By Marissa VanWingen
Fourth-ranked Ellsworth Community College held off Northeast Community College on Saturday and avoided an upset with the 88-87 victory.
In the first 20 minutes the two were back and forth early with five ties. The final was at 11-11 when Jayden Pretty drained a triple to make it 14-11. The Panthers held the lead for the rest of the half. With back-to-back threes by Tanner Berggren, ECC led by double digits for the first time (32-22) and were on top 46-35 heading into the break.
After the Panthers reached their largest spread of the game, the Hawks (8-10, 4-8) cut the deficit to single digits within the first five and a half minutes. The lead was at one (61-60) with 10:27 left in the contest. Christian Johnson scored five of his 10 points right in row to push the advantage back to six and the hosts were on top by 11 with 5:45 left on the clock. The lead went back up to double figures and was 13 (79-66) on a Pretty basket, but ECC could never pull away. NECC went on another run and with 1:16 left, the Hawks stole the ball and turned in a basket and free throw to cut the difference to four. Rav Randhawa made a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 87-81.
NECC hit a triple and then fouled Jacob Khounsourath who made one of two to extend the lead to four.
Hawk Ryan Huston hit a triple and fell down, but no foul was called as the Panthers (19-2, 10-2) held on for the one-point win.
Four Panthers were in double figures, led by Pretty with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Khounsourath added 12 followed by Randhawa (10) and Johnson (10).
ECC has won five in a row and play a revenge game at No. 10 Iowa Central on Wednesday. The Tritons defeated the Panthers 91-83 in Dittmer Gymnasium on Jan. 7.
For more photos from the game, visit https://www.timescitizen.com/gallery/
ICCAC Basketball
Saturday at Iowa Falls
NECC: 35| 52 – 87
ECC: 46| 42 – 88
ECC Scoring: Jayden Pretty 7 0-1 15; Jacob Khounsourath 4 1-2 12; Rav Randhawa 1 7-9 10; Christian Johnson 3 4-6 10; Jonovan Wilkinson 1 7-8 9; William Taylor 1 7-10 9; Tanner Berggren 2 0-1 6; Collins Ngondu 1 0-0 3; Ryland Ubben 1 0-0 3; Chase Low 1 0-0 2.
