ROCKFORD, Ill. — Top‑seeded Milwaukee Area Technical College found itself in another postseason thriller Sunday afternoon, but the Stormers once again delivered in winning time, outlasting No. 9 seed Waubonsee 99–93 in the Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) semifinals at Rock Valley College. MATC, ranked No. 5 nationally, improved to 29–3 and pushed its winning streak to 22 games, securing a spot in this weekend's district championship against No. 4 seed Bryant & Stratton.

"We came out strong and put together a good first half on Saturday," MATC head coach Randy Casey said. "We played solid on the defensive end of the floor, which ignited our offense. Turon Rivers and Ozzie Johnson gave us great minutes inside, which was huge for us. Going into the District Championship game we need to make sure that we put together a full game on both ends of the floor with no let ups."

MATC seized control early, dictating the first half with pace, crisp ball movement and disciplined defense on the way to a 49–31 halftime lead. The Stormers consistently created high‑quality looks through sharp passing and dribble penetration, assisting on most of their early baskets while using their rebounding advantage to limit Waubonsee's second‑chance opportunities. Even as the Chiefs tried to stay in range with perimeter shooting, MATC's balance and steady scoring stretches allowed the Stormers to take an 18‑point cushion into the break.

The Stormers stretched the margin all the way up to 26 points just two minutes into the second half, a surge that ultimately proved decisive despite Waubonsee's late push. The Chiefs attacked the paint and caught fire from the perimeter, knocking down seven threes after halftime to climb back into contention. MATC, however, answered with timely baskets, controlled key possessions and leaned on its depth to close out the win.

Freshman forward Turon Rivers led MATC with 24 points on 12‑for‑22 shooting and added seven rebounds. Freshman point guard Raydelh Boutin flirted with a triple‑double, finishing with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in 35 minutes. Sophomore guard Jayden Hackett added 15 points and three made threes, while Qi'Andre Washington contributed nine points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Second-year shooting guard Noah Daniels chipped in seven points and six boards, and the bench delivered a major lift—Jordan Jones scored 10 points with three assists, and Jason Lawani and Ozzie Johnson combined for 14 points on efficient shooting from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the free‑throw line.

MATC's efficiency and rebounding presence shaped the game throughout. The Stormers shot 47.6 percent from the field, 53.3 percent from three and 91.7 percent at the line — numbers that greatly offset Waubonsee's 10 made threes and 46 points in the paint. MATC won the rebounding battle 48–38, including 18 offensive boards that generated crucial extra possessions. The Stormers also assisted on 25 of their 39 field goals, underscoring their offensive rhythm. The combination of efficiency, ball movement and second‑chance production allowed MATC to control the game wire to wire.

UP NEXT
Top‑seeded MATC (29–3) advances to the Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) championship game, where the Stormers will face Bryant & Stratton at noon Saturday with a berth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament on the line.