MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College men's basketball team was unable to overcome a ten-point halftime deficit Tuesday night inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium, and dropped a 78-64 Region 4 game to defending national runners-up South Suburban College. The WolfPack, ranked #21 in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, saw three players score in double-figures. The Bulldogs, who are currently receiving votes in the national rankings and are two-years removed from winning a national championship, have now won four straight head-to-head meetings and own a 4-1 lead in the all-time series.

Madison College jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to three points each from Ryen Jones and Carson McCormick. South Suburban College answered with a 10-0 run of their own before the teams settled in for a first half that saw six ties and nine lead changes. Another six consecutive points midway through the half put the WolfPack ahead 21-17; however, the visitors again responded with a 9-0 surge. Sophomore forward Amir Ford came off the bench to score six of the next eight points for the home team, including hitting four straight free throws, as Madison College regained the lead at 29-28 with 2:42 to play. That would be the last Pack basket in the half as SSC closed out the first 20 minutes with an 11-0 burst to take a 39-29 differential into halftime.



Sophomore JP Pleasant tried to get the home team going with three early points in the second half, but another Bulldogs run of seven straight points created the first double-digit advantage of the night that eventually grew as big as 16 points. As the second half wore on, the WolfPack tried to narrow the gap, using a Ford tip in and McCormick free throw to make it 60-52 with less than eight minutes to play. Freshman Jevon Campbell's layup with 3:26 remaining again brought the deficit inside of ten points at 70-61. South Suburban College finished off the game with eight of the final 11 points.

Pleasant, a 6'5" native of Beaumont, Texas, was 6 for 14 overall and made 7 of 10 free throws to finish with a team-high 19 points. He also added seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist.

Jones tallied 12 points with a 5 for 12 effort that included one three-pointer. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native, also made one free throw, grabbed four boards, and dished out two assists.

McCormick made three of the team's four 3-pointers to post ten points. The former Janesville Craig HS athlete also racked up a team-best four assists.

Ford finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while freshman George Whaley IV had four points and a team-leading eight rebounds. 

Madison College shot 35% (21-60) for the game, 30% (4-13) from long range, and 64% (18-28) at the stripe. South Suburban College's bench played a big role, outscoring the home team's reserves by a 28-13 margin.

Up Next:

Madison College (18-5) will look to end a two-game losing skid overall and a four-game losing streak to Rock Valley College (15-11) when they travel to Rockford, Illinois, for a Region 4 showdown on Thursday, February 13. The Golden Eagles own a 38-18 advantage in the all-time series. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m. and can be live streamed here.

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