2012-13 Men's Basketball Recap

 

March 9 - Region IV Championship vs. Kishwaukee College at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The Bulldogs were looking to defend their Region IV-A title vs. Kishwaukee College. It would also be their fifth championship during the seven seasons of Coach John Pigatti’s reign.

They did not start out like champions but they finished like one and defeated Kishwaukee 91-72.

The game started with Kishwaukee taking an early 12-4 lead. The Bulldogs then went on a 17-5 run to take a 21-17 lead with 8:52 to go in the first half. The Kougars would not fold. They went on a 5-0 run to take their last lead of the game at 22-21 with 7:00 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then close on a 22-10 run to end the half and go into the halftime break with a 43-32 lead.

On their first possession of the second half the Bulldogs would force a Kougar turnover (they had 20 in the game), and score on their first possession to take control of the game for good. Kishwaukee would close the scoring gap to 54-47 with 12:00 to go in the game. However, South Suburban would then go on a 18-4 run over the next 4 minutes and the game was then never in doubt as they led 72-51 with 8:15 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore forward Michael Lee who scored 24 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Sophomore guard Michael Harris would score 19 points, dish out 6 assists and grab 7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Bryce Walker would just barely miss out on a triple/double as he scored 16 points, dished out 11 assists, and led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 8 (despite only being 5 feet 10 inches tall).

The Bulldogs would shoot 33/65 (50.8%) from the field but were only 2/11 (18.2%) from behind the “3” point arc. They also shot 23/32 (71.9%) from the free throw line. Kishwaukee shot 24/52 (46.2%) from the field and were 4/14 (28.6%) from the “3”. They also shot 20/33 (60.6%) from the charity stripe. South Suburban won the battle of the boards by the slimmest of margins; 38-37.

Harris was named Region IV-A Tournament MVP. Walker and Lee were named to the All-Tournament Team. Coach John Pigatti won his 5th Region IV-A Coach-of-the-Year award.

The Bulldogs advance to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament next week (March 19-23rd) in Danville, IL. They will play their first round game vs. Phoenix College on Tuesday March 19th at 6:30pm.

This is also the fifth time in seven years that South Suburban has advanced to the NJCAA National Championships with Coach Pigatti.

March 3 - Region IV Playoff vs. Black Hawk College at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL

The Men’s Basketball team at South Suburban has been to the Region IV-A Final Four every year since Coach John PIgatti has coached here. Their only lost in the semi-final was three years ago to Black Hawk College. They did want history to repeat itself when they took on Black Hawk in this year’s semi-finals. SSC started out slow but would eventually turn up the defensive pressure and win 70-49 to advance to the 6th Region IV-A Finals during Coach Pigatti’s seven seasons.

The Bulldogs could not get their offense going to start the game, but held Black Hawk scoreless during the first 5 minutes led 6-0. Each team would then start to pick up their offensive production but South Suburban would still tighten up on the defensive end and lead 29-22 at halftime.

Black Hawk would eventually get to within 4 points at 44-40 with 11:19 to go in the game. South Suburban would then start to clamp down defensively and when they applied pressure to Black Hawk they created turnovers. In less than a minute, The Bulldog defense would force 4 turnovers and pull ahead 52-40 with 10:28 to go. Black Hawk would never cut the lead under double digits again. South Suburban continued its defensive pressure and actually held Black Hawk scoreless during the last 3:38 of the game to win by the 21-point margin.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris. Harris who struggled in the first half (2-7 from the field) ended up scoring 29 points. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and snatched 5 steals. Sophomore forward Michael Lee also had a strong performance for the Bulldogs as he scored 23 points and grabbed 5 rebounds of his own. The Bulldogs did not shoot the ball well as they were 26-67 (37.3%) from the field and were 5/14 (35.7%) from behind the “3” point arc. Black Hawk would shoot a little better as they were 19/47 (40.4%) from the field, but were only 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”. SSC shot 15/24 (62.5%) from the free throw line and Black Hawk was 9/17 (52.9%).

Black Hawk did win the rebounding battle 44-34, but they also turned the ball over 30 times against the Bulldogs defensive pressure.

South Suburban advances to the Region IV-A Championship Game on Saturday March 9th. They will play Kishwaukee College at 7:30pm. The championship game will be played at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL.

February 28 - Region IV Playoff vs. Wright College at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs has hosted a quarterfinal game every year that Coach Pigatti has been here in South Holland. The results have always been the same, and this year was no different. The Bulldogs fought off a pesky Wright College team and won 98-73.

The game did not start out like SSC was going to dominate as they did against Wright on Feb. 7th when they won 97-56. Wright actually held a 18-17 lead at the 7:00 mark of this contest before SSC started to clamp down defensively. The Bulldogs would then go into half time with a 48-35 lead, and never look back.

The second half would start with SSC going on a 12-4 run and they would take a 60-39 lead with 15:00 left in the game. They would take their biggest lead at 90-60 with 3:00 to go in the game. The bench would finish the game and the Bulldogs would advance to the semi-final game on Sunday March 3rd.

The Bulldogs would have two sophomore forwards record double/doubles: Kadeem Thornton scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Michael Lee scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. SSC was led in scoring by sophomore point guard Bryce Walker’s 23 points. He also dished out 9 assists and snatched 5 steals. South Suburban leading scorer; Michael Harris scored 18 points and dished out 6 assists of his own.

The Bulldogs shot 42/73 (57.5%) from the field and were 6/18 (33%) from behind the 3-point arc. Wright also shot it well as they were 27/49 (55.1%) from the field, They really did their damage from the “3” as they were 12/22 (54.5%). SSC was 8/13 (61.5%) from the free throw line. Wright did not have as much success from the charity stripe as they went 7/15 (46.6%). South Suburban dominated the rebounding battle as they out rebounded Wright 42-22.

South Suburban improves its record to 28-3 and moved its home record to 105-5 under Coach Pigatti. They will play Black Hawk College at 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 3rd in the Region IV-A Semi-Finals. The game will be played at Illinois Valley Ccommunity College in Oglesby, IL.

February 23 - vs. Columbia College in South Holland, IL

It was Sophomore Day at South Suburban College as eight players would celebrate their special day with a record breaking performance against Columbia College. Sophomores Michael Harris, Michael Lee, Kadeem Thornton, Rasheed Shofidya, Bryce Walker, Stefan Beard, Martrell Land, and Henry Davis all contributed as the Bulldogs won 131-35, the most points ever scored during Coach Pigatti‘s seven seasons at SSC. The win also was Coach Pigatti‘s 200th career coaching victory, all at South Suburban College. His record is 200-39.

The game started with the Bulldogs making their first nine shots of the game en route to a 22-0 lead. The game would end with the largest victory margin in school’s history.

All 14 Bulldog players would score in the game. South Suburban was led in scoring by Harris and Thornton’s 20 points. Harris would also dish out 7 assists. Davis would lead all rebounders with 8 as SSC won the battle of the boards 48-7.

South Suburban shot extremely well from the field as they were 61/81 (75.3%), and were 3/6 (50%) from behind the “3” point arc. The Bulldogs were 6/8 (75%) from the free throw line. Columbia was 10/47 (21.3%) from the field, 7/26 (26.9%) from the “3”, and 8/11 (72.7%) from the free throw line. South Suburban dished out a school record 43 assists in the game.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 27-3 record. They begin the Region IV-A playoff on Thursday, February 28th at 7pm. They are the #1 seed and will play the winner of the Wright/Black Hawk East game which will be played this Tuesday. They entered the Region IV-A playoffs as the #1 seed for the sixth time in the last seven seasons SSC.

February 19 - at Robert Morris University in Springfield, IL

The Bulldogs headed down to the state capital to try and redeem themselves for their recent loss at Carl Sandburg College. They had a tough test as they were playing a 4-year school; Robert Morris Univ. (Springfield). They did not have much life early in the game, but picked up their intensity in the second half (after trailing by 5 points) and won 72-60.

