CRYSTAL LAKE, ILL. - The annual season-opening men's basketball game between Region 4 foes Madison College and McHenry County College came down to the final seconds Thursday, with the WolfPack claiming a dramatic come-from-behind 68-66 road victory. Sophomore Deante Luster and freshman Justin Pleasant scored more than half the team's points with 18 each. It's the fifth time since 2016 the Pack have opened with a win over the Scots, pushing their lead in the all-time series to 5-3 after MCC had won the previous two meetings.

McHenry County College (0-1) seized the upper hand early with a 15-9 lead, but a pair of Pleasant free throws narrowed the gap to three with five minutes to play in the half. The Scots finished the half with a 12-5 run and took ten-point lead into halftime after Pleasant's layup with 20 seconds to play trimmed the game-high lead from 12.

Madison College brought that late momentum with them into the second half, scoring the first six points to get within 33-29. An 11-3 surge for the Scots again pushed the differential back to a dozen, where it remained as the clock ticked inside of ten minutes remaining. Once again Pleasant came through with a key basket that ignited a 20-2 run and turned a 50-38 deficit into a 58-52 lead with 5:28 to play. Madison College never relinquished the lead, and when freshman Mason Kleinsmith hit 1 of 2 free throws with a minute to play, the Pack owned a 67-62 advantage. A pair of MCC layups narrowed the game to 67-66 in the final ten seconds, and first year guard Brian Gould canned another free throw with 4.7 to go to reach the final score. McHenry County College did have one last play to try and tie or win, but was unable to get a shot off.



Despite a 1 for 9 (11%) effort beyond the arc, Madison College finished 23 of 50 (46%) overall and was 21 for 36 (58.3%) at the free throw line. The WolfPack did hold slight advantages in points off turnovers (15-13) and points in the paint (40-36).

Luster, a returning all-region wing from Columbia, South Carolina, dropped in 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting that included the team's lone three-pointer. He also made 5 of his 6 attempts at the line, and had six rebounds, four steals, and three assists before fouling out.

Pleasant matched Luster with 18 points in his collegiate debut, making 6 of his 9 field goal attempts and 6 of 8 free throws. The Beaumont, Texas, native, and transfer from Bryant & Stratton College registered his first double-double with ten rebounds, and added three steals.

Former Madison La Follette HS athlete Mason Kleinsmith and Dallas, Texas, native Tyler Mitchell each scored in double-figures with 11 points, with Kleinsmith also leading the team with four assists.

Up Next:

Madison College (1-0) continues a season-opening three-game road swing on Saturday, November 4 with a trip to Illinois Valley Community College (0-1). The first-ever meeting between the two Region 4 teams will start at 1:00 p.m. in Oglesby, Illinois.

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