By Marissa VanWingen

Ellsworth Community College hosted 11th place Southeastern Community College on Wednesday night. The first time the two met in West Burlington, the Panthers only won by four.
Inside Dittmer Gymnasium, the hosts recorded a 75-51 win and extended their win streak to four in a row.

The Blackhawks jumped out to a 7-3 lead to start the game, forcing an early ECC timeout. The contest was even at 9-9 before ECC (12-12, 8-10) went on top on a pair of Asia Beale free throws. Beale scored score seven in a row as the hosts started to pull away and led 19-14 after the first quarter.

The advantage swelled with the Panthers going on a 20-2 run and lead 39-18. During that scoring flurry, the hosts forced seven turnovers. SCC (7-19, 2-16) did not get on the scoreboard again until there was just 1:34 left before the half with ECC already on top by 21. That three-ball made it 39-21and was 16 at halftime.

Yaiza Soriano Balaguer really turned on the offensive firepower in the second half and scored 10 of her 19 in the third stanza. The Blackhawks had no answer to her height and her presence down low. One of Balaguer's baskets off a SCC turnover resulted in the largest Panther advantage of the game, 57-34.

The hosts were able to continue to score and finish with the 75-51 decision.

Three were in double figures for the hosts, led by Beale with 22. The freshman guard went 4-6 from the charity stripe as well and added seven rebounds. Balaguer was second with 19 points and Sofia Berraquero Beltran finished with 12 points.

For more photos from the game, visit https://www.timescitizen.com/gallery/

ICCAC Basketball
Wednesday at Iowa Falls

SCC: 14| 9| 14| 14 – 51
ECC: 19| 20| 20| 16 – 75

ECC Scoring: Asia Beale 9 4-6 22; Yaiza Soriano Balaguer 9 1-2 19; Sofia Berraquero Beltran 5 0-0 12; Rebekka Holm 2 0-0 6; Claudia Sanz Dorange 3 0-0 6; Inma Martinez 3 0-0 5; Addy Dennis 1 0-0 3; Sare Celaya Urrutia 1 0-0 2.