MADISON, WISC. - Wednesday's NJCAA Region IV Division III Men's Basketball Quarterfinal came down to the final couple of minutes before Madison College secured an 82-73 win at the free throw against the College of DuPage at H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. Sean Suchomel and Tyree Young each scored in the twenties to help the third-seeded WolfPack get by the sixth-seeded Chaparrals and advance to Saturday's semifinal against second-seeded Rock Valley College. The 'Pack is through the opening round for the second straight year and for the fifth time since joining the region ahead of the 2009-10 season.

Trailing 13-6 with more than five minutes off the clock, Madison College turned the trajectory of the game with a 12-0 run that featured seven consecutive points by Young. Even though the College of DuPage (4-21) answered with a 7-0 surge of its own to regain the lead, the WolfPack collected itself and put together 22-7 stretch that extended the lead to a game-high 15 points. Suchomel connected on two of the home team's four 3-pointers, and added an old fashioned three-point play during the run.

Boasting a 42-32 advantage at the break, Madison College again ran the lead to 15 points when Young's layup to end a 7-0 run made it 54-39. The Chaparrals, however, were not finished, answering with eight straight points. Over the next seven minutes, the game went back-and-forth before COD trimmed the differential to just four with a three-pointer that made it 69-65. They did the same thing with two minutes to play, using a long range shot to pull within 75-71. From that point on, the WolfPack made 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch and DuPage went 1 for 6 from the field to reach the final nine-point decision. 

Suchomel, a freshman from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, missed just one field goal attempt to finish 7 for 8, made both of his three-point tries, and converted 7 of 10 free throws for a career-high 23 points. The 6'0" guard has reached double-digits in 11 of the last 19 games. Suchomel also paced the WolfPack with seven rebounds, giving him five or more boards in five consecutive games.



Young finished 50% (8-16) from the floor with a three-pointer and 4 of 5 at the charity stripe to contribute 21 points. The sophomore from Nicolet H.S. also collected three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Fellow sophomore and Nicolet H.S. grad Jezzriah Burton came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers en route to 16 points, leading a 23-13 scoring advantage in bench points for the WolfPack. Burton, who buried three of his four long range shots in the second half, had made just two of his last 11 shots from three-point territory prior to Wednesday.

Freshman guard Nathaniel Buss also connected on multiple three-point shots and scored 13 points, to go along with four rebounds and four assists. The native of Verona, Wisconsin, has made two or more 3's in four straight games and seven of the last eight contests.

For the 13th time this season, Madison College shot 50% or better as they knocked down 28 of 51 (54.9%) shots, while also going 9 for 19 (47.4%) from outside the arc. The WolfPack was successful on 17 of 26 (65.4%) at the free throw line, including a 14 for 19 effort in the second half. The home team was outrebounded by a 40-27 margin, leading to a 15-2 differential in second chance points; however, the 'Pack owned a 36-24 edge in points in the paint to secure their sixth consecutive win over the Chaparrals. Madison College now owns a 13-10 lead in the all-time series, which includes a 2-1 mark over the last three postseasons.

Up Next:

Madison College (18-10) is into the NJCAA Region IV Division III Tournament Semifinals, which it will host at H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. The WolfPack will take on Rock Valley College (26-5), who eliminated seventh-seeded Harper College with an 84-65 decision on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles, who are also ranked #4 in the NJCAA Division III Poll, own a 28-16 all-time advantage over the 'Pack and a 15-5 record in games played in Madison. The two teams split the regular season series for a second straight year with an 81-65 home win for the WolfPack and a 73-72 overtime decision for the Golden Eagles in the regular season finale. Saturday will mark the third postseason meeting after splitting the first two in 2011 and 2015. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. and the winner will move on to play in Sunday's NJCAA Region IV Division III Championship Game against either top-seeded Joliet Junior College or fifth-seeded Milwaukee Area Technical College, a semifinal game that starts at 5:00 p.m. in Madison.

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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