WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — The Milwaukee Area Technical College women's basketball team split its two games at the Border Battle over the weekend, falling to preseason NJCAA Division II No. 17 Iowa Central Community College on Saturday before responding with a commanding 79-25 victory over Anoka-Ramsey Community College on Sunday.

The bounce-back victory improved the Stormers to 3-1 overall and capped a notable weekend for first-year head coach Samantha Doucette, who earned a blowout win against her former program in Sunday's finale.

"Iowa Central is a tough, ranked team, and while the loss was disappointing, we'll use it as a learning experience and move forward," Doucette said. "It was fun to play Anoka-Ramsey since that game hits close to home for me. After a tough loss, it was nice to see the ball go in the hoop and regain some confidence."

No. 17 Iowa Central Community College 69, Stormers 60

MATC battled toe-to-toe with preseason NJCAA Division II No. 17 Iowa Central for much of the afternoon. The Stormers held a 15-13 lead after the opening quarter and trailed just 28-24 at halftime.

Iowa Central slowly built its advantage in the second half, taking a 47-42 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away late to secure the nine-point victory. Despite the setback, MATC showed it could compete with one of the nation's top-ranked programs by leading after the first quarter and remaining within striking distance deep into the second half.

Sophomore forward Makyia Kenney-Bolden paced the Stormers with a team-high 15 points on seven made field goals. Sophomore point guard Serinity Metcalfe added 11 points to round out MATC's double-figure scorers. Sophomore guard Elayna VanNett and freshman Amirah Taylor each contributed seven points, while Teshaya Anderson chipped in five points and Ariet Omot added four.

Stormers 79, Anoka-Ramsey 25

MATC seized control almost immediately and never looked back.

After the teams traded baskets early, the Stormers closed the opening quarter on a decisive 19-0 run to build a 25-2 advantage. MATC's defensive pressure continued to fuel the separation in the second quarter as the lead grew to 43-9 by halftime. Any hopes of an Anoka-Ramsey comeback were erased after the break as the Stormers maintained their intensity on both ends of the floor and cruised to the 54-point victory.

Four Stormers scored in double figures as MATC received contributions throughout the lineup. Freshman forward Olivia Owusu recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards, to help lead the Stormers. 

Anderson matched her with 14 points while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and adding four rebounds and three assists. Omot scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while collecting seven rebounds and two steals. Metcalfe added 10 points and three steals, while Taylor finished with nine points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

The victory completed an impressive bounce-back performance for the Stormers, who answered a competitive loss to No. 17 Iowa Central by earning a weekend split and improving to 3-1 on the season.



UP NEXT

MATC (3-1) returns home Monday for its home opener against No. 23 Des Moines Area Community College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Alverno College.