stretch and finish the game with a 20-point victory.

South Suburban had four players in double figures, led by sophomore forward Marcus Lewis’ 19 points. Lewis also recorded his first double/double as a Bulldog with 10 rebounds as well. Other double digit scorers were sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad (13 points), freshman forward Kadeem Thornton (12 points), and sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey (11 points). Muhammad also had a double/double as he grabbed 10 defensive rebounds. SSC shot 29 of 58 (50%) from the field and were 7 of 19 (36.8%) from behind the “3” point arc. The visitors from Prairie State were 21 of 57 (36.8%) from the field, and were a chilling 4 of 16 (25%) from behind the “3” point arc. SSC lost the battle of the boards for the first time this season 36-34. Prairie State turned the ball over 17 times with SSC’s Lewis grabbing 7 steals. SSC only turned the ball over 9 times.

South Suburban improves its record to 8-0, and was just named the #1 team in the country in the lastest NJCAA Divsion II poll. The Bulldogs conclude their four-game home stand with a 7:00 p.m. contest on Thursday, December 1st vs. Morton College.

December 1 - vs. Morton College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban finished its first extended home stand of the season with a convincing 85-75 over Morton College. It was a tale of two halves though, as the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 20-4 lead with 12:30 to go in the first half. After back-to-back three-point shots by sophomore guards Sultan Muhammad and Isiah Hale, SSC extended its lead to 33-15 with 8:25 to go in the first half. They built the lead to 21 at 43-22 after a sophomore forward Marcus Lewis thundering dunk, but could only manage a 51-33 half time lead. The 51 points scored in the first half were the most points scored by SSC in the first half this season.

The second half actually started out OK for the home team, and South Suburban led 61-40 with 13:30 to go in the game. However, the Bulldogs got careless with the ball, and turned the ball over 5 times in a 4 minute stretch to only lead 65-56 with 9:37 to go in the game. Morton would actually cut the Bulldogs lead to 6 at 73-67 with 5:00 to go in the game. The visitors then had 2 chances to cut into South Suburban’s lead but could not convert, and SSC never looked back. The 10-point margin was their biggest in the last 10 minutes of the game.

Morton’s Lamont Sander’s scored a game high 36 points, and the nation’s leading scorer Demarius Miller scored 22 for the visitors. South Suburban was led by Muhammad’s 17 points, while Hale chipped in 13 points of his own (a season high for him). Other Bulldogs in double digits were; sophomore center Keenan William (10 points), and freshman guard Michael Harris (10 points). Muhammad and Williams grabbed 10 rebounds which gave them both a double/double for the game. It was Muhammad’s 2nd straight double/double. SSC won the battle of the boards 39-33. They also shot 33 out of 57 (57.9%) from the field and were 6 out of 12 (50%) from behind the “3” point arc. Morton shot 25 out of 58 (43.1%) and were 7 out of 18 (38.8%) from the “3”. Muhammad also snatched a team high 4 steals.

South Suburban won its’ first game since being ranked #1 in the country, and improved its record to 9-0 on the season. They head out of state to take on Lake Michigan College on Saturday Dec 3rd.

December 3 - at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, MI

The #1 ranked Bulldogs took to the road for a highly contested match-up in the state of Michigan, and defeated Lake Michigan College 76-73. The Bulldogs who have always had a tough time playing at the Benton Harbor, MI school trailed early 8-0 and trailed 23-13 with 9:00 to go in the first half. They continued to trail by 10 at 27-17 with 7:30 to go but then the defensive intensity picked up and the traveling Bulldogs woke up as well. In a little over a minute, sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad scored 8 straight points, and cut the home teams lead to 27-25. Lake Michigan continued to lead 40-35 when SSC’s defense picked up, and after 4 straight Bulldog steals, during the 8-0 run, the visitors led 43-40 at half time.

The second half started out the same as the first. The Indians went on a 7-0 run to start the half and led 47-43 with 18:00 to go in the game. They extended their lead to 60-55 with 13:00 to go. Both team would then exchange baskets and after trifecta of “3” point baskets by SSC’s Muhammad, freshman forward Kadeem Thornton, and sophomore forward Marcus Lewis, the game was tied at 68 with 4:56 to go. After freshman guard Michael Harris drove the lane for a lay-up, South Suburban would take the lead at 70-69. Lake Michigan would then score 4 straight points to take a 73-70 lead with 3:27 left in the contest. SSC’s defense then tightened up and did not allow Lake Michigan to score the rest of the game. Lewis would then be the hero for the Bulldogs as he connected on back to back “3” point baskets to give SSC a 76-73 lead with 1:31 to go. Lake Michigan would have the ball last as they took one “3” point attempt that Lewis contested, which resulted in an air ball that fell out of bounds with 7.1 second to go in the game. South Suburban could not enter the ball inbounds (after a controversial five-second violation), and Lake Michigan would get one more chance. After the home team entered the ball, they attempted a “3” point shot that was blocked by Lewis, and the Bulldogs escaped the state of Michigan with a victory.

