JOLIET, ILL. - Playing with nothing to lose against the fifth-ranked team in the
NJCAA Division III Poll, the Madison College men's basketball team took Joliet Junior College right to the final buzzer before suffering a 68-66 road loss to finish the 2021-22 regular season on Tuesday night. Despite a double-double from freshman
Keith Hoffman, the WolfPack saw a brief two-game win streak come to an end, while the Wolves improved their all-time lead over the 'Pack to 27-8 with a sweep of the regular season series. Joliet Junior College finishes as co-champions of the North Central Community College Conference along with Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Joliet Junior College (25-3, 9-1) grabbed the early lead with six consecutive points to take a 15-8 advantage, however, Hoffman and the WolfPack answered with the 6'8" forward scoring seven points in a 9-0 run to give the visitors a one-point lead. Back-to-back three's by
Jordan Boyd and
Nik Feller ignited another surge of eight unanswered points to put Madison College up seven with less than five minutes left in the half. Still leading by six at the break thanks to a
Telin Porter basket and a Hoffman triple, the WolfPack saw their lead evaporate in the first minute of the second half. The next ten minutes saw numerous ties and lead changes, with neither team leading by more than five. With the score even at 50-50, Madison College put together a 16-6 stretch and seemed to be in control with four minutes to play. The Wolves had something different in mind, and answered with 12 straight points to end the game, highlighted by Jhei-R Jones' spinning layup to beat the buzzer. During that final stretch, the 'Pack committed four turnovers, and missed three shots and the front end of a one-and-one.
Hoffman finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds for his ninth double-double on the year. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native also had three blocks, reaching the career-high number for the fourth time. Sophomore guard
Arrion Curothers nearly pulled off a triple-double in the loss, racking up 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists to match a season-high in boards and setting a new high for helpers. The duo combined to go 10 for 19 overall and 5 of 8 at the free throw line, with Hoffman hitting three 3-pointers.
Sophomore guard
Jordan Boyd came off the bench to score 11 points with a career-high three 3-pointers. The native of London, England, now boasts two double-digit scoring games this season, and four for his career.
Madison College reeled in a dozen more rebounds on the night, and enjoyed a 7-4 edge in second chance scoring. The Wolves owned the paint with a 48-28 lead in interior scoring and took advantage of WolfPack turnovers with an 18-8 differential in points off turnovers. The game featured 11 lead changes and six ties.
Up Next:
Madison College (16-10, 4-6) has earned the #3-seed in the
2022 NJCAA Region 4 Division III Tournament, and will travel to play #2 Rock Valley College (18-9, 5-5) in a semifinal game on Friday, February 18. The two teams split the regular season series for the second straight season, with each team winning on their home floor. The all-time series stands at 35-18 in favor of RVC, who also boasts a 3-1 edge in postseason meetings. Madison College earned a playoff win in the 2010-11 season, however, the Golden Eagles have won the past three meetings, including a 73-52 in the most recent Region 4 Championship game at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Rockford, Illinois.
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