The Milwaukee Area Technical College men’s basketball team won’t be bringing home any hardware from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II national tournament.
The Stormers’ season ended on Friday, March 20, with a 90-68 loss to Des Moines Area Community College at Danville Area Community College in Danville, Ill., about 230 miles from Milwaukee.
It was the second straight loss for MATC at the double elimination tournament. The Stormers’ 24-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Thursday, March 19, losing to Parkland College, 92-79, in the quarterfinals.
The Stormers finished the season 31-5.
MATC started the tournament on a good note, fending off Coastal Alabama North, 88-85, on Tuesday, March 17. But Thursday’s loss sent the Stormers into the consolation bracket and Friday’s loss sent them home for the season.
On Friday, MATC trailed 43-30 at halftime and never found its footing in the second half. Jayden Hackett led the Stormers with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Turon Rivers came off the bench to score 19 points.
MATC earned a berth in the national tournament for the fifth straight season on Saturday, March 7, by defeating Bryant & Stratton College 84-68 in the NJCAA Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) championship game at Rock Valley Community College in Rockford, Ill.
During the regular season, MATC lost three games by a combined 11 points. One loss came in the Oct. 31, 2025, season opener to Iowa Central Community College, 93-91. The Stormers also lost to Morton College in Cicero, Ill., 88-80, on Nov. 22, and to Lansing Community College in Michigan, 70-69, on Dec. 5.
MATC was making its sixth national tournament appearance since switching to NJCAA Division II play in 2018. The Stormers won the national championship in March 2023, placed fifth in the 2019 tournament and finished sixth in 2024.
In 2020, MATC was 31-1 and ranked No. 1 in the nation when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the national tournament. The 2021 tournament was also cancelled.
Under veteran head coach Randy Casey, the Stormers have won 30 or more games five times since 2018 and have compiled a 207-50 record over the past eight seasons.
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.