ESTHERVILLE, Iowa — The Milwaukee Area Technical College women's basketball team opened its 2025-26 season with a split at the Lakers Classic, falling to Marshalltown Community College on Friday before bouncing back with a win over Iowa Lakes Community College on Saturday.

MATC struggled to find its rhythm in the opener, dropping a 65-45 decision to Marshalltown after falling behind early and never fully recovering. The Stormers managed just eight points in each of the first two quarters, digging a double-digit halftime deficit that proved too steep to overcome. Although they showed more life after the break with 13 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth, Marshalltown's steady scoring kept the margin intact.

Freshman forward Emani Summers made an immediate impact in her debut, recording a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while also contributing five steals, three blocks and two assists. Freshman guard Laila Hamiel provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, while sophomore forward Moriah Landry battled inside for nine rebounds, four of them offensive, to go with two steals. Sophomore Lacee Rodriguez chipped in five points, seven rebounds, a steal and an assist.

The Stormers responded the next day with a gritty 40-38 victory over Iowa Lakes, fueled by a 20-point fourth quarter and a decisive 5-0 run in the final two minutes. Trailing 38-35 with 2:06 remaining, MATC secured an offensive rebound that led to Summers sinking two free throws to cut the deficit to one. After forcing a missed shot, Landry tied the game at 38 with a free throw. With less than a minute left, Hamiel buried a 2-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to give the Stormers the lead for good, and the defense held firm on Iowa Lakes' final possession.

Summers again paced MATC with a team-high 13 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line while dominating the glass with 15 rebounds and adding four steals. Landry followed with 10 points and eight rebounds, attacking the rim to earn 12 free-throw attempts. Hamiel chipped in eight points, while Maniyah Woolridge added five points on perfect shooting, finishing 1-for-1 from the field and 3-for-3 at the line, along with nine rebounds and a block.

"Offensively, we struggled all weekend," MATC head coach Arom Murrell said. "We got good looks, but couldn't finish. Our defense showed tremendous promise. Emani Summers was consistent and showed her ability to be a playmaker and led us both days by recording a double-double in both games. Laila Hamiel was solid all weekend as well, including hitting a  go-ahead 3-pointer in Saturday's win."

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MATC (1-1) will travel to Lake Michigan College for a 5 p.m. tipoff Friday.