MADISON, WISC. - Playing against their third ranked opponent this month, the Madison College men's basketball team traded blows with Rock Valley College until the #23-ranked Golden Eagles ended the first half on a hot streak en route to a 99-75 decision inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. Three players scored in double-figures for the #22-ranked WolfPack, who are 1-5 with five straight losses against teams ranked in the NJCAA Division II Poll. The setback gives RVC a 40-18 lead in the head-to-head series with six consecutive victories.

Freshman Carter Sullivan canned a three-pointer two minutes into the game to give the WolfPack a 7-5 lead and spark a 10-0 run. Rock Valley College (22-7) answered with a 12-2 surge to tie the game at 16-16. Cam Williams, a first year guard from Verona, Wisconsin, converted a layup to make it 24-20 in favor of Madison College when RVC rattled off ten consecutive points. The WolfPack put together a short 8-0 stretch with back-to-back three-pointers from Carson McCormick to pull within 36-35 with 4:14 to play in the half. The rest of the first half belonged to Rock Valley, who orchestrated a 19-5 run as they went 7 for 10 from the field with five 3-pointers to take a 55-40 differential into halftime.

The deficit continued to grow early in the second half for Madison, which struggled to string together stops on defense as the Golden Eagles extended their advantage to 27 with a 10-0 stretch to make it 74-47. The WolfPack did get as close as 20 on a few occasions until ultimately trailing by a game high 90-62 margin with 6:40 left to play.

Sullivan, a native of Stoughton, Wisconsin, was 5 for 8 overall and 2 for 3 beyond the arc with one free throw as he tallied 13 points and six rebounds to lead the Pack in both categories. The 6'6" forward boasts 16 games with ten or more points this season.

McCormick scored all 12 of his points from three-point range, while Jackson Bertagnoli had ten points on 4 of 5 shooting with a triple and a free throw. He also was tops with two blocked shots.

George Whaley IV and Braylen Blue tied for team-high honors with four assists each, with Whaley also matching Sullivan with six boards. The duo combined for 11 points. 

The WolfPack shot 51% (30-58) from the field, 31% (7-22) from distance, and 67% (8-12) at the stripe. They matched a season-high with 19 turnovers, which led to a 27-12 lead for RVC in points off turnovers. 

Up Next:

Madison College (19-6) will host Region 4 foe Carl Sandburg College (21-8) for the final game of the 2025-26 regular season on Saturday, February 21. The Chargers lead the all-time series 6-4; however, the WolfPack have won four straight, including an 82-69 victory back on November 15. Tip off inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium is set for 1:00 p.m. and will stream live at MadisonCollege.tv.

Saturday will also be Sophomore Day for ten members of the WolfPack. Jackson Bertagnoli, Braylen Blue, Jevon Campbell, Antoine Coleman, Noah Compan, Kaden Coppage, Wil Dietrich, Carson Jensen, Carson McCormick, and George Whaley IV will be recognized as the Sophomore Class of 2026 prior to tip off.

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