MADISON, WISC. - Despite finishing with their lowest shooting percentage of the young season, the Madison College men's basketball team still secured an impressive 81-64 victory over Harper College in a Region 4 game Saturday inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. Sophomore guards Braylen Blue and Carson McCormick combined for nine 3-pointers and were the lone double-digit scorers for the WolfPack, who were receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll. The win gives the Pack a 26-10 lead in the all-time series, including wins in the last 15 meetings.

Harper College (0-9) held an advantage on the scoreboard for most of the game's first six minutes, with the differential reaching a high of six at 10-4. That all changed with three consecutive three-pointers, starting with one from McCormick and then two in a row by Blue to make it 13-10 in favor Madison College. The long-range shooting keyed a 19-2 surge and an 11-point lead with just over eight minutes to play. The Hawks would answer with a 9-0 run of their own to close the gap to a single point at 25-24 before the Pack took a 34-30 advantage into halftime thanks to another Blue triple at the buzzer.

The score remained within a few possessions for the first four minutes of the second half until McCormick followed a Carter Sullivan tip in with hit from three-point range to regain a double-digit edge at 50-39. Madison would maintain a double-digit lead the rest of the game, including using a 14-5 stretch to push the differential to a game-high 23 points at 71-48 with under seven minutes remaining. The Hawks did close again to within 13 before the horn sounded on a seventh straight win to open the season for the WolfPack.



McCormick racked up 22 points on 6 of 17 shooting, including a 5 for 15 effort from distance, as well as a 5 for 5 night at the free throw line. The Janesville, Wisconsin, native, made 11 three-pointers and scored 50 points during the brief two-game homestand. He also added four rebounds and four assists.

Blue posted a career-high 15 points with a 5 for 8 effort overall and a 4 for 7 mark beyond the arc, to go along with one free throw. The former Madison Memorial HS athlete has scored ten or more points in six of seven games this season.

Sullivan, a first year forward from Stoughton, Wisconsin, scored eight points and led the team with five rebounds, sophomore Geoge Whaley IV had seven points and was tops with four assists and three steals.

Madison College shot 38% (28-73) overall to mark its first sub-.450 shooting percentage of the season, which also included a season-low 28% (11-39) from outside. On the flip side, the WolfPack were 14 for 17 at the stripe for a season-high 82%. Defensively, they forced 26 turnovers by Harper, which translated into a 34-12 edge in points off turnovers.

Up Next:

Madison College (7-0) will try to remain perfect in Region 4 play with a trip to the College of Lake County (2-5) on Tuesday, November 25. The WolfPack have won four in a row against the Lancers, but trail the all-time series by a 6-4 county. Game time is at 7:15 p.m. in Grayslake, Illinois, and can be streamed live via Hudl. 

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