Their host led for most of the first half until South Suburban made a run at the end of the first half and went into the halftime break with a 31-29 lead. Robert Morris would then start the second half on a 11-4 run and take their biggest lead of the game at 40-35 with 16:30 to go in the game. South Suburban’s point guard Bryce Walker would then make back to back “3” point baskets to give the Bulldogs the lead at 41-40 with 12:00 to go. South Suburban would then slowly extend their lead. SSC would get their biggest lead at 69-54 with 1:45 left in the game. They would then finish the game by converting their free throws for the 12-point victory.

The Bulldogs shot it extremely well at the free throw line by going 19/20 (95%) while Robert Morris shot 17/24 (70.8%). However neither team shot the ball well from the field. SSC was 25/71 (35.2%), and 3/10 (30%) from behind the “3” point arc. Robert Morris was 20/51 (38.4%), and was only 3/15 (20%).

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 44-36, led by sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton’s 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Michael Harris led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 points. He would also dish out 4 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds. Walker would be the only other Bulldog in double figures; as he scored 15 points and dished out 7 assists.

The Bulldogs improved to 26-3 on the season and the victory was the 199th of Coach John Pigatti ‘s career. They will go for Coach Pigatti ‘s 200th win on Saturday as they host Columbia College. It will also be sophomore night. Sophomores: Michael Harris, Bryce Walker, Kadeem Thornton, Michael Lee, Stefan Beard, Henry Davis, Rasheed Shofidiya, and Martrell Land will be honored before the game.

February 16 - at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL

The Bulldogs went on the road to play in one of the toughest places to play in the entire region, and did not respond very well to their challenge. They got down early, took the lead, and then after several discipline problems in the game, could not maintain, and lost to Carl Sandburg College 80-74.

South Suburban did not score for the first 3 minutes of the game. SSC forced six Carl Sandburg turnovers in their first 11 defensive possession and still trailed 9-2 with 16:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs then got into an offensive rhythm and went on a 10-2 run to take a 12-11 lead with 13:12 to go. They took their biggest lead of the game at 19-16 with 8:55 to go in the first half, but then Carl Sandburg toughened up their defense. The host would take a 33-31 lead into halftime.

Carl Sandburg continued its run to start the second half and led 43-35 with 16:30 to go in the game. The Bulldogs would fight back and pull within two at 59-57 with 8:43 to go. SSC tied the game at 63 with 6:00 to go, and would then have two chances to take their first lead since midway through the first half. South Suburban trailed 66-65 with 3:40 to go when Bulldog forward Henry Davis would get his lay-up blocked and SSC lost its first opportunity to go ahead. Then, still trailing by one SSC would turn the ball over and give up a 3-point play in transition which killed all the Bulldogs chances to win the game. They would never get closer than that and Carl Sandburg would improve to 19-9 on the season and South Suburban would fall to 25-3.

This is the first time since Coach Pigatti ‘s first season (2006-07) that South Suburban has lost to two Region IV-A teams in the same year.

South Suburban was led in scoring by Michael Harris who despite shooting poorly had 28 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and snatched 4 steals. The only other Bulldog to score in double figures was Bryce Walker who had 14 points, while dishing out 5 assist and snatching 5 steals. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton (despite his 8 turnovers), would grab a game high 12 rebounds as SSC would win the battle of the boards 43-34.

South Suburban and Carl Sandburg did something that is very rare, they made and missed the same amount of baskets. However, both teams shot it poorly as they were 25/67 (37.3%). SSC was 4/14 (28.5%) from behind the “3” point arc, and Carl Sandburg was 2/14 (14.2%). The home team won the battle at the free throw line as they made almost as many free throws as South Suburban attempted. Carl Sandburg was 28/43 (65.1%) and SSC was 20/30 (66.6%). South Suburban forced 26 turnovers, but committed 24 of their own.

South Suburban continues its difficult end of the season road trip as they travel to play a 4-year school, Robert Morris University in Springfield, IL on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

February 12 - vs. Trinity Christian College JV in South Holland, IL

It was “Community Night” at South Suburban and the Bulldogs did not disappoint the nice size crowd that was on hand. They pulled away early from their guest, the junior varsity squad from Trinity Christian College, and won 85-39.

SSC opened the game with a 15-3 run. However, the Trolls went on their only real scoring run of the game, and the score was 19-11 with 10:11 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then hold their guest to only 5 points the rest of the half, and led 50-16 at half time. The second half opened with Trinity Christian (JV) getting a basket and then they world not get any closer.

The Bulldogs starters only played 4 minutes in the second half, and the rest of the game was left to the reserves.

SSC had 4 players score in double figures led by sophomore guard Michael Harris who scored 16 points. Harris also grabbed 8 rebounds, snatched 5 steals, and dished out 5 assists to round out his limited minutes of playing time. Freshmen guards Anthony Strickland (15 points) and King Bradley (10 points) scored career highs. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton scored 10 points as well.

SSC shot over 50% from the field in the first half but settled in for a 31/68 (45.6%) shooting night from the field, They were 8/17 (47.1%) from behind the “3” point arc. Trinity Christian (JV) shot a chilling 14/53 (26.4%) from the field, and were 4/20 (20%) from the “3”. South Suburban was 15/21 (71.4%) from the free throw line, and Trinity Christian was 7/13 (53.8%).

The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards 48-32.

South Suburban improves to 25-2 on the season and head on the road for a two game road trip beginning this Saturday at Carl Sandburg College.

February 9 - vs. Indiana Dabney University in South Holland, IL

The four-year school from Hammond, Indiana came into South Suburban and gave the Bulldogs everything they could handle for a half of the game. In the end though South Suburban prevailed at home to keep their impressive home record intact (102-5). The Bulldogs pulled away in the second half and won 101-71.

The game stated with Indiana Dabney doing anything they wanted on offense. The visitors led 18-14 with 14:00 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs then clamped down defensively, and went on a 14-0 run to take a 26-18 lead with 10:57 to go in the first half. They would out score Indiana Dabney 25-14 during the last 10 minutes of the half, and led 51-33 at halftime.

The second half would start out like the first half ended, with the Bulldogs picking up the defensive pressure. They would go on a 20-10 run and take a 71-42 lead with 12:00 to go in the game. SSC would then coast to the 30-point victory.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris. Harris recorded another double/double (his ninth of the year) as he poured in 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He also dished out 5 assists, snatched 5 steals and blocked 4 shots (his career high). Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton scored 16 for SSC and he also grabbed 8 rebounds. Two other Bulldogs scored in double digits; Sophomore forward Henry Davis scored a career high 14 points, while Michael Lee (who played limited minutes due to discipline issues) scored 12. SSC’s freshman point guard Anthony Strickland took advantage of his extended playing time (due to the discipline issues of Bryce Walker), and he dished out a career high 11 assists. South Suburban shot 40/75 (54.1%) from the field, and were 3/10 from behind the “3” point arc. They also shot 18/28 (64.3%) from the free throw line. Indiana Dabney was 23/68 (33/8%) from the field, and 3/19 (15.8%) from the “3”. They shot 22/36 (61.1%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban just nipped out it’s hard playing visitors 46-44 in the rebounding battle.

South Suburban improves to 24-2 on the season and have a special home game this Tuesday. The game is designated as “Community Night” where all area residents, business owners and employees are admitted free of charge.

February 7 - vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

The rescheduled game from back in November versus Wilbur Wright College almost did not happen again. The bad weather and heavy traffic caused a delay in the start of the game, but the show did go on! Unfortunately for the visiting Rams, they were playing in one of the most difficult home courts to play at in the country. South Suburban’s record at home during Coach John Pigatti ‘s tenure at the school (6-plus seasons) was 101-5. Now it is 102-5, as they defeated the visitors from Wright College 95-56.

Wright started the game with no fear in their game as they took and early 9-2 lead on the Bulldogs. They still led 11-4 with 15:26 to go in the first half. After a South Suburban time out, the Bulldogs went on a 14-1 run to take the lead for good at 18-12 with 11:06 to go. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 51-33 at halftime.

