ROCKFORD, ILL. - The Madison College women's basketball team played an epic back-and-forth battle against Joliet Junior College in the Region IV Division III Tournament semifinals on Saturday, and after nine ties and 18 lead changes, it was the Wolves who came out on top of the WolfPack by a 73-70 final. The win for third-seeded Joliet advanced the Wolves to the Region IV title game, while the loss for the second-seeded and fourth-ranked 'Pack means the end to a 20-7 season.
Madison College trailed by two after a high-scoring first quarter that saw the two teams combine for 46 points. The WolfPack gained control in the second quarter and took a 44-41 lead into the half. That advantage dwindled down to just a single point entering the fourth quarter, which saw Joliet Junior College (19-10) surge past the defending Region IV champs with an 18-14 scoring differential. Freshman
Megan Corcoran attempted a game-tying three as time expired, but the shot was off the mark.
Sophomore
Rachel Slaney put together an impressive effort of 24 points and 23 rebounds, tied for the second most boards in a single game in WolfPack history (Slaney tallied 26 rebounds on January 28 against Triton College). The North Central Community College Conference and Region IV Player of the Year made 9-of-18 shots, including 3-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc. Eight of her 23 rebounds came on the offense end and she also registered a team-best five assists, three steals, and two blocks. The double-double was the 19th of the season and 27th of her career. The Barneveld, Wisconsin, native scored 683 points on the season to finish second on the single-season scoring list, 14 back of Erin Voelker's mark of 697 set in the 2005-06 campaign, and her 352 rebounds is the third best single season mark in WolfPack history. Slaney finishes her career with a record 1,161 points.Â
Three other players scored in double figures, with first year
Macy Graf matching a career-high 17 points as she made her fourth start of the season. The former Jefferson (WI) HS athlete went 7-for-14 overall and 3-for-5 at the free throw line to record her 11th game with at least ten points this season. Sophomore and Green Bay, Wisconsin, native
Jamie Falk concluded her two-years with the WolfPack by matching a career-high 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting for her fifth double-digit scoring game this season.
Megan Corcoran scored 13 point as she struggled to make five of her 20 field goal attempts in the game. The second-team all-conference and all-region selection reached the ten-point plateau in 19 games to finish as the team's second leading scorer.
Madison College played without regular starting point guard
Peyton Trapino, who was out due to injury. The freshman from DeForest, Wisconsin, had been averaging 16 points per game in conference play and scoring in double-figures in each of the past 13 games. Trapino, a second-team all-conference and all-region honoree, was also averaging six rebounds, four assists, and just over three steals per game.
The WolfPack shot 40-percent (28-70) overall with six 3-pointers and went 8-for-13 at the charity stripe. Comparatively, the Wolves hit 47-percent (32-67) with only three long distance makes and a 6-for-19 effort at the free throw line. JJC also received a huge boost from its bench as they outscored the WolfPack reserves 19-0.
Joliet Junior College eventually lost to top-seeded and top-ranked Rock Valley College, 65-61, in the title game. The Wolves took two of the three meetings with Madison College this season, though the pack still lead the all-time series 16-11.
Madison College reached 20 wins for the fourth straight year and for the 21st time in program history.
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