GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - The Madison College women's basketball team reached the 2019-20 NJCAA Region IV Division III Tournament Championship for the fourth time in program history over the weekend. The #2-seeded WolfPack opened postseason play with a 79-73 victory over #3 Joliet Junior College in Saturday's semifinal before ultimately falling 76-64 to #1 Rock Valley College on Sunday. Sophomore Aniah Williams averaged 29.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 2.5 assists in the two games and was named Region IV Tournament Most Valuable Player, and was joined on the Region IV All-Tournament Team by freshman Olivia Marron. Madison College ends its season with a 17-11 record.

Region IV Semifinal: #2 Madison College 79, #3 Joliet Junior College 73 (Sat., Feb. 22)

Meeting in the postseason for the fourth time in five years, the two programs who had split their two regular season meetings went back-and-forth with three ties and six lead changes. Joliet Junior College (13-18) took the first substantial lead with a 13-2 run midway through the first quarter that put the Wolves ahead by double-digits. The WolfPack answered with seven straight points to close out the quarter. That momentum continued into a second quarter that saw the 'Pack outscore the Wolves by a 21-8 count. Madison College grabbed the lead four minutes into the quarter, and with the game knotted at 27 with 4:34 to play in the half, scored the final nine points to take a 36-27 lead into halftime. The differential grew to as high as 15 late in a very competitive third quarter. Up 13 entering the fourth, Madison College maintained a double-digit advantage until 9-2 surge by JJC closed the gap to three points. The WolfPack drained 7 of 10 free throws in the final minute to close out the win.

Williams made 10 of 26 shots, including three 3-pointers, and was 5 for 6 from the stripe to reach a game-high 28 points. The 5'8" guard also had eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Marron tallied 20 points on 6 of 11 shooting and went 8 for 9 at the free throw line. The La Farge, Wisconsin, native also added five rebounds. First year guard Ceraya Morel recorded her second career double-digit scoring game with ten points on 4 of 6 shooting with a pair of long-range hits.

The WolfPack took two of three meetings this season from Joliet Junior College, and now own 21-14 lead in the all-time series. The programs have split their six postseason contests.



Region IV Championship: #1 Rock Valley College 76, #2 Madison College 64 (Sun., Feb. 23)

Sunday's title game marked the third time Madison College and Rock Valley College played for the Region IV crown, with each having defeated the other once before. The tightly contested matchup saw three ties and a dozen lead changes. The Golden Eagles took a seven-point lead in the first quarter before the WolfPack narrowed the deficit to two entering the second quarter. Madison College took the lead on a Williams triple with 7:43 to play and held the advantage until the final two minutes produced a tie and three lead changes for a 41-40 RVC edge at the break. Rock Valley College remained in front throughout the second half, building a seven point lead in the third quarter, and then outscoring the WolfPack 15-7 in the final ten minutes.

Williams matched her season-high for points, and scored 22 of her game-high 31 points in the first half. The two-time all-conference and all-region selection was good on 12 of her 27 field goal attempts, was 2 for 10 from beyond the arc, and made 5 of 7 free throws. She finished the game with six rebounds, four steals, two assists, and a blocked shot. With her 59-point weekend, the Beloit, Wisconsin native moves to second on the all-time Madison College scoring list with 1,124 points.

Sophomore forward Lilly Dorman was the only other player in double-figures with 11 points. Marron finished her impressive weekend with a nine-point, 11-rebound effort against RVC.

Rock Valley College (25-6) is now 25-18 all-time against Madison College, with nine straight wins that date back to the WolfPack's Region IV championship win in February 2016. The Golden Eagles, who are 3-1 in postseason contests with the WolfPack, have won four straight Region IV titles and eight of the last nine. Currently ranked #3 in the NJCAA Division III Poll, Rock Valley College will host #14 and Region XII winner Columbus State Community College (17-6) on Saturday, February 29 for the NJCAA Great Lakes District Championship and a spot in the 2020 NJCAA Division III National Championships in Rockford, Illinois.



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