ROCKFORD, ILL. - The Madison College men's basketball narrowly missed an opportunity to gain a major momentum building win in the regular season finale when it lost 73-72 in overtime at #4 Rock Valley College on Saturday. The WolfPack, who had upset the Golden Eagles last month in Madison, scored the final eight points of regulation to force OT before seeing their four-game win streak come to a close. The loss sends the 'Pack to a 17-10 regular season record and a 7-7 mark in the North Central Community College Conference.

Neither team led by more than six points for the game's first 13 minutes until a Rock Valley College (25-5, 10-4) jumper made it 27-20 with less than seven minutes left in the half. A 7-0 run a short time later brought the WolfPack back to even, and eventually out in front, before going into halftime down 38-36. The intense first half featured nine lead changes and three ties. A 9-0 surge with back-to-back three-pointers from Tyree Young and Kye Burcham midway through the second half momentarily regained a slim lead, however, trailing 67-59 with less than three minutes to play, the 'Pack summoned one last push forward. Alex Easterday opened with a triple and Young went 1 for 2 at the free throw line to bookend eight straight points that forced overtime. Both teams had chances to win in it late in regulation, but missed shots, including an attempt at the buzzer by Young.

Madison College never led over the extra five minutes, but had the game even at 72-72 with under a minute to go in playing in their third overtime game of the season. A Burcham foul put RVC at the line, where they converted 1 of 2. The WolfPack turned it over on the ensuing possession, but were able to generate a steal to regain control of the ball with ten seconds to play and needing to go the length of the floor. In the process, Sean Suchomel's pass was deflected and ended up in the hands of Burcham, whose three-point shot at the buzzer from the left wing came up well short.

Four players scored in double-figures for the WolfPack, led by 19-point games from Young and Burcham. Young, an all-conference and all-region guard last season, shot 8 of 17 overall and 1 of 5 from distance, and will finish the regular season as the team's leading scorer at 17.4 points per game. The sophomore has posted ten or more points in 24 of 27 games this season. Burcham, who joined the team at semester, knocked down 7 of 11 attempts and hit 3 of 5 three-pointers en route to setting a new career high.

Freshmen Nathaniel Buss and Marcus Riser each tallied ten points, with Buss knocking down two of his four made field goals from long range and Riser working hard down low to drop in 5 of 6 field goal attempts. Riser, a Racine, Wisconsin, native, also grabbed seven rebounds. Suchomel scored just five points in the game, but paced the WolfPack with a career-best ten rebounds and six assists.

Madison College shot 43% (29-67) on the day and made 7 of 25 (28%) of their three-point tries. The WolfPack also held the upper hand in second chance points (13-5), points in the paint (36-28), and bench points (21-7), while trailing 13-9 in points off turnovers. The two teams have split their last four meetings with the home team winning each. 

Up Next:

Madison College (17-10, 7-7) has earned the #3-seed for the upcoming 2018 NJCAA Region IV Division III Tournament and will open with a home quarterfinal against #6-seed College of DuPage (4-20, 2-12) on Wednesday, February 21. The game will come seven days after the WolfPack defeated the Chaparrals, 72-56, on the road to sweep the regular season series. They have won five straight and are 12-10 all-time against COD. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. at H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium.

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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