Muhammad would lead South Suburban in scoring with 18 points. He also grabbed 6 rebounds and snatched 4 steals. Lewis would score 14 points (12 in the second half), grabbed 4 rebounds and have 5 steals. Other double digit scorers for the Bulldogs were Thornton and Harris would scored 13 and 12 points respectfully. Harris’s 8 rebounds would also help SSC win the rebounding war 35-30. He would also dish out a game high 8 assists. South Suburban shot 27 out of 62 (43.5%) from the field, and a respectful 10 out of 22 (42.5%) from behind the “3” point arc. The twenty-two “3” point attempts were the most shot by the Bulldogs in a game this season. Lake Michigan shot 25 out of 46 (54.3%), but were only 2 out of 11 (18%) from the “3”. SSC shot 12 out of 20 (60%) from the free throw line, and Lake Michigan was 23 out of 37 (62.1%). Both teams did not take care of the ball well. SSC had 23 turnovers, while forcing Lake Michigan to 25 turnovers.

South Suburban improves its’ record to 10-0 on the season, and head back home December 6th for a Tuesday night contest vs. Oakton Community College. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m.

December 6 - vs. Oakton Community College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban return home to play a depleted Oakton Community College team and came out of the contest with a 84-51 victory. Oakton came into its contest at South Suburban shorthanded as they had a few players missing, but they did not show any signs of a letdown early. The visitors jumped out to and early 5-0 lead, but then South Suburban realized they were in for a contest and went on a 13-0 run of their own to lead 13-5 with 14:30 to go in the game. The game would stay tight and with 3 1/2 minutes to go in the first half Oakton only trailed by four at 25-21. SSC’s sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey would then score five straight points in an 11-2 run by the Bulldogs, and the home team went into halftime with a 36-23 lead.

Oakton would not give in to the Bulldogs and still only trailed 50-35 with 13:45 to go in the game. However, South Suburban would wear down the visitors during a 22-8 run, and SSC led 72-43 with 4:00 to go. South Suburban would then coast to the 33-point victory.

South Suburban would have four players in double digits led by sophomore Sultan Muhammad who had 18 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and snatched 4 steals. Other Bulldogs in double figures were freshman guard Michael Harris (17 points), McCamey (11 points), and sophomore forward Marcus Lewis (10 points). Sophomore guard Isiah Hale was the distributer to the double figure scorers as he dished out a career high 10 assists. SSC won the battle of the boards 42-33, with McCamey leading the way with 8 rebounds.

South Suburban shot 32 out of 66 (48.5%) from the field and was 6 out of 16 (37.5%) from behind the “3” point arc. Oakton shot a chilling 18 out of 51 (35.2%), and were 8 out of 25 (32%) from the “3”. SSC was a chilling 14 out of 29 (48.2%) from the free throw line, and Oakton was 7 out of 14 (50%).

South Suburban improves its’ record to 11-0 on the season.

December 8 - at Harry S.Truman College in Chicago, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs went on the road with a chip on their shoulder and took it out on NJCAA Division 1 Truman College 99-37. Earlier in the week the Bulldogs found out that after winning 3 games last week, they dropped out of the #1 ranking in the latest NJCAA Division II poll. The fell 3 points short of the #1 spot. They had held the #1 ranking the past week.

SSC’s intensity started from the beginning of the game as they took a 22-7 lead with 9:00 to go in the first half, and stretch out the lead to 49-14 at half time. The 35-point lead was one of the biggest halftime lead that South Suburban has had in its’ history.

The intermission did not cool off the Bulldogs, as they jumped out on a 21-8 run to start the second half, and led 70-22 with 11:48 to go in the game. They cruised the rest of the way, and they hope they made a statement to the pollsters with their 62-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Michael Harris’ 22 points. Harris had a great all around games as well. He grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, and snatched 5 steals. Sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey scored 14 points, but the night belong to the front court players for South Suburban. In a game that has been long awaited by Coach John Pigatti, 3 post players scored in double figures. Freshman forward Kadeem Thornton recorded his first career double/double as he had a career high in both points and assists. He scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Sophomore center Keenan Williams had his season high 13 points, and grabbed 4 rebounds of his own. Freshman forward Jovon McKinley also had 13 points, and 4 rebounds. The 43 points by the inside players for the Bulldogs was the most this season. South Suburban shot a sizzling 42 of 71 (59%) and were 6 of 18 (33%) from behind the “3” point arc. Truman only made 11 baskets all night and shot 11 of 43 (25.6%) from the field. They were 2 of 12 (16.7%) from the “3”. The Bulldogs also had their best free throw shooting night as they were 9 of 10 (90%) from the charity stripe. Truman was 13 of 24 (54.2%) from the free throw line.

SSC won the battle of the boards 39-24. They also forced Truman into 28 turnovers.

South Suburban improves its’ record to 12-0 on the season. That ties the best start to a season during Coach Pigatti’s six years at the school. They will now take a break for final exams. They will resume their play next weekend December 17th and 18th. They will go on the road to the Prince George Community College Classic in Largo, MD (outside of Washington DC).

December 17 - vs. Montgomery College-Takoma Park (MD) at Prince George's (Community College) Tournament in Largo, MD

The South Suburban Bulldogs headed east for a holiday tournament outside the nation’s capital at Prince George's Community College in Largo, MD. Their first game was against a very tall and athletic Montgomery College/Takoma Park team who was averaging 80 points a game coming into the contest. The Bulldogs started out slow but then the defensive intensity picked up and they were victorious 81-50.

The game started with the Falcons taking a 14-13 lead with 11:30 to go in the first half. Then #2 SSC decided to pick up the defensive effort, and after several steals and lay-ups the Bulldogs went on a 30-14 run to go into halftime leading 43-28.

