MADISON, WISC. - In a matchup of two teams battling for position in the upcoming Region 4 Tournament, Madison College and South Suburban College played right to the final horn Tuesday inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. The Bulldogs outlasted the WolfPack in a 68-67 final, giving SSC a 3-0 lead in the all-time series. Forward Dani Latz recorded her 18th double-double of the season to pace the Pack, who also helped in the fight against cancer during their annual Play4Kay game.

The back-and-forth game featured eight ties and four lead changes. South Suburban College (12-13) strung together nine straight points over a four-minute stretch of the first quarter to turn a two-point WolfPack lead into a 13-6 advantage for the visitors until freshman Jaida Gaskins sank a jumper late in the quarter to pull Madison College win five. Three free throws early in the second quarter from Keelyn Zwirschitz made it a one-possession game until Bulldogs guard Dyamond Blair started raining three-pointers. Her second of the quarter gave SSC a 25-17 lead, which the WolfPack nearly erased in the final 70 seconds with two Latz free throws and back-to-back baskets by Gaskins. Blair sank one more deep three with a few seconds remaining to send the game to halftime with South Suburban College leading 30-25.

The teams continued to trade baskets over the first five-plus minutes of third quarter until first year forward Amaya Travis followed a Latz jumper with her third make from three-point range in the last five games to make it 39-38. A 7-0 run later in the quarter put SSC ahead by eight until Zwirschitz worked the post for a turnaround jumper to pull within 48-42. In the fourth quarter, a six-point surge for Madison College evened the score at 52-52 with about six minutes remaining. From that point on, neither team led by more than four points.

Down by two at 65-63 with 46 seconds to play, the WolfPack applied full court pressure that resulted in Hannah Solie coming up with a steal and finding Gaskins cutting to the basket to tie the score. Unfortunately, SSC's Blair wasn't done with her big night, coming up with a three-point play to cap a 30-point performance. A potential game-tying three by Gaskins caromed off the rim, but freshman Maia Ellis came flying in to grab the offensive rebound and draw a foul. After Ellis made both throws with 5.6 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs advanced the ball with a timeout, and despite nearly turning the ball over twice on the inbounds, ran out the rest of the clock for the one-point decision.



Latz tied a career-best with 21 points, to go along with ten rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The native of Bloomer, Wisconsin, made 8 of 12 shots and was 5 for 7 at the free throw line en route to her fifth game with 20 or more points.

Gaskins and Ellis each posted 13 points. Gaskins, a Coon Rapids, Minnesota, native, shot 6 for 15 overall and made one free throw, while also registering four rebounds. Ellis was 5 for 9 from the field and 3 for 4 at the charity stripe. The former Verona Area HS athlete also had eight rebounds and three assists.

Solie rounded out the double-digit scoring with ten points, five rebounds, and a team-high five assists.



The WolfPack converted 25 of 54 (46%) field goal tries and was 16 for 23 (69%) at the line; however, finished just 1 for 12 (8%) from three-point territory. Madison College secured a 40-32 edge in rebounding, while SSC committed ten fewer turnovers. The Bulldogs finished with a 34-24 differential in points in the paint, as well as finished with five 3-pointers.

Up Next:

Madison College (9-14) is on the road for three of their final four games of the regular season, a stretch that begins Thursday, February 13 at Rock Valley College (17-8). The Golden Eagles have won 14 straight games over the WolfPack going back to the 2016-17 season, and boast a 30-18 edge in the all-time series. Tip off in Rockford, Illinois, is set for 5:00 p.m. and can be live streamed here.

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