One of the best seasons the Madison College men’s basketball team has enjoyed in recent memory came to an end on Feb. 25 in the semifinals of the NJCAA Region IV tournament.

 Madison College lost a nip-and-tuck game, 68-66, to Elgin Community College in the game played in Rockford, Illinois.

After a close first half, Elgin went on a 12-4 run to start the second half and extend its lead to 12 points.

Madison College rallied back to tie the game in the final minutes. The WolfPack’s hopes for a victory fell short as the team missed a buzzer-beating three-point attempt.

Tyree Young led Madison College with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Shane Waldon scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds. Jezzriah Burton added 12 points.

With the loss, Madison College finished the season 19-11 overall, the team’s second winning season since 2010-11 and a dramatic turnaround from its 10-19 finish last year.

Waldon, a 6-foot, 7-inch forward, led the way all year for the WolfPack. The sophomore was named first-team all-North Central Community College Conference (N4C) and first team all-Region IV. He averaged a team high 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game throughout the season.

Young, a 5-11 guard from Milwaukee, was named to the second team all-N4C and second team all-Region IV. He played point guard all season and finished second in scoring with 12.8 points a game and averaged a team-best 4.0 assists a game.

Their efforts helped lead Madison College to a 10-4 finish in conference play, tying them for second with Rock Valley College.  It was the WolfPack’s best-ever finish in N4C play.

Madison College 75, College of DuPage 62

A big night at the free throw line helped Madison College win its playoff opener against the College of DuPage, 75-62, at home on Feb. 22. Madison College led wire-to-wire in the game after racing out to a 9-2 lead at the start.

The two teams combined for 50 fouls in the game, and Madison College converted on 27 of 35 free throws. Madison College hit 14 more free throws than the College of DuPage.

Young led Madison College with 18 points, while Stavon Staples came off the bench to score 15 points. It was the fourth-straight game that Young had scored in double figures for the WolfPack this season. Staples hit four three-pointers in the game and helped Madison College’s bench out-score DuPage, 35-15.

Rock Valley College 95, Madison College 87

In its final game of the regular season, Madison College saw a slim second half lead slip away in a 95-87 loss to Rock Valley College on Feb. 18. Rock Valley made seven of its final eight shots and 10 of 12 free throws to secure the win.

Young scored a career-high 24 poits tl lead the WolfPack, while Staples scored 13 points.