The second half started out better for SSC with the Bulldogs holding Takoma Park to only 8 points in the first 10 minutes and took a 60-36 lead. South Suburban then relaxed and gave up 14 points in five minutes to Takoma Park, but then they held them scoreless for the last five-and-a-half minutes for the 31-point victory.

South Suburban had 4 players score in double figures, led by sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad who recorded his third double/double of the season by scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Sophomore forward Marcus Lewis scored 17 points and led the team in steals with 5. Other double figure scorers for the Bulldogs were sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey (10 points) and freshman guard Michael Harris (11 points). Mc Camey started out scoring seven of the Bulldogs first nine points but then got into foul trouble. SSC shot 30 of 60 (50%) from the field and was 7 out of 17 (41.2%) from behind the “3”-point arc. The Falcons made only 17 baskets and were 17 out of 67 (25.3%). They were 2 out of 18 (11%) from the “3”. South Suburban won the battle of the boards in a tight 47-45 battle, However they gave up 18 offensive rebound to the bigger and more athletic opponent. SSC shot 14 out of 21 (66.7%) from the free throw line, while Takoma Park was 14 out of 28 (50%).

The Bulldogs defense forced 22 turnovers. South Suburban is now 13-0 which is the best start during Coach John Pigatti’s six year tenure at the school.

December 18 - vs. Prince George Community College-Takoma Park (MD) at Prince George's (Community College) Tournament in Largo, MD

The #2 South Suburban Bulldogs were visiting the nation’s capital before the game vs. the Owls of Prince George Community College, and that might have been the reason for a slow start. The Bulldogs visited the Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guards at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They acted like they were unknown during the first 15 minutes of the game verses Prince George. The host Owls also did not like the fact that an undefeated team was coming into their gym so after a loose ball scramble, one of the Prince George players kicked SSC’s sophomore guard Isiah Hale in the head and a slight altercation started. Amazingly enough no foul was called on the Prince George player, and no one was ejected from the game.

After cool heads prevailed, Prince George took an 11-point lead at 16-5 with 14:21 to go in the first half. They continued to lead 26-17 with 5½ minutes to play, and then SSC legs got back under them and they went on a 15-6 run to end the half tied at 32-32. They were relieved to get out of the half tied, especially playing in the hostile environment at Prince George CC. Prince George make 11 out of 12 free throws in the first half to help their 32 points.

A different Bulldog team took to the court in the second half. Their defense picked up as well as their shooting. After four “3”-pointers were made, 2 by sophomore Sultan Muhammad and 2 by Marcus Lewis, SSC led 45-36 with 16:53 to go in the game. The game remained tight at 53-47 with 12½ minutes to go, but then the Bulldogs clamped down defensively. After a 23-10 run, SSC led 76-57 with 5:00 to go in the game. South Suburban then held the host team scoreless the last 2½ minutes of the game to ensure the 20-popint victory.

South Suburban was again led in scoring by the sophomore duo of Muhammad (18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals), and Lewis (20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals). The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was freshman forward Jovon McKinley who had 10 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked a career high 5 shots. South Suburban made one more basket and shot the ball one more time than in the first game of the tournament, and was 31 out of 67 (50.8%). They shot 6 out of 18 (33.3%) from the arch. The host team shot 19 out of 54 (35.2%). For the second straight game SSC held their opponents to only 2 made “3” point shots as Prince George went 2 out of 12 (16.6%). SSC won the battle of the boards 44 out of 35. They also shared the ball well and the dished out 20 assists on 31 baskets. SSC was 16 out of 26 (61.5%) from the free throw line, and Prince George shot 23 out of 31 (74.1%) from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs will head back home, after a day of more sightseeing in Washington DC, with a 14-0 record (The best in school’s history). SSC next game will be after the holiday break with a home game on December 29th vs. Indiana Dabney at 7:00 pm.

December 29 - vs. Indiana Dabney (IN) University in South Holland, IL

The #2 South Suburban Bulldogs were in the holiday spirit as they first hosted a basketball camp during the day for young children, and then hosted Indiana Dabney University, a 4-year university, in a basketball contest that night. They were more gracious of a host to the campers then to their opponent, as they walloped Indiana Dabney 109-49.

The Bulldogs took an early 13-2 lead with 13:51 to go in the half. After a wholesale of substitutions, they extended the lead to 40-16 with 5:00 to go, and took a 58-21 lead into halftime.

The second half started with SSC going on a 12-3 run, and they led 70-24 with 15:00 to go in the game. They continue to extend the lead, and the 60-point margin of victory was the largest of the game.

Sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad had a career night in scoring with 35 points. He also had a statistic filling night as he grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and snatched 8 steals. South Suburban had 3 other players in double digits; Sophomore forward Marcus Lewis scored 14 points, sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey scored 11 points, and freshman forward Jovon McKinley had 12 points. McKinley grabbed 8 rebounds of his own as the Bulldogs won the battle of the boards 48-25. SSC shot 42 of 71 (59.2%) for the game and were 8 out of 14 (57.1%) from behind the “3” point line. Indiana Dabney shot 18 out of 48 (37.5%) from the fields and were 5 out of 16 (31.3%) from the “3”. SSC was 17 out of 26 (65.4%) from the free throw line, and the visitors were a chilling 8/22 (36.4%) from the charity stripe. South Suburban forced 33 turnovers in the game.

The Bulldogs will begin 2012 with three straight road games in five days. They start their road trip at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL on Tuesday, January 3rd.

