MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College leaned on overwhelming rebounding dominance to grind out a 58–36 win over Blackhawk Technical College on Thursday night, securing its second straight home victory heading into winter break. Despite a cold shooting night in which both teams finished under 31 percent, the Stormers (6–7) controlled the game on the glass with a 60–27 advantage, including a 26–9 margin in offensive rebounds. The effort helped MATC snap a two‑game skid and improve to 2–3 at home.

"We grabbed a ton of offensive rebounds, but a lot of them came off our own missed layups," MATC head coach Arom Murrell said. "It's strange because we're one of the nation's leaders in offensive rebounding, but that's partly because we're missing so many shots around the rim. Still, the team kept competing and continued to play hard. Shooting 30 percent is never going to get it done, but I applaud them for staying disciplined, staying together and executing. We just have to be better at finishing."

MATC set the tone immediately, seizing control with a dominant opening quarter built on defense and relentless work on the glass. The Stormers held Blackhawk to 12.5 percent shooting and forced 12 turnovers in the period, turning those mistakes into a 10–2 advantage in points off giveaways. Their presence on the boards was just as overwhelming, posting a 15–8 rebounding edge, including 7–1 on the offensive end, to build a commanding 19–4 lead after one. Blackhawk briefly steadied itself with a 3–0 start to the second quarter, holding MATC scoreless for more than three minutes until Murrell called timeout to reset things. The pause worked immediately, as the Stormers closed the half on an 11–2 burst to take a 30–9 cushion into the break.

"We focused on staying disciplined in our defensive principles and forcing them to play at our pace," Murrell said of the strong start. "We wanted them to spend more energy defending us instead of us being relaxed and letting them save that energy to run their offense. I think it was a combination of those things that led to the first quarter we had."

The Stormers played the game without typical starting guard Laila Hamiel, who missed the contest due to team discipline. Her absence required others to step into larger roles, and several players delivered.

Blackhawk finally found some rhythm from the perimeter after halftime, hitting 3-of-6 from deep in the third quarter after being held without a made three in the first half. The surge helped the visitors outscore MATC 16–12 in the period and trim the Stormers' lead to 17 entering the fourth. With the margin tightening, MATC turned to freshman guard Sa'Nyai Mitchell, who scored 10 of her team‑high 19 points in the final frame to help secure the 22‑point victory.

"Mitchell had a good game after getting the start tonight," Murrell said. "She knocked down some big shots and controlled the offense. She got going in the fourth quarter by playing under control. She didn't turn the ball over and got to her spots."

MATC finished the night shooting 30.1 percent (22‑of‑73) from the field and 25 percent (4‑of‑16) from beyond the arc, while its defense held Blackhawk to 21.2 percent shooting (11‑of‑52) and 20.7 percent from three (6‑of‑29).

Mitchell's 19 points led the Stormers, but freshman Emani Summers delivered one of the night's most complete performances with her third career double‑double: 11 points, 14 rebounds (four offensive), four assists and one steal.

"It feels good to deliver this performance and contribute to my team's victory," Summers said. "Being aggressive on the boards is something I feel our team needs, and it just feels good. We got the dub and we're heading into winter break off a win. I like it."

Summers also acknowledged the challenge of playing without Hamiel.

"I'm not going to lie, it was hard to make everybody step up without Laila," she said. "She plays a big part in our team and we need her back for sure. But we stepped up and we did it tonight without her. I helped put the team on my back and we got it done. Sa'Nyai Mitchell did a wonderful job tonight too."

Sophomore Rachel Schlies added a double‑double of her own with 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and four steals. Maniyah Woolridge finished with six points and eight rebounds, edging out Moriah Landry, who also scored six points and grabbed six boards. Zihre Sellers contributed four points and 10 rebounds, including a team‑best seven on the offensive glass.

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MATC (6–7) will take some time off for winter break before returning to action on Jan. 6, when the Stormers host Harper at 6 p.m.