MILWAUKEE, Wis. — No. 8 Milwaukee Area Technical College used a decisive second‑half surge to pull away from a tight matchup with Rock Valley on Thursday night, riding 26‑point efforts from Turon Rivers and Jayden Hackett to a 93–73 win after a 10–0 second-half run broke a 44–44 tie and turned a back‑and‑forth game into a comfortable finish.

MATC didn't have its usual touch from the perimeter early, opening just 1‑for‑8 from three despite entering as one of the region's better outside‑shooting teams. But the Stormers compensated by attacking the paint and defending with energy, shooting 47.9 percent from the field while holding Rock Valley to 35.7 percent. The game shifted midway through the half after a timeout with the Golden Eagles leading 15–13, when  freshman reserve forward Turon Rivers caught fire and scored nine straight MATC points to flip the momentum and put the Stormers ahead 22–19. MATC maintained that edge the rest of the period, and with 19.4 seconds left, sophomore point guard Raydelh Boutin sliced through the lane and found sophomore starting center Ozzie Johnson for a near buzzer‑beating layup that sent the Stormers into halftime up 37–33.

The second half opened with the same back‑and‑forth rhythm that defined the first, with neither team creating separation through a series of ties and lead changes. That changed when MATC broke a 44–44 deadlock with a decisive 10–0 run fueled by a pair of threes from Hackett, pushing the Stormers ahead 56–46 and finally tilting the pace in their favor. Rock Valley briefly answered, trimming the margin to 59–53 on a four‑point play, but MATC responded immediately as Boutin set up Hackett for another three before Jordan Jones jumped a passing lane and went coast‑to‑coast for a dunk that forced a Golden Eagles timeout with the Stormers up 64–53 and just over nine minutes left. From there, Hackett, Qi'Andre Washington, Boutin, and Rivers closed the door, combining efficient shooting with steady ball security as MATC committed only four turnovers after halftime. The Stormers finished 8‑for‑21 from deep and held a 16–3 advantage in points off turnovers.

"Those final 10 minutes of the second half were where we picked it up defensively and got stops," Stormers head coach Randy Casey said. "We got out in transition, and that's one of our strengths. You can't get out in transition if you don't play defense, and that's what we talked about in the locker room — that we have to find that intensity earlier."

Jayden Hackett powered the Stormers' second‑half surge, catching fire from the perimeter and burying five of his six threes after halftime to finish with 26 points. His pair of threes during the 10–0 run broke open the 44–44 tie, and he added another momentum‑shifting triple off a feed from Boutin moments before Jones' steal‑and‑slam sequence pushed the lead to double digits for good.

"Hackett and Noah [Daniels] have been doing that all year for us," Casey said. "Daniels is battling a bit of a back injury, but both of those two can get hot and just catch fire. That's what Hackett did for us late tonight. He and Turon had that inside‑outside stuff going."

Turon Rivers matched Hackett with a career‑high 26 points and played with clear purpose in his return from  a one-game suspension, delivering one of his most efficient outings of the season. After sparking MATC with 11 first‑half points off the bench, he continued to attack in the second half, going 6‑for‑8 from the field and providing steady scoring whenever Rock Valley threatened to close the gap.

"I had to make up for the mistakes that I've been having," Rivers said of his mentality coming into this primetime matchup. "That was my goal, for real…I just wanted to do whatever I could do to help my team. I'm all about the win — as long as we win, I'm happy. I don't care if I score 20 points or two points."

Raydelh Boutin orchestrated the Stormers' offense at a high level, finishing with a 10‑point, 11‑assist double‑double that included seven assists in the second half alone. He added three steals and committed just four turnovers while controlling tempo and repeatedly creating advantages off the dribble. Boutin, who ranks fifth nationally in NJCAA Division II with 131 total assists, tied his career high with the 11 helpers, which matched the mark he set on Jan. 13 against Bryant & Stratton.

"I appreciate my guards so much," Rivers said of Boutin. "I just try to do my part since he is able to find me in open passing lanes."

Qi'Andre Washington delivered a strong two‑way performance, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, two blocks and five steals, four of which came in the second half as MATC tightened its defensive pressure. He scored seven of his points after halftime, went 4‑for‑5 at the free‑throw line, and repeatedly turned defensive stops into transition opportunities that helped seal the win.

"We weren't even sure if Dre was going to play tonight because he hurt his hamstring late in the game on Tuesday vs. South Suburban," Casey said. "He doesn't always show up big in the stat book, but it's the defensive end of the floor where he brings it for us. He got us a couple of steals — like two times out of three possessions. He just makes things happen."

Hackett and Rivers shared game‑high honors with 26 points each, with Rivers' total marking a new career high and Hackett drilling five second‑half threes. Boutin added a 10‑point, 11‑assist double‑double with three steals, while Washington contributed 14 points, four rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Jordan Jones contoured seven points and two steals while Johnson chipped in six points, including the buzzer‑beating layup to close the first half.

The win capped a pivotal 2–0 week for the Stormers, who also knocked off No. 6 South Suburban on Tuesday before handling a Rock Valley team receiving national votes.

"This week was big for us to come out with two wins," Casey said. "We knew this was going to be a tough week for us, and it was nice we got both games at home. We were able to fight through when things weren't the prettiest for us, but we kept grinding and staying together and ended up winning both. It was a big week for us."

UP NEXT
No. 8 MATC (19–3) will look to extend its winning streak to 13 when it travels to Blackhawk Technical College at 8 p.m. Tuesday.