SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. – Sophomore
Matthew Hoarde led Milwaukee Area Technical College with 23 points and sophomore
Cyrus Little followed with 17, but it wasn't enough as the Stormers were handed a 97-93 loss at South Suburban Thursday evening during American Cancer Society/NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week.
In a game that featured eight ties and eight lead changes, MATC had a fighting chance down a pair of possessions with 1:18 remaining in the second half. However, they weren't able to close the deal over the final two minutes, leaving them to drop to 8-14 and 3-9 on the road.
Hoarde's excellent performance in the first half allowed the Stormers to take a 45-44 halftime lead. The second-year guard nearly finished the first half with a double-double, totaling 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field with eight rebounds. His strong start allowed MATC to close out the first half shooting above 50 percent from the field (55.2 percent) on 29 first-half attempts.
Most of the Stormers' offensive production in the second half came from freshman
Julian Valentine and Little. Valentine scored 10 of his 12 points over the final 20 minutes meanwhile Little pitched in another dozen points across the second half.
The key difference in the second half was MATC's defense. In the first half, they kept South Suburban to 41 percent shooting on 39 attempts. Subsequently, the Stormers' defensive tenacity dropped in the second half, leaving the Bulldogs to conclude the second half shooting an impressive 58.3 percent on 36 attempts.
STAT BOOK
Hoarde recorded a double-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one block to help pace the Stormers. Little added 17 points, eight assists, two rebounds and one block. Sophomore
Oluwamayowa Akinsipe finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Valentine scored 12 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
MATC (8-14) will travel to Harper College at 7 p.m. Thursday, where they will continue their participation in the "Suits and Sneakers" Week.
