MADISON, WISC. - It wasn't pretty at times, but the Madison College men's basketball team made enough plays and hit plenty of free throws to earn a 75-62 NJCAA Region IV quarterfinal win over the College of DuPage Wednesday in Redsten Gymnasium. The third-seeded WolfPack, who lead from wire-to-wire, exacted some revenge after a quarterfinal loss in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, last year, and have now won three straight against the sixth-seeded Chaparrals.

In a game that featured 50 combined team fouls, Madison College (19-10) took advantage of a season-high number of trips to the free throw line, hitting 27-of-35 attempts to match a season-high for makes set three games ago. It provided a 14-point cushion that proved to be the difference after both teams made 21 field goals, with the College of DuPage (4-23) make seven 3-pointers to the WolfPack's six. From a percentage standpoint, the 'Pack converted 46-percent of their overall shots and held the Chaparrals to 34-percent, including just 6-for-30 (20%) in the first half.

It's a first half that started with the home team scoring nine of the game's first 11 points to secure a lead they would never relinquish. Owning a 19-16 advantage with five minutes and ten seconds left in the half, the WolfPack found a rhythm and ended the half on a 21-8 run to assume a 16 point lead. The advantage stretched to as high as 21 on several occasions in the second half, the last coming with 10:15 remaining and Madison holding a 65-44 differential. A physical game throughout, DuPage managed to cut the deficit single digits at 71-62 with less than four minutes to play. But that would be it for the region's sixth seed as Madison College forced DuPage to miss its final six shots and a pair of free throws to close out the win and even the all-time series between the two programs at ten wins a piece.

Freshman Tyree Young led the WolfPack in scoring for the second straight game - and seventh time this season - with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting and a 6-for-7 effort at the free throw line. Young has reached double-figures in four straight games, raising his season scoring average to 12.8 points. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native hit two 3-pointers and is now 10-for-14 from long range over the past three outings. He also finished with a team-leading five assists.

Stavon Staples came off the bench locked in from beyond the arc, hitting four 3-pointers for the second straight game en route to 15 points. The former Madison East HS athlete has made eight of his last 11 tries from beyond the arc after posting a 0-for-4 night one week ago against the Chaparrals. Staples also spun home a ridiculous reverse layup in the second half and keyed a 35-15 scoring advantage in bench points for the 'Pack.
 
Forwards Shane Waldon and Deshawn Black, both natives of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. The interior tandem combined to make 7-of-9 shots and 10-of-14 free throws. Waldon finished his sixth double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds to help the WolfPack control the glass by a 43-31 margin. Freshman Jezzriah Burton had nine points and led the parade to the free throw line with seven makes in nine eight tries, all in the second half. In three games against the Chaparrals, the former Nicolet HS athlete was 14-for-16 from the line. 

Madison College moves on to the Region IV semifinals on Saturday, February 25 and will play Elgin Community College (26-5). The Spartans are new to the Division III tournament after spending years in the Division II field, and are currently ranked #4 in the latest NJCAA DIII Poll. Second-seeded Elgin earned a 94-74 home win over the WolfPack on December 3 as part of a 12-0 start to the season and are currently riding a four-game win streak. Saturday's matchup will mark the fifth meeting in the last four year, with Elgin claiming victories in the last three after a 75-68 Madison College win in 2013. The game will start at approximately 7:00 p.m. at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. The winner will advance to the Region IV Championship against either top-seeded Rock Valley College or fourth-seeded Joliet Junior College.


For more information on the tournament, visit Region4Tournament.com. All WolfPack games, both men and women, will be broadcast live on MadisonCollege.TV and streamed live via the Madison College Athletics Facebook page.


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