The first ten minutes of the second half stopped all hope for a Ram comeback. SSC went on a 24-11 run to take a 75-44 lead with 9:45 to go in the game. South Suburban would then clear the bench and continue to build their lead. The final score was the largest lead (49 points) the Bulldogs had all night. South Suburban had four starters score in double digits led by last week’s NJCAA “National Player-of-the-Week” winner Michael Harris. Harris scored 26 points grabbed 8 rebounds, and snatched 5 steals. His backcourt mate, sophomore Bryce Walker missed his first career triple/double by 1 assist. Walker scored 14 points, snatched 10 steals and dished out 9 assists. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton had a perfect night from the field as he was 8/8, and scored 16 points. Thornton also grabbed 6 rebounds. Michael Lee was the other double digit scorer as he poured in 10 points. The Bulldogs shot 38/72 (52.8%) from the field, but were only 5/18 (27.8%) from behind the 3-point arc. They also shot it well from the free throw line as they were 14/16 (87.5%). Wright shot 19.48 (39.6%) from the field, and were 5/19 (26.3%) from the “3”. They shot 13/18 (72.2%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 43-21. SSC also forced 26 Wright turnovers.

South Suburban improves to 23-2 on the season and continue its 3-game home stand with a 3:00 p.m. tip off on Saturday vs. Indiana Dabney University.

February 5 - at Black Hawk College East in Kewanee, IL

The Bulldogs took to the road to play another Region IV-A opponent. This time they went to Kewanee, IL to take on Black Hawk East College (a team they beat earlier in the season).

The Bulldogs again started out strong; with an 13-2 run, and coasted to an 82-55 victory. The Bulldogs would hold their host to just 4 points in the first 8 minutes of the game, and would take a 41-21 into halftime.

The second half would be one for the SSC’s bench as they would play most of the final 20 minutes and gain quality playing time for the stretch run of the season.

SSC was led in scoring again by its sophomore back court of Michael Harris (26 points) and Bryce Walker (20 points). Walker would dish out 6 assists as well. The only other double digit scorer was sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton who scored 15 points and grabbed a team high 6 rebounds. South Suburban won the battle of the boards 26-21. SSC shot a sizzling 30/50 (60%) from the field and was even hotter behind the “3” point arc. They torched up the nets by going 11/16 (68.7%) from the three. Black Hawk East was 19/39 (48.7%) from the field and were only 2/9 (22.2%) from the 3. South Suburban shot it great from the free throw line as well. They were 11/12 (91.6%) while the host was 15/21 (71.4%).

South Suburban improves to 22-2 on the season, and will come home for a 3-game home stand starting this Thursday with a make-up game vs. Wright College at 7:00pm.

February 2 - vs. Black Hawk College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted Black Hawk College in a game that was supposed to be a hardnosed Region IV-A thrilling contest. Black Hawk best player has become eligible at the semester break and was playing extremely well. However, the Bulldogs opened up the game with a huge “bite” (an 11-2 run),and never let Black Hawk come within striking distance. SSC won quite handedly 97-56.

After the fast opening to the game, South Suburban would grab its biggest lead of the first half at 35-17 with 2:39 to go and would go into halftime with a 37-21 lead.

The second half would be even more of an defensive show for the Bulldogs as they continued their intense defensive pressure and took its biggest lead of 49 points at 93-44 with 3:00 to go in the game. They would then coast to the 41-point victory. South Suburban’s back court was the story in this game.

Sophomores Michael Harris (36 points, 7 steals) and Bryce Walker (23 points, 6 steals) outscored Black Hawk on their own. The only other double digit scorer for SSC was sophomore forward Michael Lee who 11 points of his own. Harris led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 11 as SSC won the battle of the boards 47-37. South Suburban shot it extremely well. They were 37 of 67 (55.2%) from the field, and were 10/23 (43.5%) from behind the 3-point arc. Black Hawk shot 24/65 (36.9%) from the field and were a chilling 2/13 (15.4%) from the “3”, Even though South Suburban had more fouls called on them than Black Hawk, the Bulldogs shot it well from the free throw line. They were 13/15 (86.7%) and Black Hawk was 6/8 (75%) from the charity stripe.

Both teams did not take care of the basketball as South Suburban forced Black Hawk into 23 turnovers while committing 22 of their own.

South Suburban improves to 21-2 on the season.

NOTE: Sophomore guard Michael Harris was named NJCAA Division II “National Player-of-the-Week” for his efforts last week. In two games, he scored 62 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, snatched 9 steals, and dished out 7 assists. It was the first time in Coach Pigatti’s six-plus seasons that he had a player win this award.

January 29 - vs. Robert Morris University JV in South Holland, IL

It was a special night for the Bulldogs as they were taking on Robert Morris University (JV) in a game with a milestone at stack. The Bulldogs were going for their 100th home victory during Coach Pigatti ‘s six-plus seasons at South Suburban College.

It was a tough battle but in the end the Bulldogs prevailed 97-84, improving their home record to 100-5 during the Pigatti era. The game did not start out like the milestone was going to be completed. Robert Morris took an early 12-9 lead and had the lead until the 6:00 mark of the first half. Sophomore forward Michael Lee (who scored a career high 30 points) drove the length of the court to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 26-25. The Bulldogs would extend the lead to 51-40 at halftime.

In the second half the Bulldogs would extend the lead to 68-52 with 12:20 to go. Robert Morris would then connect on several long 3-point baskets, and get as close as seven at 83-76 with 4:00 to go. South Suburban would then do a good job connecting on free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Lee would also grab 10 rebounds and snatch 5 steals, to complete his best overall performance as a Bulldog. Sophomore guard Michael Harris would also have a monster game as he scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton would record another double/double as he scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The Bulldogs, who played without their starting point guard and a key player off the bench (both due to suspensions), would shoot 32/62 (51.6%) from the field and were 3/8 (37.5%) from behind the “3” point arc. Robert Morris JV shot 24/63 (38.1%) from the field and were 8/22 (36.4%) from the “3”. Both team shot it well from the free throw line. The Bulldogs were 30/38 (78.9%) and Robert Morris JV was an amazing 28/29 (96.6%).

SSC won the battle of the boards 46-26.

South Suburban improves to 20-2 on the season and play at home again on Saturday, February 2nd vs. Region IV-A foe Black Hawk College at 3:00 PM.

January 26 - vs. McHenry County College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs had a completely different look to its starting lineup for this home game. Because of discipline problems, SSC started 4 freshman and one sophomore for the game. The lineup change did not affect the Bulldogs as they coasted through this one and ended up with a 89-40 victory to improve their record to 19-2 on the season.

The new lineup did a great job as they help McHenry to no field goals in the first 10:00 of the game and led 17-3 when they were subbed out. Mc Henry did not make its first field goal until the 7:33 mark of the first half and then went into halftime trailing 48-22.

The second half was no better for the visitors as they scored 16 points in the first 10 minutes of the half and would only score 2 points after that to tally their 40 total points for the game. Every player that played for South Suburban scored in the game.

SSC was led in scoring by sophomore Michael Harris who was very close to recording a triple double. He scored 21 points, dished out 8 assists and grabbed 9 rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore forward Michael Lee. He scored 15 points and dished out 5 assists of his own. South Suburban shot 37/87 (42.5%) from the field, and were 5/18 (27.8%) from behind the “3” point arc. They also shot 10/17 (58.8%) from the free throw line. McHenry only made 7 basket in the game and shot 19% for the game. They did score most of their points from the free throw line as they were 20-32 (62.5%) from the charity stripe.

South Suburban improves its home record to 99-5 during Coach Pigatti‘s six plus seasons. They will go for win #100 at home on Tuesday vs. Robert Morris Univ. (JV).

