M-Basketball: #1 Rock Valley shows depth in semi-final win over #4 DuPage, Jackson lights up the net for 29
Rock Valley College's
LT Davis and
Elijah Williams are two of the best players in the country, but it wasn't either of them who led the way for Rock Valley in a 87-58 win over College of DuPage on Friday night in Milwaukee.





(
Craig Doty,
Mo Jackson,
Kooper Glick,
Alec Pena,
Jontrell Robinson - RVC Athletics)
Mo Jackson (Belvidere, IL) connected on 8 of 11 attempts from behind the three-point line en route to a game and career-high 29 points, busting open a 9-point Golden Eagle halftime lead to take control of the contest.
Kooper Glick (Columbus, IN) had many timely baskets in the second half scoring 16 points (7-10 FG).
Alec Pena (Rockton, IL) had his best overall performance since scoring 31 points at Truman College in November posting 13 points (6-6 FG) and a game-high 9 rebounds.
Jontrell Robinson (Rockford, IL) led the charge defensively against DuPage's Christian Mathis, who entered the game averaging 17.9 PPG, good for 3rd in the N4C conference. Robinson and the Golden Eagles held Mathis to an 0-4 performance from the field in just under 27 minutes of action.
Davis (Rockford, IL) chipped in with 12 points while Williams (Chicago, IL) scored 8 points in only 13 minutes of action while battling through foul trouble.
"It was a great team effort tonight," head coach
Craig Doty stated. "Mo, Kooper, Alec, and Jontrell were huge for us. We have a lot of talent throughout our entire roster and it showed tonight."
The Golden Eagles advance to the Region Championship game on Sunday in Milwaukee at 3:00 PM vs. Joliet Junior College. RVC has won each of the past three region championships to book three consecutive trips to New York for the national tournament. The game on Sunday will mark the third time in the past four years that Rock Valley has played Joliet in the region championship game.
"Our guys know it is a one game season from here on out. If we lose we are done; if we win we advance. That's what makes college basketball great. From recruiting, to pre-season workouts, to the non-conference schedule and the conference season, everything we do is in preparation for the post-season. We must stay ready to play and maintain a sense of urgency for 40 minutes," Doty concluded.
Rock Valley's game vs. Joliet is scheduled to tip-off at 3:00 PM at Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI on Sunday. The RVC women will play Madison College in their region championship game at Alverno on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
Â