By Marissa VanWingen, The Times Citizen
In the final four and a half minutes of the contest versus NIACC, ninth-ranked Ellsworth Community College did not make a field goal and were 2-4 from the free throw line. That resulted in an upset on their home floor by a 90-85 final.
The first half was back and forth with 11 lead changes. Neither team had more than an eight-point advantage, and that was the Panthers (8-2, 0-1). A basket and free throw from Enki Diarra-Gentes gave the hosts the 28-27 lead as they went on a 10-0 run to go up 35-27. The Trojans (8-2, 1-0) went on a run and took the lead back three times before the halftime buzzer. ECC went into the break on top 47-42.
To open the second half, NIACC went on another scoring spree, 12-1 (68-64) to take the lead. Tre Burris ended the scoring drought for the Panthers as they went on their own run and on back-to-back Burris and Taevean Famutimi-Brown baskets gave the hosts a three-point edge. Famutimi-Brown drained a long ball to make it a six-point lead with 4:44 left in the contest.
ECC then went cold as the Trojans hit back-to-back long balls to knot the score at 83-83. Burris hit one of two freebies to go back on top, but it was short lived as NIACC hit a two-ball for the advantage. Rollings Kamanda hit one of two to get within two with just over 30 seconds left in the contest, but the visitors hit three of four free throws to ice the game as the Panthers missed two three-ball attempts.
Omarion Roberts for the Trojans hit five three-pointers and led all scoring with 27. ECC had three in double figures, led by Rav Randhawa with 19, Famutimi-Brown had 16 and Eesher Sigh Sarai 10. ECC was just 15 of 26 from the charity stripe and eight of 28 from downtown.
For more on ECC Athletics, visit https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2f%2f%2fwww.timescitizen.com%2fsports%2fecc%2f&c=E,1,dinUBq6hWqYFaRfJwoOpw7mcKG3IGcaGfOjXuxMafeeDQxNMmt8EgtXzznEwXUexRcPd7QTnfRZNtxDYPrUcFUcNIK6mm8nV71ZtmMaV7Q,,&typo=1
ICCAC Basketball
Saturday at Iowa Falls
NIACC: 44| 46 – 90
ECC: 47| 38 – 85
ECC Scoring: Rav Randhawa 7 3-7 19; Taevean Famutimi-Brown 7 1-2 16; Eesher Signh Sarai 3 1-2 10; Tre Burris 3 3-4 9; Jonovan Wilkinson 3 2-2 9; Enki Diarra-Gentes 2 1-1 6; Bene Martinkus 1 2-2 4; Jack Scrivner 2 0-0 4; Rollings Kamanda 1 1-2 3; Themba Tshuma 1 1-2 3; Tanner Berggren 1 0-0 2.