JOLIET, ILL. - An offensive outburst in the second half propelled the Madison College men's basketball team to an 82-72 come-from-behind win over Joliet Junior College in a North Central Community College Conference and Region 4 showdown Thursday night. A quartet of sophomores scored in double-figures as the WolfPack produced a season-best 55 points in a single half to overcome a 13-point deficit. The win snaps a brief two-game losing skid, as well as a two-game losing streak against the Wolves, who still lead the all-time series by 27-9 margin.

The game started out with a back-and-forth battle for the first ten minutes, which finished with the two teams even at 17-17. A Joliet Junior College (4-12, 1-2) three-pointer gave the home team a lead they would not relinquish for the remained of the first half, which ended with a 34-27 lead for the Wolves.

The differential grew to 13 at 41-28 as JJC opened the second half with a 7-1 run, however, the Pack refused to fold. Nik Feller's layup just over a minute into the half started an 11-0 run, and when Feller scored again with a layup at the 15:18 mark, the Pack had completed an even bigger 18-4 surge to catapult themselves into a 46-45 lead. Another 9-0 burst soon followed to give Madison College an eight point lead. The advantage grew to as high as 12 points on two occasions entering the final three minutes, during which the WolfPack was able to keep it a three-possession game until the final buzzer.

Sophomore Keith Hoffman paced all scorers with 23 points on 7 of 15 shooting with a pair of three-pointers. He also converted 7 of 10 free throws en route to his third 20-plus-point game in the last four outings. The 6'8" forward/center tallied 14 of his 23 in the second half, and also secured seven rebounds.

Feller, a native of Poynette, Wisconsin, produced his 15th performance with ten or more points this season, making 6 of 9 shots with a three pointer and three free throws. The sophomore guard/forward also matched freshman teammate Deante Luster for the team lead in rebounding with eight.

Second year guard Cortez Telfered returned from a three-game hiatus to drop in 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting from the field and a 2 for 5 effort beyond the arc. He also nailed down 3 of 4 free throws. The double-digit effort is the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native's first since December 3, and his ninth on the season, to go along with three boards and two assists.

Tyler Haak made his fourth start of the season, and his second in a row, and added 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. The former Deerfied HS athlete made 6 of 9 field goal attempts and one free throw.

The WolfPack shot 65% in the second half as part of a 27-58 (46%) effort overall. They also hit 6 of 19 (31%) from long range and 22 of 31 (71%) at the charity stripe. Madison College turned a plus-seven advantage in rebounding into a 16-10 lead in second chance points, and converted 14 Wolves turnovers into a 16-7 margin in points off turnovers. They also controlled the interior by a 32-22 count in points in the paint.

Game two of the regular season series with JJC is slated for February 2.

Up Next:

Madison College (8-9, 0-1) will return to Illinois for another N4C and Region 4 tilt against Harper College (3-16, 0-2) on Thursday, January 19. The WolfPack swept the Hawks last season to extend their win streak in head-to-head meetings to seven straight, while also boosting their lead in the all-time tally to 18-10. Tip off is at 5:00 p.m. in Palatine, Illinois. 

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