SOUTH HOLLAND, ILL. - The final three-game stretch of the regular season for the Madison College men's basketball team will present some huge challenges, and it started Tuesday night with a 108-53 loss to South Suburban College in a Region 4 road game. Freshman Justin Pleasant was the only WolfPack player to score in double-figures against the #3-ranked Bulldogs, who won the 2022 NJCAA Division II championship. The decision gives SSC a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.

South Suburban College (25-2) opened the game with a 15-2 run, and maintained the double-figure lead for the rest of the game. The game went to halftime with a 52-21 differential, and saw the Bulldogs outscore the WolfPack by a 56-32 margin in the second half. Madison College shot 36% (18-50) overall, 33% (4-12) from outside the arc, and 72% (13-18) at the free throw line. The Bulldogs finished with 22 more made baskets, including nine 3-pointers, and were 19 for 27 at the charity stripe. They also claimed ten more rebounds than the Pack, and forced the visitors into 20 turnovers.

Pleasant, a first-year forward from Beaumont, Texas, registered 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting with a free throw. He also led the team with six rebounds.

Sophomore Deante Luster added nine points, ending a string of 35 consecutive games with ten or more points that dates back to last season. The Columbia, South Carolina, native, did, however, move into 11th place on the school's all-time scoring list and sits at 883 points.

The trio of Monte Mayberry, Brian Gould, and Armon Freeman returned from a two-game hiatus to combine for 22 points and nine rebounds.

Up Next:

Madison College (9-15) continues their end-of-season gauntlet with consecutive home games starting on Thursday, February 15 with a Region 4 contest against Rock Valley College (20-6). The Golden Eagles are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, and have won three straight over the WolfPack to build a 37-18 edge in the all-time series. The game is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium and can be streamed live at MadisonCollege.TV. 

Thursday's basketball doubleheader will also feature a celebration of Black History Month, with special music, trivia, and more.

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