January 24 - at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, IL

The Bulldogs went on the road for the first time in a little over a month to Kankakee, IL, a place where they have had very little luck. In fact, South Suburban has only won 3 times in over 40 years there. The game also featured the rematch between these two teams from their December overtime thriller in which the Bulldogs won 93-85. This game was more defensive oriented and South Suburban would end up holding on for a 67-59 victory. This was the was the first time they have ever swept the season series with Kankakee. The game started with SSC taking an early 13-4 lead. After a Cavalier timeout the host went on a 10-0 run to take a 14-13 lead with 12:20 to go in the first half. Over the next 9 minutes, the Bulldogs would tighten up their defense and hold Kankakee to only 2 points and take a 24-16 lead with 3:36 to go in the half. They would go into halftime with a 28-21 lead.

The second half would start with SSC scoring the first 4 points to take a 32-21 lead. After another Kankakee timeout the host would go on a 11-0 run of their own, and tie the game up at 32, with 15:00 to go. Over the next 5:00, SSC would build its lead to 11 at 48-47 and then extend it to 15 at 60-45 with a little over 5:00 to go in the game. After some sloppy play by South Suburban, KCC would cut into the lead, but never go any closer than the 8 point margin of 67-59.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris who recorded a double/double by scoring 18 points (after only scoring 2 points in the first half). He would also grabbed 10 rebounds. The only other Bulldog in double figures was sophomore point guard Bryce Walker who recorded a double/double of his own by scoring 14 points and snatching 10 steals.

Sophomore forward Stefan Beard would grab a career high 8 rebounds to help the Bulldogs win the battle of the boards 51-39.

South Suburban shot it very poorly on its first road trip in over a month. They shot 22-68 (32.3%) from the field but were sizzling from behind the “3” point arc. They shot 6/10 (60%) from the “3”. Kankakee shot 21/48 (43.7%) from the fields and were only 3/10 (30%) from the “3”. South Suburban shot 17/25 (68%)from the free throw line, and Kankakee was 14/23 (60.8%). South Suburban forced 25 turnover in the game to help keep Kankakee to its 59 points.

South Suburban improved to 18-2 on the season, and head back home for a make-up game vs. McHenry County College on Saturday at 3:00pm.

January 21 - vs. Olive-Harvey College in South Holland, IL

South Suburban’s Annual Martin Luther King Day Basketball Classic has been always full of excitement and high intensity. This year’s game was no different as neighboring Olive-Harvey College came in with a tough physical team and lots of emotion. The Bulldogs established themselves in the middle of the first half and won big 85-56.

The game started by two made 3-point baskets by SSC’s point guard sophomore Bryce Walker. Walker made 5 treys in the game and had 23 points. Olive Harvey then would tie the game at 8 with 15:00 to go and that would be the last time they were in reach of the Bulldogs. South Suburban would go on a 10-4 run and take a 21-12 lead with 12:41 to go in the first half. They would extend the lead to 18 at 49-31 at halftime.

The visiting Panthers would open up the second half with a lay-up to cut the lead to 16. Walker would score 5 unanswered points to stop any chance of a comeback. SSC would then go on a 15-3 run after that and continue to extend the lead until the final 29-point victory margin.

The game featured the first overall good performance by SSC’s sophomore forward Stefan Beard. He would score a career high 10 points and grab a career high 8 rebounds. Walker would dish out 4 assists, and snatch 3 steals to round out his overall performance. However, fellow backcourt mate sophomore guard Michael Harris was an assist short of a triple/double as he scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 9 assists. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton would score 12 points and grab 5 rebounds of his own.

South Suburban shot 34/70 (48.6%) from the field and were a sizzling 9/15 from behind the “3” point arc. Olive Harvey would shoot 21/56 (37.5%) from the field and were a chilly 2/11 (18.2%) from the “3”. Olive Harvey would get the free throw line twice as many times as the Bulldogs but were only 12/25 (48%). South Suburban was 8/11 (72.7%) from the charity stripe.

SSC won the battle of the boards 43-37.

South Suburban improves to 17-2 on the season and head on the road Thursday to play NJCAA Division 1 opponent Kankakee Community College in Kankakee.

January 19 - vs. Kishwaukee College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs hosted another tough Region IV-A opponent as the Kougars from Kishwaukee College came to town. The Bulldogs blew a 22-point lead but hung on for a 89-83 victory. SSC which improved its home record to 97-5 at home during Coach Pigatti’s 6-plus seasons in South Holland.

The game started with both teams matching baskets and the game was tied at 11 with 14:00 to go. The Bulldogs went on a 19-4 run and took a 30-15 lead with a 7:30 to go in the first half. South Suburban would then keep the double digit lead in to half time and SSC led 43-31.

The second half started out well for the Bulldogs as they took the 22-point lead at 61-39 with 11:00 to go in the game. Kishwaukee would not fold as they went on a 22-11 run, but still trailed by double digits at 72-61. They would then close the gap to four at 74-70 with 4:54 to go. South Suburban would then make 10 out of 11 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

The Bulldogs had two players who had double/doubles as sophomores Michael Harris scored 27 points and Kadeem Thornton had 15 points. Both of them grabbed 10 rebounds. SSC had 2 other players in double digits as sophomores Bryce Walker and Michael Lee score 19 points apiece.

South Suburban shot it better from the “3” than the “2” as they went 27 for 57 (47.4%) from the field and were 8/14 (57.1%) from behind the “3” point arc. Kishwaukee shot 28/54 (51.9%) from the field and were 6/14 (42.9%) from the “3”. Both teams shot it well from the free throw line as SSC was 27/36 (75%) and Kishwaukee was 21/27 (77.8%).

The Bulldogs who are currently ranked #5 in the country round out their 5-home stand with a Martin Luther King Day Classic vs. Olive Harvey this Monday at 5pm.

January 12 - vs. Illinois Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs had a week to stew over a tough loss at home which broke their 24 game home winning streak. Illinois Valley came to town with one of the best coached teams in the region. However, the Bulldogs got back on the winning track at home with a 81-71 victory. The game started out slow for the Bulldogs as their guest took an early 12-9 lead with 14:27 to go in the first half. South Suburban would take its first lead of the game at the 8:30 mark of the first half and would go into half time with a 37-28 lead.

The second half would start out with Bulldogs taking a 40-30 lead with 18:07 to go in the game. Illinois Valley would not quit. After a “3” point basket; the Eagles pulled within one at 42-41 with 14:00 to go. SSC would then go on a 12-5 run and take a 8 point lead with 10:00 to go in the game. Illinois Valley then caught fire. They went on a 15-6 run and took the lead at 61-60 with 7:30. They would hold the 1 point lead until the 4:30 mark when SSC took the lead for good. South Suburban’s sophomore guard Michael Harris would proceed to make 6/6 from the free throw line (he was a perfect 11/11 on the night) and the Bulldogs would hold off Illinois Valley at the end.

Harris lead all scorers with 30 points. He also had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. His back court mate sophomore point guard Bryce Walker would chip in 19 points and grab 7 rebounds. Walker would also dish out a game high 8 assists and grab 6 steals. The only other Bulldog who scored in double figures was freshman guard, Anthony Strickland who was a perfect 3 for 3 from behind the arch and scored 11 points for the night.

South Suburban would shoot it well from the “3”on this night. They were 8/17 (47.1%) from the “3”, but were only 23/62 (37.1) from the entire field. They shot it well from the free throw line after having a terrible night at the line last game (47%). They were 27/32 (84.4%) from the charity stripe. Illinois Valley, who is a very good shooting team shot 25/54 (46.3%) from the field and were 6/12 (50%) from the “3”. The Eagles also shot 15/21 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 38-33.

SSC improved its record to 15-2 on the season, and do not play until Saturday, January 19th against Kishwaukee College. That game is designated as Kid’s Day.

January 5 - vs. Triton College in South Holland, IL

Every time these two team get together it is a game filled with high intensity and sometimes a little controversy. Well this game was no exception. It had it all. In the end, the Trojans broke South Suburban’s 24-game home winning streak defeating the Bulldogs 77-76.

The game started out with controversy as South Suburban’s sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton notice that the game was being played with a women’s basketball. He proceeded to give the ball to the official. The official refused to look at the ball and a Triton player grabbed the ball instead and scored a lay-up to start the game 2-0. The official ruling on this incident was that the official should have stopped the game before the basket was made.

