ESCANABA, MICH. - After dropping their first four games of the 2022-23 season, the Madison College women's basketball team is now on a two-game win streak after picking up a pair of victories at the Bay College Classic on Friday and Saturday. The WolfPack's first win of the season was a 57-36 defeat of first-year program North Central Michigan College, and the Pack followed it up with a narrow 44-40 decision over the host Norse. Both wins come in the first-ever meetings between Madison College and the other two programs.

Game #1 (Friday): Madison College 57, North Central Michigan College 36

Madison College jumped out to an early lead against the Timberwolves, scoring 14 straight points after NCMC opened the game with a free throw. Up ten to start the second quarter, the WolfPack saw their advantage dip to six before a 10-0 surge made it 30-14 before two free throws closed the half with a 14-point differential. After both teams produced 11 points in the third quarter, the Pack slowly added to their lead, which grew to as high as 22.

Freshman guard Jordanna Davis paced the offense with 20 points, connecting on 9 of 16 shots overall, including a pair of three-pointers. The former La Crosse Logan HS athlete also had a team-high four steals, to go along with three rebounds, two assists, and a block. Davis now boasts two games with 20 or more points.

Second year guard Taylor Ripp was the only other double-digit scorer, finishing with ten points on 4 of 11 shooting with two free throws. Ripp, who scored six points in the second quarter, also secured ten rebounds for her first double-double of the season, and the third of her career. Five other WolfPack players scored in the game, including three with eight points. Mikala Williams led the team with four assists.

Madison College stepped it up defensively en route to giving up their lowest point total in a game this season. The Pack finished with a dozen steals and a season-high six blocked shots. The game was also the first this year in which the WolfPack committed fewer than 20 turnovers, and had more assists (12) than turnovers (11).

For the game, the WolfPack shot 40% overall (24-60) and from beyond the arc (6-15), both of which are season-high percentages. Madison College was better by a 21-3 margin in points off turnovers, owned a 22-14 edge in points in the paint, and led second chance scoring by an 8-4 margin.

Game #2 (Saturday): Madison College 44, Bay College 40

Game two of the event in the Upper Peninsula was a defensive struggle until the fourth quarter, when Madison College scored a season-high 20 points. A back-and-forth opening ten minutes ended with Bay College leading 9-6. Freshman Kaylee Anzalone knocked down a three-pointer less than four minutes into the second quarter to tie the game at 13-13, and after Cora Hansen's layup even it up again, the Norse converted a free throw for an 18-17 differential at the half. A low-scoring third quarter sent the game into fourth all square at 24-24, which is when both offenses came to life.

Madison College took a five-point lead to start the quarter thanks to a Reyna Knox layup and a Jordanna Davis triple, and never relinquished it. The advantage grew to six with a pair of Hansen free throws, and with the game within a possession and 16 seconds left to play, freshman Emma Paulson converted two from the stripe to make it a four-point game.

Davis racked up 17 points, to give her a tournament average of 18.5 points. She was 8 of 21 from the floor with one 3-pointer, while also amassing six rebounds and a career-high five steals. Mikala Williams added eight points and seven boards, while Taylor Ripp finished with seven points and 11 rebounds.

The WolfPack surpassed their season-best steals total from the day before with 14 against Bay College, and limited their own turnovers to just a dozen. That number led to a 15-11 lead in points off turnovers.

Up Next:

Madison College (2-4) is back on the H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium floor on Tuesday, November 14 to play the College of Lake County in the first of back-to-back home games this week. Despite a loss on the Lancers home floor in the 2021-22 season, the WolfPack is 6-3 in the all-time series with CLC. Tip off is at 5:30 p.m. and can be streamed live at MadisonCollege.tv.

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