MADISON, WISC. - The opportunities were there Thursday night in the first game of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C) schedule, and in the end it was the College of DuPage who seized them in a 76-70 road win over the Madison College men's basketball team inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. Sophomore Keith Hoffman became the third player to score 30 or more points in a game this season for the WolfPack, finishing with a career-high 31 points. The loss narrows the all-time series to a 16-14 lead in favor of Madison College, with the two teams schedule to meet again on January 31 on the Chaparrals home floor. 

The N4C matchup featured nine ties and 14 lead changes with the largest lead of the game for either team being seven points. Freshman Peter Gustafson hit a driving layup seven minutes into the game to give the WolfPack a 15-9 advantage, marking the largest lead of the first half. The College of DuPage (9-8, 1-1) answered with a 10-4 run to tie the score at 19-19 with five minutes to play. A three-pointer from Teagan Kirsenlohr late in the half pushed the differential to five before the Chaps cut it to 29-26 at the break with a jumper in the final minute.

Madison College re-established their six-point edge with Nik Feller followed a Hoffman three with a pair of free throws early in the second half, however, Feller would go on to make two more field goals over the next seven minutes to account for the only home team points in a 17-4 surge that gave the College of DuPage a 47-40 lead with 11:23 to play. The WolfPack kept fighting and answered with eight consecutive points to get back in front. The teams traded baskets and leads over the next few minutes, and Hoffman connected on his fourth three-pointer of the game to make it 68-66 in favor of the Pack as the clock went inside of two minutes. The Chaparrals took control from there with a closing run of 10-2 that saw Madison College make just one of it's last five shots.

Hoffman's 31 points came on a 12 of 17 performance from the field in which the 6'8" forward/center had missed just two shots entering the final two minutes. He finished 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, marking his highest number of makes this season. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native added three free throws, to go along with a team-high eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. Hoffman joins Cortez Telfered and Deante Luster in posting 30 or more points in a game this season, and brings his total number of games with at least 20 points to seven in 2022-23.

Telin Porter and Nik Feller also reached double-digits, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively. The duo combined to shoot 8 of 25 from the field and made 8 of 10 free throws. They also had matching rebounding totals with seven a piece. Porter, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, was tops on the team with six assists. 

The WolfPack shot 48% (25-52) overall, 37% (6-16) from long range, and 73% (14-19) at the charity stripe. The home team also out-rebounded the competition by 13, however, the Pack also committed 18 turnovers, which is their most since November 23. The Chaparrals created a 13-2 lead in points off turnovers.

Up Next:

Madison College (8-9, 0-1) will hit the road for a pair of back-to-back N4C games starting Tuesday, January 17 at Joliet Junior College (4-11, 1-1). The Wolves won the season series last year and boast a 27-8 advantage in the all-time tally. Tip off in Joliet, Illinois, is set for 5:00 p.m.

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