By Marissa VanWingen, The Times Citizen
Dittmer Gymnasium was host to a top 10 showdown on Wednesday night between ninth-ranked Ellsworth Community College and No. 2 Kirkwood Community College.
From the opening tip it was a physical game with a combined 48 whistles blown and 64 free throws attempted. In the end, the second-ranked visitors handed the Panthers their second loss in a row, 74-66.
Neither team could create much separation, especially in the first half. Rav Randhawa drained back-to-back long balls for ECC (15-4, 5-3) to give them a five-point lead. The Eagles (17-1, 7-1) cut the difference to two midway through the half and knotted the game for the first time at 16-16. With over seven minutes to go before the break, the Panthers were already in foul trouble and Kirkwood would be shooting freebies the rest of the half. The two would be even three more times before the half, the final at 25-25. A make by Themba Tshuma would give the slight lead to the hosts and then Randhawa hit his third triple to make it 34-30.
To start the second half the two were even at 34-34 when Willie Patterson got the make and missed his free throw opportunity, giving ECC the slight edge. Richard Lindsey Jr. responded and got the basket and foul as well. He made his free throw to put the Eagles on top for the first time. Kirkwood built on that lead and were on top by six before a triple by Enki Diarra-Gentes cut the difference to three. The Panthers were never able to make a run. Every time they would cut the deficit, the Eagles would respond. Midway through the half, Diarra-Gentes drained another three-ball to make it 47-46, but the hosts could not get over the hump. The largest spread would be nine (59-50) on a pair of Kirkwood free throws.
In the final three and a half minutes, the visitors were 11 of 14 from the line and 66.7 for the game. ECC was 56 percent from the charity stripe. The Panthers would stay within two possessions but couldn't combine a stop and a make to extend the game. Tre Burris led all scoring with 23 points and Randhawa finished with 13.
ICCAC Basketball
Wednesday at Iowa Falls
KCC: 30| 44 – 74
ECC: 34| 32 – 66
ECC Scoring: Tre Burris 8 7-8 23; Rav Randhawa 4 1-2 13; Rollings Kamanda 3 1-4 7; Taevean Famutimi-Brown 1 4-6 6; Enki Diarra-Gentes 2 0-2 6; Willie Patterson III 2 0-1 4; Themba Tshuma 2 0-0 4; Hubert Bayigamba 1 0-0 2; Tanner Berggren 0 1-2 1.