January 3 - at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL

The Bulldogs started out the new year with, as the coaching staff put it, “A Week Not For The Weak.” They will play three road games in a five-day span, starting out at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL.

They started "The Week" out on a positive note by pulling away late in the game for the 81-57 victory. The first five minutes were highly contested as the Bulldogs only led 9-8. They pulled away a little with a 15-1 run and led 24-9 half way through the opening half. McHenry played SSC even the rest of the half and South Suburban led 43-28 going into the break.

McHenry continued to play the Bulldogs even for the most of the second half, but SSC still led 66-50 with over seven minutes to play. That is when South Suburban’s defense took over. They held the Scots to only two points over the next five minutes and took their biggest lead of the game at 77-52. South Suburban then cruised to the 24-point victory.

Thriteen players scored for the Bulldogs as they were led by sophomore forward Marcus Lewis’ 17 points. The other double digit scorers were sophomore guards Sultan Muhammad and DeAndre McCamey who scored 14 and 11 points respectfully.

SSC dominated the rebounding game with a 49-33 margin. SSC was led in rebounding by freshman forward Kadeem Thornton who grabbed a game high eight rebounds. South Suburban shot 52.3 percent (34 of 65) for the game and were a sizzling seven out of 13 from behind the 3-point arc. The host team shot 33.33 percent form the field and were only two of ten from the arch. McHenry shot 77 percent from the free throw line while the Bulldogs only made six of 11.

The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to 16 games, the longest during Coach Pigatti’s tenure at SSC, and the longest in school’s history. They continue their road trip on Thursday night at Triton College in River Grove, IL.

January 5 - at Triton College in Crystal Lake, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs took to the road again, this time to the home of the defending Region-IV-A Champions; the Triton Trojans. Triton had not played a game since December 15th and have been long preparing for the #2 ranked Bulldogs. Their intensity showed as the game was over by halftime as Triton walloped South Suburban 75-60. The loss gave the Bulldogs their first loss of the season and broke their school best 16-game winning streak. Triton was also the last team SSC lost to, which was in the finals of the region tournament last season.

Triton was bigger, stronger and faster than the Bulldogs all night. SSC lead was brief as they took a 5-4 lead three minutes into the first half. Then Triton went on a 10-0 run to take a 14-5. SSC would force Triton into three straight turnovers and cut their lead to 14-11 with 12 minutes to go in the first half, but that was the closest they would get. South Suburban would have their chances offensively but could not convert on several lay-ups. The Bulldogs then went to shooting 3-point shots, which just played into Triton’s hands as they fast braked their way to a 42-24 half time lead. The statistics of the first half told the entire story of this disappointing game between the top two teams in the region. Triton out rebounded SSC 30-6 and out shot them 55 percent to 31 percent . South Suburban shot a dismal one for 11 from behind the three- point line in the first half.

South Suburban started out the second half with their chances to cut into the Trojan’s double digit lead, but did not convert offensively. The upbeat, highly energized host took their biggest lead at 53-31 with 13 minutes to go in the game. SSC bench went to work and actually cut into Triton’s lead with a 13-3 run, the ‘Dog’s only scoring run of the game. The run left Triton a 56-44 lead with nine minutes to go in the game. The bench and starters could not cut back into Triton’s double digit lead and the Trojans went back up 65-44, cruising to the easy victory.

Triton’s defense stifled the Bulldog’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad. He was held scoreless for the first time in his career. He only took four shots the entire game, and all of them were wide open shots, but he could not get on track. South Suburban was led in scoring by freshman guard Michael Harris who had 16 points. Sophomore forward Marcus Lewis was SSC’s only other double digit scorer as he had 12 points, with most of his points coming from off his game high seven steals. South Suburban shot a dismal 24 for 68 and were a chilly 24 percent (6 for 25) from the arch. Triton shot 51.9 percent from the field , but only attempted six three-point shots and connected on two of them. SSC only shot seven of 12 from the free throw line while Triton shot 73 percent from the charity stripe.

Triton continued its’ dominance on the boards in the second half, and destroyed SSC in the rebounding game 52-22. That margin was the worst beating on the glass that SSC has taken in Coach Pigatti ‘s six-year tenure at the school. The only bright spot for South Suburban was that they forced Triton into 24 turnovers and they only turned it over ten times of their own.

SSC drops to 16-1 on the season, and finishes up their “Week Not For The Week” in downstate Oglesby to meet Illinois Valley Community College on Saturday.

January 7 - at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The Bulldogs played their third of three road games of "The Week" at Illinois Valley Community College, who actually will be hosting the Region IV-A Tournament. They were trying to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Triton College two nights earlier.

SSC’s offense looked like they were still playing the Triton game for the first 12 minutes of the game. SSC jumped out to a 5-3 lead early in the first half but would not score again for the next five and a half minutes. They found themselves trailing 22-5 with a little over eight minutes to go. Sophomore guard Isiah Hale would break the scoreless streak with a pull up jumper, which started the South Suburban scoring explosion over the next few minutes. Sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad was determined not to be held scoreless like he was two nights earlier at Triton. SSC’s leading scorer found his shooting stroke and nailed four triples over the next seven minutes to help SSC cut into the Eagles 15-point lead. South Suburban only trailed by three at halftime 27-30.

The first ten and a half minutes of the second half were very exciting as both teams found their offensive groove and the lead see-sawed bank and forth. SSC sophomore forward Marcus Lewis would score two of his 20 points on a nice driving lay-up which gave the #2 Bulldogs the lead for good at 53-51. SSC would then proceed to go on a 21-2 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 74-53. South Suburban would not score another point as IVCC cut the lead to its final 13-point margin.

