CRESTON, IOWA -- If they wanted to stay in the ICCAC title race the Ellsworth Panthers needed to put a halt to a 2-game losing streak on Saturday at Southwestern CC.  ECC did just that, surviving a low-scoring affair in a 57-52 victory in the lowest-scoring game of the season for Ellsworth, a team that averages 85 points per game.  The key result leaves ECC (10-3) one-half game behind DMACC and Kirkwood in the conference standings and one-half game in front of Iowa Lakes, who beat DMACC Saturday to tighten things up in the league.

ECC shot only 39.2 percent in their victory, but held SWCC to just 30.5 percent and just 3-for-25 in 3-point tries.

The Panthers led by as many as 11 points in the 2nd half only to see the Spartans make it a two-possession game inside the final minute.  Clinton Efinda, the only starter in double figures, drilled a pair of foul shots in the waning seconds to secure the win.  Efinda accounted for 8 of his team's 12 made free throws.

Chimobi Ikegwuruka topped Ellsworth with 20 points.  With points at a premium, the Panthers got 2 big 3-pointers off the bench from Christopher Willis and a bucket from reserve Veljko Munitlak is holding off the Spartans.  Starter Arlandus Keyes was limited to only 2 points but handed out 7 assists.

Ellsworth travels to play Iowa Central in Fort Dodge on Wednesday.