COON RAPIDS, MINN. - The Madison College women's basketball team traveled more than 250 miles to get their first win of the 2017-18 season in the first of two games over the weekend at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Tournament. Friday's tournament opener featured a top ten showdown as the #9 WolfPack surged past the host and #4 Rams, 53-49, before returning Saturday morning for an overtime affair that St. Cloud (MN) Technical & Community College won 80-73. Sophomore Megan Corcoran, who was named the Week 1 NJCAA Division III Player of the Week, posted career-high point totals as the top scorer in each game.

Game #1: #9 Madison College 53, #4 Anoka-Ramsey Community College 49

The early season showdown between a pair of ranked teams in the NJCAA DIII Preseason Poll featured eight ties and 15 lead changes, with no team holding more than a six point lead. Madison College built a four-point advantage on two occasions in the first quarter, but Anoka-Ramsey used a nine-point run to go up by six late in the half. After starting the second half with a four-point differential, the teams played a wild third quarter that saw two lead changes and three ties, the last of which came at 39-all with 3:55 to play in the quarter. Neither team would score again until the fourth quarter. The Rams opened the final period with a 7-1 run to make it 46-40, however, the WolfPack used a 13-3 finishing kick to steal the win. All 13 points came from the free throw line.

Megan Corcoran registered a career-best 26 points thanks to an 11-for-12 (91.7%) performance at the stripe. The former Madison La Follette athlete struggled from the rest of the field, making just six of her 25 (24%) shot attempts with half of the successful shots coming from beyond the arc. Freshman Caitlyn Gilbertson posted her first career double-double after narrowly missing one the previous time out. The Platteville, Wisconsin, native was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line and nearly perfect from the field with a 4-for-6 effort en route to 16 points and ten rebounds, both season-highs. Gilbertson also posted two blocks on the defensive end. Only three other players scored for the 'Pack.

As a team, Madison College was an impressive 92.3% at the charity stripe, hitting on 24-of-26 attempts. They shot 25% or worse from the rest of the floor. The WolfPack did best the Rams (0-3) by a 49-36 margin on the glass and an 18-12 edge in points in the paint in securing their third consecutive win against the Rams, who own a 7-5 all-time lead.

Game #2: St. Cloud Technical & Community College 80, #9 Madison College 73 (OT)

With a turnaround of about 15 hours, the WolfPack was back on the court early Saturday to square off with the Cyclones in a game that would require every ounce of energy and more. Madison College closed the first quarter on a 7-0 surge to tie the game at 22, and continued the momentum with the first five points of the second quarter. They led the entirety of that ten minute session, pushing the advantage to as high as six points on numerous occasions before settling for a 41-38 halftime score. The 'Pack never trailed for the remainder of regulation and owned a seven-point advantage with less than two minutes remaining. St. Cloud (1-1) scored eight of the last nine points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with nine second to play, to tie the game at 67 and force overtime. The Cyclones continued their momentum into the extra session and outscored the exhausted WolfPack 13-6 to earn their first win of the year.

To reach their highest single-game point total of the young season, Madison College needed another career-best effort from sophomore Megan Corcoran with 30 points, becoming the tenth player in program history to hit the 30-point plateau. For the second straight game, Corcoran made half of her field goals from outside the three-point arc as she was 5-for-9 from distance as part of a 10-for-23 overall effort. The two-sport standout cooled off at the free throw line, converting 5-of-11 shots. She also had a team-high four steals.

Three others, all freshmen, scored in double-figures with Caitlyn Gilbertson and Jessica Kosharek each reaching 13 points, and Macey Klebesadel tallying a dozen. The trio was a combined 14-for-34 overall and 10-for-14 on the free throw line. For Kosharek, the point total set a new season high. Fellow first year Jaylin Stueber was a monster on the boards, securing a career-best 18 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, tying her for seventh most in a single game in team history.

St. Cloud Tech narrowly topped the WolfPack in every team category except points off turnovers, in which the 'Pack owned a 13-12 edge. Madison College outshot the Cyclones from the floor and long range, but trailed at the free throw line despite being plus-seven in makes. In just the second head-to-head meeting, both teams now have one win. The WolfPack have played two overtime games in the first four games of the season.



Up Next: 

Madison College (1-3) remains on the road for a contest against NJCAA Division I Sauk Valley Community College (1-0) on Wednesday, November 15. The WolfPack have won two straight against the Skyhawks, but trail the all-time series 19-12. They have played at least once every year since 1995, while the series dates back to 1986. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. in Dixon, Illinois.

The game will be streamed live at MadisonCollege.TV, as well as via the Madison College Athletics Facebook and YouTube pages.

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