The other controversy happened in the second half when Triton led 59-46 with 10 minutes to go in the game. Triton scored on a fast break dunk to take a 61-46 lead with 9:45 to go in the game. However, the score keeper gave Triton 3-points instead of two and Triton led 62-46 with 9:35 to go in the game. Because no one found out about the error until after the game, the final result stands. This unfortunately put a damper on an amazing comeback by the Bulldogs, as they would eventually go on a 23-6 run, and tie the game at 67 with 3:50 to go in the game.

The comeback was led by sophomore guard Michael Harris won scored 14 of his game high 30 points in that stretch.

South Suburban would eventually take a lead when Thornton made a 3-point play the old fashion way (a basket and a free throw), and SSC led 72-71 with less than 2:00 to go. The Trojans would then bank in a three point shot to take the lead for good. South Suburban would have one last chance when Triton’s Derek Nathaniel missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw. Harris would drive down the court and draw two defenders. He passed to sophomore forward Michael Lee who missed a shot at the buzzer and the Bulldogs fell to 14-2 on the season.

The Bulldogs again played without it’s starting point guard Bryce Walker and it effected the team early as they trailed 40-24 at halftime. Harris would eventually get into the scoring mode and score 23 second half points to pace the Bulldogs. He also dished out 7 assists, grabbed 7 rebounds and snatch 5 steals. Thornton scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Lee would score 10 points to round out the Bulldogs who scored in double digits. Sophomore forward Henry Davis would grab a game high 10 rebounds to help SSC win the battle of the boards 37-31. South Suburban shot 29 of 64 (45.3%) from the field, but only shot 32% in the first half when they went behind by double digits. The Bulldogs also shot 33.3% (7/21) from behind the 3-point arc. Triton shot 28 of 53 (52.8%) from the field and were a sizzling 7/15 (46.7%) from the “3”.

The game down to a free throw battle and SSC lost that category by a huge margin. SSC was terrible from the free throw line as they shot 11/23 (47.8%) and Triton was 14/20 (70%). The Bulldogs stay at home for their next contest on Saturday, January 12th as they take on Illinois Valley Community College. The game is at 3:00 pm. It will be the Coaches vs. Cancer game where the Bulldogs will be taking donations and using the admission price to donate to The American Cancer Society.

NOTE: MICAHEL HARRIS WAS NAMED REGION IV-A PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK FOR HIS EFFORTS OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK. In four games, Michael scored 102 points, dished out 21 assists, grabbed 28 rebounds, and snatched 20 steals. It is his fourth time this season to be recognized for this award.

December 29 - vs. Grand Rapids Community College in South Holland, IL

In a holiday season match up of two 2012 NJCAA National Championship Tournament participants, the game between the Raiders of Grand Rapids Community College and the SSC Bulldogs was expected to be a close, highly fought contest. It lived up to everything that was expected. Grand Rapids came to South Suburban College and put on an offensive show that was exciting to watch. However, when it counted the Bulldogs made the defensive stops they needed to win the game 89-80.

It was the Bulldogs 24th consecutive home win.

The game started with Grand Rapids taking a 9-3 lead 2:00 into the game. The Bulldogs then made an entire line-up change and the defense picked up. They tied the game at 9 with 14:30 to go in the first half. The game stayed close and was still tied at 17 with 10:40 to go when the Raiders made a three-point shot and took their final lead of the game at 20-17. SSC would then go on a 11-4 run and take a 31-24 lead with 6:23 to go in the first half. Both teams would match baskets and defensive stops for the rest of the half and South Suburban would go into halftime with a 43-37 lead.

The second half started out well for the Bulldogs as they went on a 15-5 run and held their biggest lead of the game at 58-42 with 16:00 to go in the game. Grand Rapids would then pick up their offensive fire power and score 23 points in the next 7:30 and pull within four points at 69-65. SSC then scored on the next two possessions and finally made some defensive stops to pull away for the 9-point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris. Harris scored 24 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton recorded his 5th double/double of the season as he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs other double digit scorer was sophomore point guard Bryce Walker. Walker scored 19 points, dished out 8 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds and snatched 5 steals. South Suburban shot 37 of 78 (47.4%) for the game and were a chilling 23.5% (4/17) from behind the “3” point arc. They also were cold from the free throw line as they were 11/21 (52.3%). The Bulldogs were shooting it well from the charity stripe. In two out of their last three games, they did not miss a free throw. Grand Rapids shot 31/68 (45.5%) from the field, and also were a chilling 4/18 (22.2%) from the “3”. They shot It better from the free throw line as they went 14/20 (60%). South Suburban won the battle of the boards 51/44.

South Suburban forced 24 turnovers while committing 17 of their own.

The #3 Bulldogs improved to 14-1 on the year. They start 2013 out with a home contest on Saturday, January 5th vs. Triton College. It is their second game of a 7-game home stand.

December 20 - at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs went on the road for the ninth time this season and came out with its eighth road victory 78-52 at Joliet Junior College.

The game started with Joliet having a 11-10 lead with 14:00 to go in the first half. It would remain close at 23-22 with 5:31 to go and SSC would end the half on a 11-6 run to take a 34-28 lead in to halftime.

The Bulldogs would then start the second half on a 18-4 run and take a 52-32 lead with 13:24 to go in the game. They would never look back as the 26 point victory was the best performance South Suburban has had at Joliet Junior College in school’s history.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris who recorded his 4th double/double of the season. He scored a game high 29 points, dished out 11 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds, and snatched 5 steals. Sophomore Michael Lee would score 14 points and grab 9 rebounds for SSC. The other Bulldog in double figures was sophomore center Rasheed Shofidiya who scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, all offensively. South Suburban shot 47.9% (35 of 73) from the field and were only 5 for17 (29.4%) from behind the arch. The Wolves would shoot 18/51 (35.2%) from the field and were only 3/16 (19%) from the “3”.

SSC would dominate the battle of the boards as they out rebounded Joliet 49-31. South Suburban would really distribute the ball well and they had 25 assists on 35 baskets. South Suburban head into the Christmas Holiday break with a 13-1 record.

When the road weary Bulldogs return to South Suburban, they will have seven straight home games starting with a Dec 29th contest vs. Grand Rapids (MI) Community College. Grand Rapids was a national championship tournament qualifier last season.

December 18 - vs. Moraine Valley Community College in South Holland, IL

It was showcased as the "Battle of the Season" so far in Region IV. The high scoring (99 ppg) #9 ranked Moraine Valley invaded #3 South Suburban to try to over take the Bulldogs in the rankings. The Bulldogs, who have a 93-4 record at home during Coach John Pigatti’s six-plus seasons at SSC, were up to the defensive challenge and would not give up its ranking as they defeated their guest 69-61. The win made Coach Pigatti 94-4 at the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center.

The first half was a game of scoring runs. The Bulldogs started out the game on an 11-1 run, and Moraine Valley would answer with a 8-0 run of their own to tighten up the score at 11-9 with 12:30 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs would then go on a 15-2 run, and after sophomore guard, and Bulldog leading scorer, Michael Harris made a “3” point shot, the lead was 26-11. Moraine Valley would then go on a 12-2 run of their own, and the game was close again at 28-23 with 3:30 to go. Both team would go into halftime with the Bulldogs leading 34-25.

The second half would begin with the Cyclones picking up its defensive pressure and both teams would not look too good offensively. South Suburban would lead 46-38 with 12:00 to go and that’s when the fun started. Moraine Valley would go on a 13-5 run and tie the game for the first time at 8:00 to go in the game. The visitors would eventually take the lead at 57-56 with 4:56 to go in the contest. The Bulldog’s sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton was not going to have the visitors damage the remarkable home record. He would proceed to score 7 out of the Bulldog’s next 8 points as South Suburban would go on a 8-2 run, and SSC led 64-59 with 1:30 to go in the game. South Suburban would never look back.