Muhammad led all scorers with 24 points as he connected on six three-point shots. South Suburban shot 49.1 percent (28 for 57) from the field and was 10 of 22 from behind the arch. Illinois Valley shot 45.5 percent from the field and was 40 percent from the “3”. The Eagles out shot SSC from the free throw line. The host were a sizzling 78.9 percent (15/19), while SSC was a chilly 8 out of 15.

South Suburban got back on the winning track in the rebounding battle as they barely edged Illinois Valley 33-32. SSC forced Illinois Valley into 26 turnovers with Lewis and sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey grabbing five steals each. SSC turned the ball over 17 times of their own.

South Suburban improved its record to 17-1 on the season and return home for a two game home stand over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend.

January 14 - vs. Harry S. Truman College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs returned home after a tough three game road trip and celebrated “Kids” Day in a fun way with a 104-43 crushing of NJCAA Division 1 Truman College. Truman started out hot as they led 8-7. SSC started three walk-ons during this stretch of time. SSC welcomed the debut of freshman point guard Bryce Walker. Walker injected his energy in the team and scored 11 of the next 14 points for the Bulldogs, and SSC led 19-12 with nine and a half minutes to go in the first half. The Bulldogs then continued their defensive intensity, held Truman to only five more points, and led at half time 46-17.

The second half was started by sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey’s making a three-point basket and the rout was on. SSC continued to apply the defensive pressure and at one point held the Falcolns to only five points in a nine minute stretch where the extended their lead to 83-24 with just over nine minutes to go in the game. The Bulldogs cruised from there to remain undefeated at home this year and extend their home winning streak to 10.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad who was perfect five-for-five from behind the arc and scored 21 points. He also grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists, and snatched five steals. Walker had a stat-filling debut as he scored 20 points, dished out eight assists, grabbed four rebounds, and snatched a team high six steals. Every Bulldog except for one scored in the game. Freshman center Lloyd Davis had a career high in scoring and rebounding as he scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds. Another Bulldog freshman, center Rasheed Shofidiya, grabbed a career high nine rebounds to the lead SSC, who won the battle of the boards 57-37. SSC shot 50.6 percent from the field and were a sizzling 11 of 50 from behind the 3-point line. They also shot 65 percent from the free throw line. The visting Falcolns shot a chilling 13/52 (25 percent) from the field and were only 2 for 9 from the “3”. SSC forced 32 turnovers in the game while only committing 10 of their own.

South Suburban improves to 18-1 on the season and is still ranked #2 in the country.

January 16 - vs. Joliet Junior College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban held its annual "Martin Luther King Basketball Showcase" with four games on the day, highlighted by the men’s game vs. Joliet Junior College. The Bulldogs did not disappoint the big crowd as they defeated rival Joliet 81-62.

SSC only dressed six scholarship players and had three walk-ons participate in the game, but were able to jump out to an early 14-4 lead, behind the team’s hot shooting. The Bulldogs made four 3-point baskets in the first few minutes of the game and never look back. SSC extended the lead to 28-14 before Joliet went on a 10-0 run of its own, and cut the lead to four at 28-24 with six and a half minutes to go in the first half. South Suburban would then slowly build it's lead up to 15, but a trey by Joliet’s Ben Daniel at the first half buzzer left the host Bulldogs with a 46-35 half time lead.

The momentum of the first half buzzer beater did not help the visitors from Joliet, as SSC started the second half like the first, with a 3-point basket by sophomore guard Isiah hale. SSC then proceeded to go on a 12-1 run and led 58-36 with 14 minutes to go in the game. The Wolves would never get closer than 15. After a triple by SSC’s sophomore forward Marcus Lewis, the Bulldogs had their biggest lead of the game at 81-55. They would then cruise to the 19-point victory.

South Suburban had a total of five players in double digits. SSC was led in scoring by freshman guard Michael Harris, who scored 24 points on 9 for 12 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists, and snatched two steals. Sophomores DeAndre McCamey (13 pts.), Isiah Hale (10 pts.), and Marcus Lewis (11 pts.). Freshman forward Kadeem Thornton had his second straight double figure night, as he scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. The Bulldogs were led in rebounding by sophomore guard Sultan Muhammad’s 12 rebounds. However, the undersized Bulldogs lost the battle of the boards to Joliet 47-40. South Suburban shot almost 44 percent (29 of 66) from the field and were 43.5 percentfrom behind the arc. They also were 13 of 23 from the free throw line. Joliet shot it well at the free throw line going 20/27 (74.1%). SSC took very good care of the ball as they had a season low six turnovers while forcing the Wolves into 20 of their own.

The #2 Bulldogs have an 11-game home winning streak, and improved their record this season to 19-1.

January 21 - at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs headed out on the road to play one of their six Region-IV-A road games. There are only eight teams total in this region. They showed tremendous defensive intensity for the first 35 minutes of the game, which led them to a 67-52 victory over Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL. The game started out slow as SSC shot the ball very poorly but still led 12-6 through the first five minutes. They continued to lead 18-13 with five minutes to go berfore the break when their offensive output picked up. Bulldog sophomore guard Devin Walker made an 18-foot shot at the buzzer to end the first half which capped off a 14-4 run, and SSC led 32-17 at halftime. South Suburban only shot 35% from the field and were a dismal 1-12 from behind the arc.

