Daily Herald Article

PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College men's basketball team appeared primed to knock off Madison College in the closing seconds on Saturday afternoon. The WolfPack knocked down a pair of free throws with three seconds left to force overtime, where they hung on for a 66-64 win over the Hawks.

The Hawks (9-21, 2-12 N4C) trailed 28-22 at halftime and 35-22 with 18:11 remaining after a 7-0 WolfPack (17-10, 7-7 N4C) burst to start the second half. Harper responded by outscoring Madison 28-6 over the next 9:59 to take a 50-41 lead with 8:12 left.

Madison clawed its way back behind the strong play of Jerrod Walton (game-high 25 points), whose jumper with 1:08 remaining tied the game at 54-54. Admir Suljic (Chicago, Ill. /Lane Tech) (team-high 21 points) knocked down a fadeaway jumper with the shot clock winding down to give the Hawks a two-point edge, but the WolfPack's Antowan Epps tied the game with 17 seconds left on a jumper.

Harper's Isaiah Parks (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) knocked down a pair of free throws with six seconds left to five the Hawks a 58-56 lead. Looking to tie or win the game, Madison's Kendale Nation was fouled with three seconds left and calmly sank a pair of free throws. Marcus Gatlin (Chicago, Ill./Curie)'s three-quarter-court heave nearly gave Harper the win, but the game went to overtime.

Walton scored six of the WolfPack's eight points in the extra frame, including his decisive, go-ahead layup with 1:19 remaining to put the visitors up 66-64.

The Madison defense clamped down in the closing seconds, forcing Suljic into an off-balance 19-footer at the buzzer that hit off the front rim.

Marcus Gatlin (Chicago, Ill./Curie) matched a career-high with 17 points (7-of-9 free throws), and Davion Benton (Chicago, Ill. /Alcott College Prep) scored nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Nation and Shane Kanaman contributed 10 points apiece for the WolfPack.

Harper has drawn the #6 seed and opens postseason play with a play-in game on Tuesday against Mid Michigan Community College (14-11). The winner of that game will advance to play at #3 seed Madison College (17-10) in the Region IV Quarterfinals on Wednesday. The victor of that contest will play #2 seed Milwaukee Area Technical College (21-8) in the Region IV Semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 PM on the campus of Joliet Junior College. The Region IV Championship is on Saturday, March 1 at 3 PM, with the winner advancing to the 2015 DIII Men's Basketball Championship in Loch Sheldrake, New York from March 12-14.

NJCAA Region IV Men's Basketball Bracket