MADISON, WISC. - When the final buzzer sounded Thursday night inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium, the Madison College women's basketball team released a deep breath after finally ending an eight-game losing streak with a 60-56 victory over Gogebic Community College. Sophomore Taylor Ripp and freshmen Kayla Staveness and Jordanna Davis all scored in double-figures, while the team drained a season-best ten three-pointers, en route to the team's first win since December 3. The victory also gives the Pack a 29-16 lead in the all-time series with the Samsons.

Visiting Gogebic Community College (13-3) led for most of the first quarter and were up by as much as four before the WolfPack tied the game at 10-10 with a Emma Paulson three-pointer with less than three minutes remaining. The Samsons hit a jumper to take a 12-10 differential into the second quarter, where Madison College caught fire from beyond the arc with four three-pointers. A 7-2 start for the Samsons ended with back-to-back Kaylee Anzalone triple. After neither team scored for nearly three minutes, Ripp and Davis each hit from long range and the Pack sat on top by a 24-23 margin at the half.

A Reyna Knox three and a Kayla Staveness free throw made it a 28-25 game early in the second half when GCC went on a 10-0 run. Madison College immediately answered with seven straight points and the game was again tied at 35-35. The Samsons closed the quarter with a three-point lead. The game turned in the home team's favor with less than eight minutes left when Ripp hit a driving layup that put the Pack on top with an 11-0 run. Not going down without a fight, Gogebic Community College twice tied the score in the final five minutes, however, the Pack outscored the competition by a 9-5 margin in the final 3:21 as they went 3 for 3 from the field and 3 for 4 at the free throw line. 



Ripp was tops for Madison College with 15 points and 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season. The native of Lodi, Wisconsin, converted 6 of 13 shots with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. She added a team-high four assists and four steals, as well as one block, to go along with her 16th career game with at least ten rebounds.

Davis and Staveness each posted a dozen points in the win, giving Davis 13 double-digit scoring games and Staveness five. Davis, a La Crosse, Wisconsin, native, was 5 of 15 overall with a triple and a free throw. Staveness, a former Rio HS athlete, made her only two baskets from outside the arc and was 6 of 8 at the charity stripe, while also producing three rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Emma Paulson led the three-point barrage with three hits from downtown, accomplishing that feat for the third time this season. 

Madison College finished 20 of 57 (35%) from the field, 10 of 28 (35%) from distance, and 10 of 15 (66.7%) at the line. The WolfPack forced 28 turnovers by the Samsons, and turned that into a 27-22 edge in points off turnovers. They also generated a 12-7 edge in fast break scoring in a game that featured seven ties and six lead changes.

Up Next:

Madison College (7-14, 0-3) returns to North Central Community College Conference play on Tuesday, January 31 with a trip to the College of DuPage (9-12, 4-1). The Chaparrals defeated the WolfPack in overtime 83-78 in Madison on January 12, however, the Pack still leads the head-to-head series by a 28-15 count. The game can be streamed live here.

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