ROCKFORD, ILL. - The Madison College men's basketball team displayed tremendous heart and perseverance Saturday, but their comeback effort against four-ranked Elgin Community College came up just short in a 68-66 loss in the semifinals of the Region IV Division III Tournament. The third-seeded WolfPack conclude their season with a 19-11 record.

Madison College and Elgin Community College (28-5) managed three ties and four lead changes throughout the first half of play, which finished with the Spartans owning a 33-29 lead. Elgin, playing in Division III for the first time after years in Division II, opened the second half on a 12-4 run to build its biggest lead of the game at a dozen points, but the WolfPack would not go down without a fight, rallying back to tie the game in the final minutes. The final possession gave the 'Pack a chance at overtime or the win, however, freshman Jezzriah Burton's three-point try for the win at the buzzer came up empty.

Freshman Tyree Young dropped in a team-best 17 points, tracked down nine rebounds, and dished out a career-best eight assists in the losing effort. The second team all-conference and all-region selection went 8-for-15 from the field as he narrowly missed the program's first triple-double in six years. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Young scored ten or more points in 21 games, including the last five in a row.

Sophomore Shane Waldon, a first team all-conference and all-region pick, racked up his seventh double-double of the year with 14 points and a career-best 13 rebounds. Waldon, a transfer from UW-Whitewater, struggled to a 6-for-15 mark shooting the basketball as he collected his team-leading 24th double-digit scoring game of the season.

Jezzriah Burton registered 12 points off the bench, most of which came from a team-high three 3-pointers on nine tries outside the arc. The former Nicolet (WI) HS athlete scored in double figures for the seventh time and averaged better than ten points a contest over the season's final four games.

The WolfPack outshot the Spartans by five percentage points (44%-39%) and were nine better in the rebound category, however, Madison College committed five more turnovers (15-10) that contributed to an 18-7 discrepancy in points off turnovers that favored Elgin. The Spartans also held an 18-9 lead in second chance points as they picked up their fourth straight win in the head-to-head series that included a pair of victories in 2016-17. 

Second-seeded Elgin went on to beat defending national champion Rock Valley College by a 72-69 decision in the Region IV Championship.

Madison College enjoyed it's second winningest season in the last eight years.

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