South Suburban had three players record double/doubles in the game. Thornton would score a career high 26 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and snatch 5 steals in his best overall performance as a Bulldog. Harris would score 19 points and grab 14 rebounds of his own. Sophomore guard Bryce Walker would score 12 points and dish out 12 assists. SSC would shoot 38.7% (24/62) from the field and were a chilling 2/10 from behind the arc. Moraine Valley would not shot it any better as they were 23/59 (39%) from the field and were 1 of 13 from the “3”. South Suburban shot it a little better from the free throw line as they were 19/27 (70.4%). The Cyclones were 14/19 (73.3%) from the charity stripe. SSC won the battle of the boards 49-33. However, the Bulldogs did not take care of the ball, as they committed 24 turnovers.

South Suburban improves to 12-1 on the season, and have one more game at Joliet Junior College before the Christmas holiday.

December 15 - vs. Black Hawk College East in South Holland, IL

The South Suburban Bulldogs ended final exams week with a home contest against Black Hawk East College, and the game was never in doubt. The Bulldogs took the early lead and never looked back in the 97-43 victory.

SSC opened up a 24-11 lead with 10:45 to go in the first half, and then held their guest scoreless for the next 6 minutes and opened up a 37-11 lead with 4:48 to go in the half. They would extend the lead to 48-21 at halftime.

The second half started out with the Bulldogs catching fire offensively. They went on a 20-5 run to start the half and would never look back.

The Bulldogs had 11 players score in the route. SSC's sophomore back court of Michael Harris and Bryce Walker lead the way with 22 and 21 points respectfully. Walker, the nation’s leader in steals, also recorded a double/double as he snatched 10 steals and dished out 6 assists. Harris also got in the defensive mood by snatching 5 steals of his own. He also dished out 5 assists. Sophomore forward Michael Lee scored 17 points, while sophomore center Rasheed Shofidiya scored 10 points of his own.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards with a decisive 52-24 margin. SSC was led in rebounding by sophomore Kadeem Thornton who grabbed 9 of his own. Freshman Nathan Stepney grabbed a career high 8 rebounds as well. South Suburban shot 42/87 (48.3%) from the field and were 6/17 (35.3%). They were also a perfect 7/7 from the free throw line. Black Hawk East shot 17/50 (34%) from the field and were 3/17 from the “3”. They were 6 for 8 from the free throw line.

SSC forced 27 Black Hawk East turnovers. South Suburban improves to 11-1 on the season and are currently ranked #3 in the country. They play the last of their short two game home stand on Tuesday night vs. #9 ranked Moraine Valley Community College.

December 9 - at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, MI

#6 South Suburban traveled to Dearborn, Michigan to take on the #24 ranked Henry Ford Community College Hawks in a game that had national poll implications. South Suburban has not had good luck in Dearborn. The last time they played there they got beat 100-72. This game would be different as the defensive minded Bulldogs held Henry Ford’s two leading scorers to nine points total as they defeated their host 79-55.

The game started out close as Henry Ford held their last lead at 8-7 with 15:00 to go in the first half. It would stay close and SSC would take a 29-25 lead with 5:02 to go in the half. The Bulldogs would close with a 15-4 run, and when sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton made a 75 foot shot at the buzzer, South Suburban would go into the halftime break with a 44-29 lead.

The second half would start slow for both teams, and SSC would not score for the first four minutes of the half. They held a 50-33 lead with 13:00 to go in the game, and led 67-52 with 3:30 to go in the game. They would close the game on a 12-3 run, and head back to South Holland, IL with the 24 point victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore forward Michael Lee who scored 17 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. Sophomores Henry Davis (14) and Bryce Walker (13) would be the only other Bulldogs who scored in double figures. Walker would also dish out 8 assists and snatched 8 steals. South Suburban’s leading scorer Michael Harris only scored 9 points, but he grabbed 8 rebounds to help the Bulldogs win the battle of the boards 47-37.

South Suburban shot 30/69 (43.5%) from the field and was only 3/15 (20%) from behind the “3’ point arc. Henry Ford shot a chilling 16/ 53 (30.1%) from the field and only made 1/11 from the “3”. South Suburban was 16/24 (66.7%) from the free throw line, while the Hawks were 22/31 (71%).

South Suburban improves to 10-1 on the year and return home for two straight home games starting Saturday vs. Black Hawk East College at 4:00 pm.

NOTE: Sophomore Michael Harris was named Region IV-A Player-of-the-Week for the second straight week. It is his third honor of the season. In three games last week he scored 68 points, grabbed 26 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, and snatched 11 steal. The week was highlighted by his 42 points, 11 rebounds performance vs. Kankakee Community College.

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

The South Suburban Bulldogs were back home after the long month of November on the road, and they showed it . Kankakee Community College, a NJCAA Division 1 opponent, came into the Athletic and Physical Fitness Center and the exciting contest made it worth the price of admission. South Suburban’s sophomore guard Michael Harris put the team on his back with a 42-point 11 rebound performance to help SSC prevail 93-85 in overtime.

The game was too close for comfort after the Bulldogs lost a 15 point lead. The game started with the both team battling back-n-forth. The game was tied at 16 with 12:07 to go in the first half. SSC would proceed to go on a 11-2 run and lead 27-18 with 7:30 to go in the beginning half. They would extend their lead to 15 and go into halftime with a 44-31 lead.

The second half was worth every penny of the admission price. South Suburban would continue to lead in double digit at 60-48 with 13:00 to go in the game. Kankakee would then find it’s shooting range. The Kougars’ Girbran Smith (who scored 29 points of his own) would make two long “3” points shots and the visitor cut SSC’s lead to one at 60-59 with 10:00 to go. SSC would answer with a 8-0 run of their own and take a 68-59 lead with 7:00 to go in the game. Kankakee would then go on a 9-0 run of their own, and the game was tied at 68 with 5:15 left. Harris made one of his four “3” point shots to give SSC the 71-68 lead, but Kankakee’s Smith would record a 4-point play after being fouled on a made “3’ point shot, and the visitors led 72-71 with 4:30 to go. South Suburban would then go on a 8-0 run to take a 79-72 lead with 1:20 to go. You thought the game was over, but the Kougars would hit two more three-point shots, and make one out of two free throws to set up the final drama of regulation. Harris took the basketball with 10 seconds to go and played for the final shot of the game. His “3” point shot as time expired hit the front of the rim and South Suburban went into overtime for the first time this season.

In the overtime South Suburban would score first on sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton’s lay-up. Kankakee’s Smith would hit the last of his five “3” point shots, and the visitors led 82-81 with 4:00 to go in the overtime. South Suburban would then take the lead on Harris’s lay-up and never look back. They held Kankakee to only 3 points the rest of the way, and they snuck by with an 8-point victory.

Harris also dished out 6 assists and snatched 4 steals for a great all around game. Thornton scored 16 points in the game and grabbed 7 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Bryce Walker recorded his second double /double in a row as he poured in 14 points and dished out 11 assists. He also grabbed 6 rebounds and snatched a team high 7 steals. Freshman guard Anthony Strickland score 12 points on his own and dished out a pair of assists. South Suburban shot 34/70 (48.6%) from the field and were a chilly 5/20 from behind the “3” point line. Kankakee shot 32/65 (49.2%) from the field and were 10/25 from the “3”.

South Suburban who missed five straight free throw at the end of the game shot it poorly form the charity stripe; 20/31 (64.5%), while Kankakee was only 11/18 (61.1%) The visitors won the battle of the boards 46-42. SSC did force 17 Kougar turnovers, while only turning the ball over 9 times.

South Suburban improves to 9-1 on the season and are currently ranked #6 in the country. They head out on the road one more time before finals week. They travel to Dearborn, Michigan Sunday, December 9th to take on nationally ranked Henry Ford Community College.

December 4 - at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL

The Bulldogs headed back on the road for their seventh road game of the early season (they have only played two home games). South Suburban did come out victorious as they cruised to a 82-56 win.

