The College of DuPage men’s basketball team stayed hot after their previous win and shared the ball well on Dec. 21 against Oakton College, making 20 total assists over the Owls’ 11. The Chaparrals soared above the Owls with consistent coordination, winning 79-64 and raising their record to 8-5.

“I thought it took us a while today,” head men’s basketball coach Joe Kuhn said. “Even though it took a little bit of time, our intent was very good. That’s what I was most pleased with. Offensively, we moved the ball. We showed our spurts. Overall I’m very happy, I think we’re playing pretty good basketball. The thing that stood out for me the most was how well they communicated on defense.”

Freshman forward Braylen Meredith recorded his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and leading the team with 13 total rebounds. He also picked up five assists, two blocks and one steal.

“We knew that the team coming in wasn’t the best,” Meredith said. “We knew we could share the ball really well and get everybody some touches, and that’s what we did.”

Freshman guard Quentin Schaffer racked up 15 points and made three defensive rebounds. He also put up four assists and two blocks.

“I’m feeling good,” Schaffer said. “I’m excited that we get to go on break with two [consecutive] wins under our belt. We have to come out strong when we come back.”

Sophomore guard Jayden Dean secured 15 points and three defensive rebounds. He made one assist and one steal. He said sharing the ball on offense gave the Chaps the edge over the Owls.

“When we share the ball, we’re a great team,” Dean said. “Everybody eats. Everybody gets points. Sharing the ball is important to get the flow moving and makes everybody else hard to guard. We played strong and fast, and we were just a better overall team than them.”

Freshman guard Ben Zielinski scored 13 points and made seven total rebounds. He also added two assists and one steal.

“It felt good to finally hit something because I’ve been missing a lot lately,” Zielinski said. “I feel really good going into the break. I think the team is starting to gel really well, and I’m just happy I hit some shots tonight.”

Kuhn broke down the Chaps’ upcoming schedule after the break.

“It’s always good to end on a nice streak,” he said. “We get a few days off hopefully to refresh and rejuvenate, and then when we come back, we’ve got some good opponents off the bat. Lake Michigan [College] is usually a hard win. Bay College is really good. Then we face Madison [College], and that might be a grudge match from last year. We’ve got to be ready to go.”

The Chaparrals battle the Lake Michigan College Red Hawks at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.