ESTHERVILLE, IOWA -- The No. 5-rated Ellsworth men's basketball team saw its 7-game winning streak end Wednesday night when the Panthers suffered their 1st league loss of the season, 81-69, at 15th-ranked Iowa Lakes.  ECC hadn't tasted defeat since a Nov. 28 loss at Sauk Valley and the result left them tied with DMACC and Kirkwood, all with one loss in the conference.

The Panthers were playing uphill all night long after Iowa Lakes took an early lead.  ECC trailed by 11 at intermission, got the deficit to 4 early in the 2nd half, then the Lakers used a run to build the margin back to double digits and coasted to the victory.

Clinton Efinda (22 points), Chimobi Ikegwuruka (20) and Arlandus Keyes (14) combined to 56 of Ellsworth's 69 points.  Efinda led ECC with 6 rebounds.  The Panthers got pounded on the boards, 43-27. 

Ellsworth, 14-3 overall, steps out of the conference for a contest at home against Dakota County Tech on Saturday.