The Bulldogs started out the second half like they did the first with poor shooting, but they continued to play defense and took its biggest lead of the game at 49-28 with over nine minutes to go in the game. Kishwaukee would not quit and continued to fight the Bulldogs all the way to the end of the game. The host started shooting the ball better, and made threes in the last five minutes. But it was too little too late and the Bulldogs came out with the 15-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by newcomer freshman guard Bryce Walker who was playing in only his second game as a Bulldog. He scored 16 points, along with five assists , five steals, and four rebounds. Other Bulldogs who scored in double digits were freshman forward Kadeem Thornton who scored 13 points on only 5 of 12 shooting, and sophomore guard DeAndre McCamey who chipped in 12 points. Thornton would lead the Bulldogs in rebounding with seven rebounds, but the Kougars dominated that battle of the boards and won it 46-39. South Suburban shot it poorly from the field. They were only 36 percent from the field and were even worse from behind the 3-point line at (3 of 19). It was one of their worse shooting performances of the year for the #2 Bulldogs. Kishwaukee did not shoot it well either as they were 15 for 47 from the field, and 3 of 8 from the “3”. SSC’s defense did force 32 Kougar turnovers while SSC only committed 13 of their own.

South Suburban improves to 20-1 on the year. Coach John Pigatti’s teams have now won 20 games every year he has been at South Suburban College. The Bulldogs return home for a Tuesday night clash with Columbia College from Chicago before heading out on the road for two more Region IV-A games away from the friendly confines of SSC.

January 24 - vs. Columbia College - Chicago in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs played a “replacement” game on Tuesday night and did not show any kindheartedness as they defeated Columbia College 89-49. Columbia, a four-year school out of the city of Chicago, replaced two teams who were supposed to have played the Bulldogs that night. Kankakee Community College was scheduled to play, but an error with the Kankakee men’s basketball staff caused SSC to schedule another team for this date. Illinois Benedictine University’s junior varsity team was then scheduled to play, but because of injuries to their varsity players (all senior and juniors in college), they had to move several young players up to varsity and could not play on this date as well. So Columbia was the only team available tonight.

The game started slow for the Bulldogs, as they only led 15-11 with just under eight minutes to go in the first half. South Suburban missed 15 of their first 21 shot during their lackluster start. After several lineup changes the Bulldogs started to click, and they went on a 23-9 run to go into half time with a 38-20 lead.

The second half was a half where SSC just continued to build their lead to the final 40-point victory margin. Every Bulldog except one scored in the game. SSC was led in scoring by the return of sophomore center Keenan Williams. Williams, who has not played in the last four games, came out with fire in his eyes and had a career night in scoring and in rebounds. He scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. South Suburban had two other double digit scorers, sophomore forward Marcus Lewis and freshman guard Bryce Walker scored 13 points apiece. Lewis’ 13 points were a highlight film. All six of his made field goals were rim shattering dunks. That is the first time a player has scored all of his point off dunks during Coach John Pigatti’s six-years here at SSC. Lewis also had seven rebounds. Walker snatched six steals and dished out five assists. South Suburban won the battle of the boards 59-31. Adding to the help on the boards were 2 Bulldogs guards; sophomores Deandre McCamey and Sultan Muhammad, who grabbed 8 and 7 rebounds respectfully. SSC shot only 36 of 75 for 48percent from the field, and were a chilling 1/13 from behind the arc. Columbia shot 17/56 (30.4%) from the field and were 4 of 23 from the “3”. The Bulldogs were 16/22 from the free throw line, and Columbia shot 11/16 from the charity stripe.

South Suburban improves its season record to 21-1. They are also 85-4 at home under Coach Pigatti. However the national pollsters did not give the Bulldogs any respect this week. South Suburban dropped from #2 to #4 in the poll despite not losing a game last week. They now head out on the road for two Region IV-A road games next week at Olive-Harvey in Chicago and go west to play Black Hawk College in Kewanee, IL.

January 31 - at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs headed to Chicago for a Region IV-A clash at Olive-Harvey College. The game, gym, and halftime were very heated and the intensity level was at a playoff high. Despite the half time score of 49-46, the Bulldogs defense intensity picked up in the 2nd half, and SSC went home victorious 98-66.

The Bulldogs started out hitting two “3”s and took an early 6-0 lead. Olive-Harvey and Region IV-A leading scorer Deven Williams, who averages 26 points per game, took over the game. He scored 10 out of the Panthers’ first 12 points and had 21 points at halftime. He finished with 26 total for the game. Olive-Harvey went on a 16-2 run midway through the first half and took their biggest lead of the game at 16-8. South Suburban didn't get the lead back until late in the first half and went into halftime with the slim three point lead.

SSC came out for the second half a new team, and their defense took over. They started on a 13-2 run and took a 62-48 lead with 13:30 to go in the game. After allowing Olive-Harvey to go on a mini scoring run, SSC led 69-57 with ten minutes of the contest left to go. The Bulldog defense only allowed Olive-Harvey to score nine more points the rest of the way. The 32-point margin of victory was the largest of the game.

South Suburban was led in scoring by two 21-point performers, freshman guard Michael Harris and sophomore forward Marcus Lewis. Harris also had his first career double/double as he grabbed 10 rebounds as well. Other double digit scorers for SSC were sophomores Keenan Williams (13) and Sultan Muhammad (12). Williams also helped South Suburban on the glass as he grabbed nine rebounds of his own. Freshman point guard Bryce Walker was a statistic filler for the Bulldogs as he scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds despite only being 5'10", dished out nine assists, and snatched five steals. SSC won the battle of the boards 45-25.

