MADISON, WISC. - A dismal first half gave way to a remarkable second half as the Madison College men's basketball team earned a come-from-behind 62-57 victory over the College of DuPage on Thursday night inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium to move ahead of COD in the race for positioning ahead of the Region 4 Tournament. The WolfPack erased a 20-point deficit to earn a split of the regular season series with the Chaparrals, while expanding their lead in the all-time series to 16-13. During halftime, second year players Arrion Curothers, Malcolm Reed, Ma'Teo Holland, Jordan Boyd, and Trevon Liggins - a group that also started for the 'Pack - were celebrated on Sophomore Night as the outgoing Class of 2022.

A tale of two halves saw the home-standing WolfPack tally just 17 points in the opening 20 minutes. Leading 13-9, the College of DuPage (6-14, 2-5) posted a 14-2 run over five-plus minutes to build a 16-point lead. Madison College closed to within 31-17, but would need a huge effort in the second half. A 12-6 surge to begin the second half for the Chaps pushed the differential to 20 points with 15:18 remaining. From that point on, Madison College chipped away at the deficit, using scoring runs of nine and 11 consecutive points as part of a bigger 39-14 stretch to close the game. Freshman Keith Hoffman, who scored all of his points in the second half, drilled a three-pointer with 41-second to play that gave the 'Pack a 57-55 lead. Madison College sank 5 of 6 free throws, while the Chaparrals went 0 for 3 from the field in the game's final moments. That sequence also included a key defensive play, as Reed seemed to come out of nowhere on an inbounds pass to block a potential game-tying layup with 31-seconds on the clock.

Hoffman finished with a team-high 19 points off the bench, and after taking just one shot in the first half, made eight of his ten attempts in the second half. The 6'8" forward nailed a pair of three-pointers en route to his 20th game in double-figures, and also secured five rebounds.

In all, eight players scored for Madison College, with Curothers as the only other player to reach double-figures. The Indianapolis, Indiana, native registered a dozen points on 3 of 7 shooting and a 6 for 8 effort from the charity stripe. The transfer from Central Lakes College (MN) now boasts seven games with at least ten points. Reed finished with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal. Telin Porter matched Reed with seven rebounds, and also led the team with four assists. He contributed seven points. 

Madison College racked up a 39-29 edge in total rebounds and had four fewer turnovers. The home team was plus-ten in points in the paint, four better in points off turnovers, and three better in second chance scoring.

Up Next:

Madison College (15-9, 3-5) will finish the regular season with two road games, the first of which is Saturday, February 12 at Harper College (0-25, 0-8). The WolfPack scored a season-high in points with a 104-74 victory on February 1, marking their sixth straight win in the series and pushing their all-time lead to 17-10. Game time in Palatine, Illinois, is at 2:00 p.m.

Fans are allowed at Harper College, and the game can be live streamed here.

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