DANVILLE, Ill. — Milwaukee Area Technical College needed every bit of its toughness to stay alive Tuesday. The third‑seeded Stormers survived a frantic final minute and got two game‑saving defensive plays from Turon Rivers and Qi'Andre Washington to escape with an 88–85 win over Coastal Alabama–North in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. The victory pushed MATC's winning streak to 24 games, improved the team to 31–3 and sent the Stormers into the elite eight.

"We get here on Saturday and wait until Tuesday to play, and they are coming off a game yesterday, so they have played," MATC head coach Randy Casey said. "We have been sitting around waiting and so that is a tough game to take care of business, but you know we stayed the course and had a big play at the end."

MATC looked sharp offensively from the start despite having been off since March 7. The Stormers shot 65.5 percent in the first half and had all five starters score at least five points. Washington controlled the pace early, Hackett knocked down three threes in nine minutes and Rivers stayed perfect at 4 for 4 from the field as MATC kept finding clean looks. The ball moved well, too, with 12 assists on 19 made shots, including four apiece from Washington and Raydelh Boutin. Even with that efficiency, MATC still went into halftime down 46–45, as Coastal stayed in front by hitting timely threes and taking advantage of the free‑throw line. Coastal went 10 of 12 at the stripe in the first half, while MATC managed only 2 of 5. The Stormers held only a 10–9 edge in points off turnovers and could not quite turn their shooting into a lead.

The Stormers' challenge grew when sophomore guard Jayden Hackett picked up his third foul in the final minute of the first half. Casey opened the second half with Hackett on the bench, and that decision changed the game right away. Sophomore wing Jordan Jones delivered an immediate spark that MATC needed from its bench. With the game tied at 52, Jones scored on a driving layup, then jumped a passing lane for a steal and dunk that gave the Stormers a 56–52 lead. His four‑point burst and defensive activity steadied MATC while Hackett sat in foul trouble during a stretch when Coastal could have taken control.

"Strength in numbers," Casey said. "People stepped up. That is what we need. If you are going to win games like this, big games like this, where stuff happens and other people have to be able to step up, and we did that today."

From there, MATC's balance started to show. Noah Daniels, who helped Hackett carry the offense early, kept finding rhythm in the middle of the half. He scored inside and out, including knocking down a pair of threes that helped MATC create some separation. Rivers continued to punish Coastal inside, finishing through contact, cleaning the glass and drawing fouls as MATC began to tilt the game toward the paint. His work helped MATC outscore Coastal 40–26 in the lane even though the Stormers lost the rebounding battle by a small margin.

MATC's defense tightened as the game moved toward the final minutes. Washington, the team's tone‑setter on that end, created a series of momentum‑changing plays. He came up with multiple steals that turned into easy looks that helped MATC turn a two‑point lead into a 71–64 advantage with just over eight minutes left. MATC's pressure, which forced only six turnovers in the first half, overwhelmed Coastal after the break. The Stormers forced 12 second‑half turnovers and turned them into a 27–11 advantage in points off giveaways.

Even so, Coastal refused to go away and answered with timely threes to cut the deficit to 76–71 and later 79–74. Each time MATC needed a response, it found one. Hackett, who had been quiet for much of the second half because of foul trouble, buried three with 4:07 left to restore an eight‑point cushion. Daniels followed with another three on the next possession, giving MATC an 82–74 lead and some much‑needed breathing room.

The final two minutes brought the tension expected in a national tournament game. Coastal trimmed the lead to 84–83 with 1:06 left after a pair of free throws and an offensive put‑back, and MATC immediately gave the ball back on a turnover. Coastal nearly took the lead on the next trip, but a short pull‑up rolled off the rim and Rivers secured the rebound. The Stormers still could not extend the margin, as Boutin missed two free throws after an intentional foul with 26 seconds left. That gave Coastal another chance out of a timeout with 14 seconds remaining, but much like it has all season, MATC's defense came up huge.

Rivers delivered the play of the game following Coastal's inbound pass. He stripped the catch, was fouled intentionally and calmly made both free throws to push the lead to 86–83. On the next possession, Washington sealed the win by picking off a Coastal pass near the basket and scoring through contact with three seconds left. Coastal added a layup at the horn, but the Stormers had already secured a statement win.

"With 14 seconds left, we just had to buy in," Washington said. "Trust one another and talk, be a team."

Washington led MATC with 18 points on 8 of 14 shooting and added five steals, four assists and three rebounds in 38 minutes. Rivers matched him with 18 points, going 6 of 7 from the field and 6 of 8 at the line while grabbing six rebounds and making the decisive late steal. Daniels finished with a team‑high 19 points, including four threes, and added three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Hackett scored 18 points in 20 minutes and hit four threes before foul trouble limited his second‑half minutes.

Boutin played all 40 minutes and totaled five points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. Jones added six points, two steals and a key second‑half spark off the bench. Ozzie Johnson chipped in four points and an offensive rebound in 15 minutes.

As a team, MATC shot 58.3 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 47.4 percent at the line. The Stormers finished with 23 rebounds, 18 assists, 16 steals and 13 turnovers.

UP NEXT
MATC (31–3) advances to the NJCAA Division II Final Eight, where it will face No. 11 seed Parkland on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Stormers are chasing their second national title after winning the championship in 2023 and enter the matchup against the Cobras riding a 24‑game winning streak.