South Suburban shot 41 of 71 for 57.7 percent from the field despite only going 5 of 16 from behind the arc. Olive-Harvey shot 38.9 percent (21 of 54) from the field and were 6 of 19 (31.5 percent) from the “3”. SSC shot poorly (57.9 percent) from the free throw line, while Olive-Harvey was 72 percent from the charity stripe.

South Suburban improves to 22-1 on the season, and moved back to #2 in the recent NJCAA Division II poll. They continue their Region IV-A road trip on Saturday at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL.

February 4 - at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL

South Suburban finished its sixth Region IV-A road trip on a positive note with a lackluster 64-55 victory over Black Hawk College in Moline, IL. Despite the hosts shooting 34 free throws as opposed to South Suburban’s 15, the Bulldogs still persevered and held Black Hawk to only 16 made baskets in a 40 minute game.

The game started out slow as neither team scored until SSC’s sophomore guard Deandre McCamey got a nice feed from sophomore center Keenan Williams to score the first two points of the game. Sophomore Sultan Muhammad then started to catch fire as he proceeded to make three triples during the next four minutes to stake the Bulldogs to a 11-6 lead with thirteen minutes to go in the first half. Black Hawk would then go a 7-1 run and take a 13-12 lead. Muhammad then hit his forth and final “3” of the game to give SSC the lead for good at 20-18 with six and a half minutes to go in the first half. South Suburban went into halftime leading 27-24.

The Bulldogs came out and scored seven straight points to take a 34-24 lead three minutes into the second stanza. At the sven minute mark of the half, they extended their lead to 45-31 and coasted to the nine point win.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Muhammad 18 points. He also came close to a double/double as he grabbed nine rebounds as well. No other Bulldog scored in double figures as the balanced scoring attack allowed four players to score seven or more points.

Freshman Kadeem Thornton had 10 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 50-34. South Suburban shot only 39.3 percent (24 for 61) from the field and was 7 for 23 from behind the arch. Black Hawk shot 16 for 54 (29 percent ) from the field and were 4 for 13 (30.9 percent ) from the “3”. The host team did shoot a lot of free throw as they were 19 for 34 (55.9 percent ), and South Suburban was only 9 for 16 (56.2 percent ) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban improves its record to 23-1 on the season. It is the best start in school’s history and they are currently ranked #2 in the country. They host “Community Night” this Tuesday at 7:00pm vs. Robert Morris Univ. JV from Chicago, IL.

February 7 - vs. Robert Morris University JV in South Holland, IL

It was ‘Community Night” at South Suburban College and the home team did not disappoint their crowd as they won convincingly 109-58 over Robert Morris University (JV). SSC’s sophomore forward Marcus Lewis was a human highlight film as he started the scoring with a rim rattling dunk and then proceeded to score 13 out of the Bulldogs first 23 points. He ended up with a game high 23 points, grabbed a career high nine steals and dished out five assists. He also had seven earth-shattering dunks to excite the large “Community Night” crowd. SSC only . Coach John Pigatti, who had substituted freely during the first 15 minutes saw the lead shirk to 38-26 with 5:30 to go in the first half. That's when he inserted his starters: sophomores, Isiah Hale, Sultan Muhammad, DeAndre McCamey, Keenan Williams, and Lewis. They proceeded to hold RMU to only three points the rest of the half. McCAmey hit a long “3” at the halftime buzzer to give the Bulldogs a 55-29 lead going into intermission.

The second half started out slow for the Bulldogs as they only led 59-37 with 15:00 to go in the game. South Suburban then went on a 30-11 run and led 89-48 with 7:45 left in the game. They coasted from there and posted their 14 straight home victory, and improved its home record to 86-4 during Coach Pigatti’s six years at the school. South Suburban had five other players score in double digit besides Lewis. They were Muhammad (13 pts.), Williams (10 pts.), freshmen Kadeem Thornton (12 pts.), Bryce Walker (12pts.), and Michael Harris, who was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field for 10 points while only playing in the second half. South Suburban shot 46 out of 48 for 54.8 percent from the field and were 8 out of 22 from behind the arc. The Eagles were 18 out of 56 (32.1 percent ) from the field and a chilling 2 out of 11 (18.2 percent ) from the “3”. Robert Morris outshot the host Bulldogs from the free throw line. They were 66.7 percent (20 of 30), while the host were only 9 out of 12 (75 percent ). The Bulldogs out rebounded their guest 45-40. Thornton led SSC in rebounding with 9, while Muhammad and Williams grabbed eight and seven respectfully. McCamey dished out seven assists and the Bulldogs distributed the ball well during the game and had 37 assts on 46 made field goals.

The #2 ranked Division II Bulldogs improved to 24-1. They head out on the road for two contest against NJCAA Division 1 opponents. First up is #5 ranked Vincennes University. The game is the national game of the week featured on the NJCAA web site.

February 11 - at Vincennes University (JV) in Vincennes, IN

The Bulldogs took their nationally ranked team on the road to play in a contest that was featured in the NJCAA national newsletter. The game featured South Suburban ranked #2 in the NJCAA Division II poll, and the Vincennes University Trialblazers ranked #5 in the NJCAA Division 1 poll. South Suburban battled their hosts the entire game and actually led for most of the game. However, they could not finish the job and fell 77-70.