South Suburban started out slow as Oakton went up 4-0, but after an early timeout, SSC started to wake up. They went on a 21-6 run and took a 21-10 lead with 12:00 to go in the first half. They extended it to 46-28 at halftime. The second half started with Oakton going on a 4-0 run. After another timeout the Bulldogs woke up and never let the host closer than 14 points. SSC extended the lead to 30 points at 79-49 and coasted to the 26 point victory.

South Suburban only played eight players in this game due to discipline problems and half of them scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Bryce Walker led the Bulldogs with 21 points. He also dished out 7 assists and snatched 5 steals. Sophomores Kadeem Thornton, and Michael Harris scored 17 points apiece. Thornton recorded his 4th double/double of the season as he grabbed 10 rebounds as well. Freshman guard Anthony Strickland recorded his first career double/double as he scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds of his own.

South Suburban shot over 50% for the second straight game as they were 34/67 (50.7%) from the field, but were only 5/22 (22.7%) from behind the “3” point line. Oakton shot 21/55 (38.2%) from the field and were 3/7 (42.8%) from the “3”. South Suburban won the battle of the boards 43-27.

South Suburban improves to 8-1 on the season. They return home for a short 1-game home stand on Thursday, as they take on NJCAA Division 1 opponent Kankakee Community College.

NOTE: Sophomore guard Michael Harris was named Region IV-A Player-Of-The-Week for his performances last week. In three games last week, Harris scored 72 points, grabbed 22 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, and snatched 12 steals. It is his second award of the season.

December 1 - vs. Lake Michigan College in South Holland, IL

The #7 ranked Bulldogs finally returned to South Suburban after a month away from the friendly confines, and felt right at home with a convincing 74-32 victory over Lake Michigan College.

However, the game started like the Bulldogs were unfamiliar with playing at home. The game was tied at 4 thru the first five minutes of the first half. Then over the next nine minutes SSC’ s defense was tight, and they held Lake Michigan to two baskets. After SSC’ s sophomore forward Mike Lee threw down a thunderous dunk, and then blocked a Red Hawk shot that led to a lay-up, the Bulldogs led 24-8 with 6:16 to go in the first half. Lee ended the first 20 minutes with another thunderous dunk and South Suburban cruised into the half with a 34-12 lead.

The second started with SSC holding Lake Michigan scoreless for their first six possessions of the first half, and the Bulldogs led 46-12 with 14:00 to go in the game. They would continue their defensive dominance and extend the lead to 44 at 70-26. They then would finish with the 40+ victory margin.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris who had 27 points, while grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. The Bulldogs were then balanced in scoring. Lee was the only other double digit scorer as he had his first career double/double by scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Bryce Walker dished out 10 assist and snatched 7 steals to help the defensive effort.

South Suburban shot 30/69 (43.5%) from the field and were only 4/14 (28.6%) from behind the “3” point line. Lake Michigan only made 12 baskets all game and were 12/52 (23.1%) from the field and only made one “3’ pointer. SSC did not shoot it well from the free throw line, as they were 10/17 (58.8%), while Lake Michigan was 7/11 (63.6%).

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 51-34. South Suburban forced 28 turnovers.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-1 on the year and take off for another road contest on Tuesday night at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL.

November 29 - at Morton College in Cicero, IL

South Suburban finished it’s month long road trip on an exciting note; as they defeated a very talented Morton College basketball team 85-67.

The final score was not indicative of how the game was played. The game was tied until the final six minutes when the Bulldogs finally pulled away.

South Suburban opened the game with freshman walk on King Bradley nailing two three-point baskets to give SSC the early 22-17 lead mid way thru the first half. South Suburban would keep its lead at 30-27 with 7:00 to go . Then Morton got into a offensive groove. They went on a 9-0 run and took a 36-30 lead with 2:30 to go in the first half. Morton held a three point lead until South Suburban’s sophomore guard Michael Harris made a 3-point play the old fashion way, and the game went into halftime tied at 41.

The second half started out with a scoring run by both teams. First, South Suburban went on a 4-0 to start the second half and led 45-41. Then Morton went on a 10-2 run of their own and led 51-47 with 15:00 to go in the game. The game continued to see saw back-n-forth and was tied at 63 with 6:46 to go in the game. South Suburban then picked up its defensive intensity. After back to back steals by Harris and sophomore forward Michael Lee (who led SSC in steals with 4), South Suburban did not allow Morton to score for 3 minutes, and finished the game on a 22-4 run for the final 18 point victory.

South Suburban had four players in double figure scoring. Harris led the Bulldogs with 22 points. He also dished out a team high 6 assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds (for his third double/double of the season). Bradley scored a career high 11 points. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton had a career 18 points and recorded his third double/double of the season by grabbing 11 boards. Lee was SSC’s other double digit scorer as he poured in 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds of his own.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 48-33, and grabbed 15 steals.

The Bulldogs shot over 50% for the second time this season as they went 34/66 from the field (51.1%) and were 5/13 (38.4%) from behind the “3” point arc. Morton shot 25/57 (43.8%) from the field and was only 1/13 (8%) from the “3”.

South Suburban who is currently ranked #7 in the country, improved its record to 6-1 on the year. They finally return home for a short one game home stand, as they host Lake Michigan College Saturday at 3:00pm.

November 27 - at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL

The rivalry between the South Suburban Bulldogs and the Prairie State Pioneers took on a new meaning this year. For the first time in the history of the rivalry both teams came into the game nationally ranked (South Suburban #7, Prairie State #20). The Bulldogs did not want to repeat their performance of two years ago when they lost at Prairie State, so they started out with a lot of emotion and finished with a flurry and a 91-66 victory.

The game started sluggish for both teams, as emotions ran wild. South Suburban did calm down and start to extend its’ lead to 20 at 42-22 with 2:44 to go. However the host rival would not go into half time quietly. Prairie State went on a 11-4 run, and SSC led 46-33 at halftime.

The second half started with South Suburban sophomore guard combination of Michael Harris, and Bryce Walker making back to back “3” point shots, and SSC led 52-33 after the first two minutes of the second half. South Suburban extended the lead to 81-56 with 5:46 to go in the game. SSC biggest lead was 30 at 91-61, before they coasted to victory.

Harris led the Bulldogs in scoring with 23 points. He also had 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Walker scored 18 points of his own. His defensive intensity caused problems all night for the host, as he snatched 6 steals and dished out a game high 7 assists. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton had a monstrous second half as he went on a 8-0 scoring run of his own and finished with 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds and 4 steals. The only other double digit scorer for the Bulldogs was sophomore forward Henry Davis. He scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Prairie State did win the battle of the boards 45-38, SSC shot 35/74 (47.3%) from the field and 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3” point line. Prairie State shot 18/46 (39.1%) from the fields and did not make a “3” point shot all night. Prairie State kept the game close by their foul shooting. They shot an enormous amount of free throws compared to the Bulldogs. Prairie State was 30/48 (62.5%) from the free throw line, while SSC was only 15/21 (71.4%).

South Suburban’s defensive intensity forced 31 turnovers. South Suburban improves to 5-1 on the season, and has 1 more game left on its six-game road trip. They next play at Morton College on Thursday (11/29) night.

November 20 - at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL

The Bulldogs continued their travel to Dixon, IL where they played in a tough environment: at NJCAA Division 1 Sauk Valley College. The Bulldogs have traveled here before and lost twice on two buzzer beaters. This time, it look liked the game would come down to the wire again. Fortunately, the Bulldogs turned up the defense in the second half and won 76-58.

The game started with the Bulldogs taking an 8 point lead at 21-13 with 10:00 to go in the first half. Then Sauk Valley picked up its level of play. There was a made basket at the buzzer in this game as well, but it was to end the first half. Sauk Valley’s Jack Murphy made a “3” point shot as the first half ended and SSC led 37-36 at the break.

The Bulldogs picked up their defensive intensity and held their host to only 22 second half points. SSC led 54-48 with 9:19 to go in the game. They proceeded to go on a 15-3 run, highlighted by sophomore point guard Bryce Walker’s 4 steals (he had 8 for the game), and South Suburban led 69-51 with 4:16 to go in the game. Both teams played even after that run, and South Suburban left Dixon, IL with an 18 point victory.

