On the court for the first time since suffering their first loss of the season,
Taylor Nelson and the #1 Madison College women's basketball made a statement with a 75-68 win over #20 Triton College (
NJCAA DII) on Saturday in Madison. Nelson found her scoring touch after failing to reach double-figures in four of the previous five games, and it came against a second straight nationally ranked opponent after losing at #5 Rock Valley College (
NJCAA DIII) last week.
The home team gained control in the first quarter, using a 16-5 burst to turn a one-point lead into a 22-10 advantage after ten minutes. However the Trojans fought back, winning the second quarter by an 18-10 margin. After freshman
Rachel Slaney converted an and-1 to put Madison College (17-1, 2-1) up by 15, the opposition went on a 8-0 run. The 'Pack hit just one of their first dozen field goal attempts in the second quarter, during which they shot 3-of-18 overall. The contest remained close through the third before the nation's top-ranked team slowly separated itself in the fourth and led 66-54 with under four minutes remaining.
Sophomore
Taylor Nelson fell a basket shy of matching her season-high point total, finishing with 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting overall and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Nelson also dished out a team-high six assists to go along with six rebounds.
Jenna Endres made all four of her baskets from long range as she rebounded from her first career game without a made three-pointer earlier in the week. Endres was 4-for-11 from three and added four free throws for 16 points. Freshman
Rachel Slaney registered her sixth double-double of the season, and third in the last five games, with 15 points and a team-best 12 boards. The Barneveld, Wisconsin, product also collected a team-leading three steals.
Madison College held the Trojans to a 1-for-9 effort from beyond the arc, but helped keep Triton College (14-7, 2-2) within reach by committing 18 turnovers that were turned into 18 points. On the flip side, the 'Pack knocked down 6-of-22 attempts from distance and only converted 11 Trojans turnovers into ten points.The WolfPack can return to the top of the North Central Community College Conference standings with a win Wednesday against in-state rival MATC-Milwaukee. The Stormers, 11-7 on the year, sit alone at 3-0, a half-game better than RVC and a full-game better than Madison College. Though the all-time series has been fairly one-sided with the 'Pack owning a 69-9 advantage, MATC-Milwaukee has picked up three of their wins over the past two season, including taking two of three last year. Gametime is set for 5:30 p.m. at Redsten Gym.