Vincennes, who just defeated the #3 team in the polls, Indian Hills Community College, jumped out on the Bulldogs early and took a 8-3 lead within the first five minutes of the first half. South Suburban then finally took its first lead at 20-18 with eight minutes to go. They then went on a 11-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game 36-23 with 2:40 to go in the first half. Vincennes ended the first half on a 8-3 run of their own, and the Bulldogs went into intermission with a surprising 39-31 lead.

South Suburban scored on its first possession of the second half, and led 41-31. That would be the biggest lead in the second half as Vincennes would chip away slowly at SSC’s lead. Early in the stanza South Suburban’s freshman forward Kadeem Thornton would get a severe ankle injury that would keep him out of the game. The loss of SSC’s starting forward would allow the much bigger team from Vincennes to take advantage. After a made 3-point basket by Vincennes off an offensive rebound, the host took their first lead since the first half, 71-69 with four minutes to go in the game. South Suburban would then proceed to only score one more point in the game. SSC went home with a very disappointing loss to a highly ranked NJCAA Division 1 opponent.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Marcus Lewis who scored 23 points. There were only two other Bulldogs in double digit scoring. Sophomores Keenan Williams and Sultan Muhammad scored 11 and 10 points respectfully. The Bulldogs did battle the much bigger post players from Vincennes in the rebounding war. The Trailblazers only won the battle of the boards 35-31.

South Suburban shot it poorly. They were 36.4 percent (24 of 66) from the field, and were only 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from behind the arc. Vincennes shot it better than their visitors as they were 26 of 60 (43.3 percent) from the field, and were 4 of 13 (30.8 percent) from the “3”. Both teams had the exact assists and turnovers at 17 and 14 respectfully. Vincennes shot it better than SSC from the free throw line. South Suburban was 16 of 23 (69.6 percent) and Vincennes was 21 of 27 (77.8 percent).

South Suburban drops to 24-2 on the season. On Tuesday they will travel to Malcolm X College in Chicago, IL; another Division 1 opponent.

February 14 - at Malcom X College in Chicago, IL

The Bulldogs took to the road to battle another NJCAA Division 1 team, but this time they had to do it minus a few players. After several suspensions and one dismissal from the team, the Bulldogs headed into Chicago with only eight players, and two of those were walk-ons. Despite the lack of personnel, SSC battled their host, the Hawks of Malcolm X College, to a thrilling double overtime battle. But SSC ran out of gas in the end and wound up on the wrong end of a 76-72 final.

The game started poorly for both teams. Neither team could shoot the ball early in the contest and South Suburban only led 15-14 with seven minutes left in the first half. The Hawks took a 18-16 lead, and SSC would proceed to only score five more points the rest of the half and trail 27-21 at halftime.

In the first half the shorthanded Bulldogs shot a dismal 1 for 10 from behind the “3” point arc, and turned the ball over 14 times.

The second half did not start out any better for South Suburban, and Malcolm X extended its lead to 40-30 with 12:12 to go in the game. The Bulldogs finally woke up and went on a 15-4 run, and took their first lead of the second half at 45-44 with just under eight minutes to go. The lead see-sawed back and forth and Malcolm X took a 52-48 lead with three minutes left in regulation. They would continue to have the lead until SSC’s freshman guard Michael Harris would have some heroics.

Trailing 56-53, Harris took a missed Hawk free throw and drove the length of the court and nailed a “3”-point basket to tie the game with :04.1 to go in the game. Malcolm X would then throw the ball out of bounds and South Suburban had a chance with the ball out of bounds underneath their basket. The Bulldogs did a horrible job of executing their play and sophomore guard Isiah Hale had to take an off balanced shot at the buzzer that was not even close to going in, sending the game into the first overtime.

In the first OT South Suburban jumped out to a 64-57 with 2:10 to go when the turnover bug hit. Sophomore forward Keenan Williams fouled out, and SSC did not have an answer for Malcolm X’s press. The Bulldogs proceeded to turn the ball over four straight times, and Malcolm X would have the final shot of the first overtime. With the game tied at 66, Malcolm X ran the clock down to the final seconds. SSC’s defense was tenacious, and the desperation shot by Malcolm X did not go in and the game went into the second overtime.

In the second overtime, the under-manned SSC did not make a field goal until the last seconds, and Malcolm X jumped out to a quick lead and never trailed to end up with the victory over the Bulldogs.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Harris who had a career night, and he was one assist short of a triple/double. He took advantage of his first career start and scored 27 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out nine assists. Another Bulldog who took advantage of his playing time was freshman center Lloyd Davis. Davis had his first career double/double, as he scored a career high 14 points and grabbed a career high 10 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Isiah Hale had a career high as well, scoring 15 points and dishing out four assists. South Suburban shot 27 for 68 (39.7 percent) from the field, and was a horrible 18.2 percent (4 for 22) from the “3”. Malcolm X shot 28 for 66 (42.2 percent), and were only 2 for 8 (25 percent) from the “3”. SSC shot 14 for 22 (63.6 percent) from the free throw line, and Malcolm X was 18 for 27 (66.6 percent) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban dominated the boards 61-43. However, SSC turned the ball over 26 times.

South Suburban falls to 24-3 on the season and are in the midst of their first two-game losing streak of the season. They head back home for their only home game in Region-IV-A. They host Carl Sandburg College on Saturday at 3 p.m.