Walker led the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points, he also dished out 6 assists. SSC had 4 players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Michael Harris scored 19 points and dished out 6 assists as well. Sophomore forward Henry Davis recorded his first double/double of his career, as we scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as well.

South Suburban won the battle of the boards 40-34. SSC did not shoot it well as they were 27/67 (40.2%) from the field and where 5/20 (25%) from behind the “3” point line. Sauk Valley shot 19/47 (40.4%) from the field and where 4/12 (33%) from the “3”. Both teams did not shoot it well from the free throw line as SSC 17/27 (62.9%) and Sauk Valley was 16/28 (57.1%).

SSC forced 24 turnovers and had a season low 10 of their own.

South Suburban improves its record to 4-1 and moved up two spots in the national poll to 7th. They continue their 6 game road trip next Tuesday at south suburban rival Prairie State College.

November 17 - at The College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL

After the loss to Rend Lake, the Bulldogs thought they were going to get back on their home floor on Tuesday night. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Wright College cancelled their game at SSC. That meant that South Suburban would continue its road trip as they traveled to Grayslake, IL. The results were better this day as they defeated The College of Lake County Lancers 81-56. This was the third game in the long six-game road trip.

The Bulldogs came out with a lot of fire in their eyes after waiting one week to play after the tough loss. The jumped out to a 10-0 lead and extended it to 20 points at halftime (43-23).

The second half was not as emotional for SSC as they seemed to coast after the big halftime lead. They never exploded again in the second half, and the 25 point margin of victory was the largest lead of the game.

South Suburban had five players score in double digits. They were led in scoring by sophomore guard Michael Harris, who scored 18 points. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 5 assists. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton had his 2nd consecutive double/double. He scored 11 points and grabbed a career high 14 rebounds. The other Bulldogs to score in double digits were sophomores Bryce Walker (16), Henry Davis (12), and Michael Lee (12). Walker also dished out 7 assists and snatched 7 steals as SSC forced 25 Lake County turnovers. South Suburban shot 35/77 (45.5%) from the field and were only 4 of 17 (23.5%) from behind the “3” point line. Lake County shot 23/53 (43.3%) from the field and were 4 for 16 (25%) from the “3”. Neither team shot it well from the free throw line as SSC was 7/13 (53.4%), and Lake Country was 6/10 (60%).

The Bulldogs out rebounded their host 43-32. South Suburban did play excellent team basketball as they dished out 23 assists on 35 baskets.

SSC improves to 3-1 on the season and Lake County drops to 3-2. The Bulldogs have three more games on the road during this Thanksgiving time.

November 13 - vs. Wilbur Wright College in South Holland, IL

Canceled due to unforeseen circumstances with the Wright Basketball Team.

November 10 - at Renn Lake College in Ina, IL

In a rematch of the 1st round tournament game at the NJCAA National Championships (which SSC won 81-77), the #6 ranked Bulldogs traveled to Rend Lake College. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs the outcome was different this time as Rend Lake came out with a 76-68 victory.

South Suburban was shorthanded as well, as 6 players did not make the trip due to suspensions, including the 2 leading scorers; Mike Harris, and Bryce Walker. The game had a national championship atmosphere and the intensity of play was at its highest. The Bulldogs struck first and held a slim 14-10 lead with 11:55 to go in the first half. Rend Lake took its first lead of the game at 20-19 at the 8:00 mark of the first half. The Warriors then closed on a 14-6 run to take a 34-25 lead at halftime.

The second half did not start out well for the Bulldogs as Rend Lake took its biggest lead of the game at 47-35 with 13:00 to go in the game. However, the shorthanded Bulldogs would not hide in the dog house. They picked up their defensive pressure and tied the score at 55 with 8:30 to go in the game. The game stayed tight the rest of the way. Rend Lake held a slim 65-64 lead with 2:00 to go and the Bulldogs had their chances to take the lead. After several missed free throws by South Suburban, the Warrors held on for the victory.

SSC had five players who scored in double figures led by freshman point guard Anthony Strickland’s career high 14 points. Strickland also has 3 steals. Another player who had a career high was Patrick Coleman who scored 12 points in the game, with 10 of them coming in the first half when the Bulldogs needed to keep the game close. Sophomore forward Kadeem Thornton had his first double/double of his career as he scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The other double digit scorers were sophomore forwards Michael Lee (11), and Henry Davis (10).

The Bulldogs did not shoot the ball well. They were 27/69 (39.1%) from the field and were 5/18 (27.8%) from behind the “3” point arc. Rend Lake shot it extremely well (mostly from offensive rebounds). The host were 26/51 (51%), but were a dismal 2/15 (13%) from the “3”.

The Warriors won the battle of the boards 44-35 and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. The home team, who are from Ina, Il in southern Illinois also won the free throw battle as they shot 43 free throws compared to South Suburban’s 17. Rend Lake was 22/43 (51%), and SSC was only 9/17 (53%).

The Bulldogs will fall from its #6 ranking, and dropped its record to 2-1. Rend Lake improved to 3-0 on the season.

November 6 - at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL

Bulldogs played its first road contest of the season and started out like they have never played on the road. They were jittery, and continued their shooting woes from the first home game. They also turned the ball over 10 times in the first half. Despite all the problems they still led 31-29 at halftime.

The second half was a totally new story. South Suburban turned up its defense and the offense started to click. SSC went on a 28-6 run to take a 59-35 lead with 9:00 to go in the game. They extended the lead to 72-41 with 4:33 left and cruised to a 78-62 victory.

South Suburban was led in scoring by newly named Region IV-A Player-of-the–Week sophomore guard Michael Harris. Harris scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. This was his second double/double in as many games. He also dished out 4 assists and snatched 5 steals. The only other double digit scorer was sophomore guard Bryce Walker who scored 22 points. Walker also had 5 steals and dished out 6 assists.

The Bulldogs shot it better in the second half (56.3%), and were 29/65 (44.6%) for the game. SSC was only 6/20 (30%) from behind the “3” point arc. Waubonsee was 20 of 48 (41.7%) from the field and 8 for 19 (42.1%) from the arc. South Suburban out rebounded their hosts 37-31, and forced 28 turnovers.

The Bulldogs improve their record to 2-0 during this early part of the season. They finish up the week with a National Tournament rematch with Rend Lake College. SSC defeated Rend Lake 81-77 in the first round of the 2012 NJCAA National Championships.

November 2 - vs. Harper College in South Holland, IL

The Bulldogs opened up their 2012-13 season campaign at home with a 94-67 victory over Harper College.

The new look Bulldogs, who only have four players returning from last year’s team opened slowly. They trailed 8-7 with 13:30 to go in the first half, but then the new season nerves disappeared and their scoring picked up. They went into their first halftime of the season leading 43-26.

The second half started out faster as South Suburban built its biggest lead of 87-51 with a little over 3:00 to go in the contest, and cruised to victory. The Bulldogs extended their home winning streak 18 and improved their home record to 90-4 under Head Coach John Pigatti.

South Suburban was led in scoring by sophomore transfer (Lewis & Clark) Michael Lee. Lee had 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Returning Region IV-A Playoff MVP Michael Harris, recorded his first double/double of the season as he scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Returning sophomore forward Rasheed Shofidiya had career highs in two categories: scoring 12 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards 65-45. However the home baskets were not kind to the Bulldogs as they shot 32/97 (for a dismal 32.9%), and were only 2/13 (15.3%) from behind the three-point arc. The Hawks did not shoot it well either as they were 22/68 (32.3%), and were 7/35 (20%) from the “3”. SSC shot 28/46 (60.8%) from the free throw line and Harper was 16/24 (66.7%).

South Suburban is now 1-0 on the early season and now go on the road for two extremely tough opponents. Waubonsee College and Rend Lake College have been to the National Championship Tournament several times over the past six seasons.