MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College closed its regular‑season home slate in dominant fashion Tuesday night, overpowering Illinois Valley 119–90 to finish a perfect 13–0 at Reiman Gymnasium and extend its winning streak to 19 games. The win was shaped by a decisive second‑unit surge that broke the game open after halftime.

MATC opened the night with steady scoring from its starters and a 23‑point halftime lead, but it was the Stormers' reserves who delivered the knockout punch. Jordan Jones, Turon Rivers, Kamarion Ivory, Sterling Hoarde and Jason Lawani turned a manageable margin into a runaway with a blistering stretch early in the second half, combining pace, defensive pressure and shotmaking to overwhelm the Eagles.

The starters set the tone early with efficient shotmaking and steady ball movement, building the halftime cushion behind balanced scoring from Qi'Andre Washington, Jayden Hackett, Noah Daniels and Ozzie Johnson. MATC controlled the glass, forced nine first‑half turnovers and repeatedly turned defensive stops into clean looks, giving the second unit the platform it needed to take over after the break.

MATC's late first‑half surge took shape around the eight‑minute mark, when Jones jumped a passing lane, picked off a pass and hammered home a transition dunk to push the Stormers ahead 29–21 after the game had been tied at 20–20 just minutes earlier. His finish capped a 9–1 burst fueled by a Hackett three and a Rivers pull‑up, setting the tone for the rest of the period. From there, MATC controlled nearly every possession, with Rivers scoring multiple times in the post, Washington slicing into the lane for layups and trips to the line, and Daniels drilling a late three. The Stormers closed the half on a commanding 37–14 run to take a 57–34 lead into the locker room.

The second half opened with MATC's starters stuck in neutral, committing turnovers, missing open looks and giving up repeated scores as Illinois Valley cut the margin to 64–52 by the 15:45 mark. With momentum slipping and the game trending toward single digits, head coach Randy Casey turned to his second unit. The group immediately restored order with defensive pressure, timely shotmaking and a renewed energy level that rebuilt the lead possession by possession.

Casey's full line change proved decisive. Even after an early foul, a missed three and a turnover that allowed the Eagles to pull within 65–58, the group settled in and took command. Rivers kick‑started the response with a post-up from the right side, Hoarde secured a key defensive board, and Lawani finished inside off an Ivory feed to push the margin back to 11. The bench then tightened the screws defensively as Ivory and Jones each jumped passing lanes for steals, Hoarde added another takeaway, and Rivers repeatedly punished IVC with interior finishes and trips to the line. Jones delivered the final blow, drilling two threes and a pull‑up jumper in a two‑minute span as the lead ballooned to 86–63 and erased any doubt created by the starters' slow start.

The players on the floor felt that urgency as well, and Jones said the group took pride in answering the moment.

"We are a family and sometimes we have to pick each other up," Jones said. "We know there are going to be bad games or bad stretches throughout the game, and it's all about picking each other up. There have been plenty of times where I came out in the second half struggling and my brothers picked me up. So when we saw our starters weren't playing up to our standards, we knew the second unit had to raise the level."

By the time the starters returned, the tone of the game had completely shifted. The bench's energy, ball pressure and shotmaking not only steadied the Stormers but reignited their rhythm, turning a shaky stretch into another emphatic second‑half surge. With the lead back above 20 and Illinois Valley unable to match MATC's depth or pace, the Stormers controlled the final minutes with ease and closed out a statement win that showcased the full strength of their rotation.

Freshman forward Turon Rivers delivered a career‑best 29 points on 8‑for‑9 shooting and a perfect 12‑for‑12 at the line while adding eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. He scored 11 points on 4‑for‑5 shooting in the first half, then went a flawless 4‑for‑4 after the break to help spark MATC's second‑half surge.

Rivers' efficiency after halftime was just as important as his scoring total, and he said the surge came from the confidence his teammates continued to show in him even after a slow start.

"I credit my coaches and my teammates because in the first half I started off slow and got in my own head," Rivers said. "The scouting report on me is that I can't go left, so I had to show them I can go left and score. I credit my teammates for finding me because they believe in me even when I don't believe in myself, and that helps a lot."

Jones added 17 points, including three threes, and contributed three rebounds and two steals. Washington posted 16 points on 7‑of‑10 shooting, while Daniels added 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Lawani finished with nine points and four boards, and Hackett added nine points and eight rebounds. Raydelh Boutin directed the offense with nine assists to go with eight points. Hoarde added five points and four rebounds, and Ivory handed out six assists.

MATC shot 62.3% (43‑for‑69) from the field and 52.9% (9‑for‑17) from three while dominating the glass 48–28. The Stormers finished with 21 assists, matched IVC 17–17 in points off turnovers and outscored the Eagles 10–2 in second‑chance points. MATC's bench outscored Illinois Valley's 66–5.

UP NEXT
MATC (26–3) travels to Harper College for a 7 p.m. matchup on Thursday to close the regular season before beginning postseason play next week.