DANVILLE, Ill. – Powered by a 20-point first-half by sophomore Antonio Foxwell, the Milwaukee Area Technical College men's basketball team never trailed during its 96-92 consolation game victory over Raritan Valley Wednesday at the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament.

The bounce back win over the Lions helped MATC finish the tournament with a 1-1 record, which also left them to conclude its 2024-25 season with a 16-18 overall record.

"The goal was to finish the season with a win," Stormers head coach Randy Casey said. "They came out and played hard, and I'm very proud of them."

Both squads traded blows up early until the Stormers sparked a dominant 20-6 run midway through the first half that saw five separate MATC players score. Freshman Julian Valentine led the Stormers' run with six points, followed by Foxwell (five points), freshman Ky'Moni Hunt (four points), sophomore Cyrus Little (three points), and freshman Noah Daniels (two points).

Leading 34-19 with a little over eight minutes remaining until the break, MATC was able to slow down Raritan Valley's hot-start from distance. The Lions opened the contest 5-for-13 from deep before being limited to one made 3-pointer over their final eight attempts in the first half. The strong perimeter defense late in the first half by the Stormers helped them eventually take a 56-35 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the halftime break, MATC leaned on its defense and its play from its starting point guard Cyrus Little, who scored 14 of his 20 total points in the second half.

MATC found itself leading by double-digits throughout most of the second half up until Raritan Valley closed the final three minutes of action on a 17-11 run. The Stormers allowed the Lions to cut their lead to two possessions (96-92) with less than a minute remaining. However, it was at this point that Little secured a breakaway dunk in the waning seconds to help seal the win.

After getting torched in the paint by Orange County in the opening round, the Stormers flipped the script and dominated Raritan Valley inside. MATC outscored the Lions 54-26 in paint points, which helped them get a much-needed bounce back victory to end the season on a high note.

With its season now over, coach Casey will have to say goodbye to a steller sophomore class featuring the likes of Ian Murphy, Dane Dailing, Oluwamayowa Akinsipe, Owen Smith, Foxwell, Hoarde, and Little.

"I appreciate our sophomores for believing in us and our program," Casey said of his sophomore class. "I can't thank them enough."

STAT BOOK
Foxwell led the Stormers with 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Little flirted with a triple-double, totaling 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Hoarde tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Freshman Julian Valentine contributed a team-high 13 points off the bench on 5-for-9 shooting from the field. Daniels chipped in a dozen points in 19 minutes as a reserve.