Top 20 matchup goes to the visitors

Taevean Famutimi-Brown was one of five players in double figures for the Panthers. No. 9 ECC defeated No. 19 Madison College, 79-72. Photo by Marissa VanWingen.
Taevean Famutimi-Brown was one of five players in double figures for the Panthers. No. 9 ECC defeated No. 19 Madison College, 79-72. Photo by Marissa VanWingen.
Posted: Jan 05, 2025

By Marissa VanWingen, The Times Citizen

In a top 20 showdown on the road, Ellsworth Community College found itself trailing by nine at halftime.

The Panthers shot 40 percent from the floor and were 12 of 15 from the free throw line in the second 20 minutes to pull away from Madison College and avoid the upset, 79-72.

The Wolfpack took their first lead of the game, 14-13, as the two traded advantages twice. The final ECC (14-2) lead in the opening 20 minutes was on a Willie Patterson III layup to make it 17-15. Madison College (10-2) then went on a 13-2 run – including back-to-back triples. The Panthers ended the scoring drought with a Tre Burris tip-in (28-21). The largest deficit would be 12 on one of the hosts six three pointers (in the first half) and the two would go into the locker room with the Wolfpack lead 42-33.

In the first 20 minutes of the game, the visitors shot just three free throws and were three of 11 from beyond the arc. They finished the game with seven triples.

To start the scoring in the second half, Rav Randhawa drained a triple to jumpstart ECC's run. The Panthers went on a 17-2 run that lasted three and a half minutes and was capped off by a Rollings Kamanda make to push the ninth-ranked team in the nation to a six-point advantage.

19th-ranked Madison College would cut the deficit to two before a Patterson triple extended the difference to 55-50. The single possession spread would be the closest the hosts would come again as the visitors went 6 of 8 from the charity stripe in the final five minutes to keep the hosts out of reach.

While the hosts were six of 14 from downtown in the first half, they were one of eight from beyond the arc in the second 20 minutes.

For more on ECC Athletics, click here: https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.timescitizen.com%2fsports%2fecc%2f&c=E,1,HJ-ADBWRQfpTP9rB2Tnhrl4fv4bbzR31ryCIW0JNbZ894-8sIr96nd1Ihp9BAhFeYGSG_2-LlBrszu5BIE3eBSXGMZlgltcL5fNzgaM_95UXqubEd6Z4YA,,&typo=1

NJCAA Basketball
Saturday at Madison, Wisc.

ECC: 33| 46 – 79
MC: 42| 30 – 72

ECC Scoring: Tre Burris 7 2-3 16; Rav Randhawa 4 4-4 15; Rollings Kamanda 6 2-3 14; Tavean Famutimi-Brown 5 1-1 12; Willie Patterson III 4 2-3 11; Jonovan Wilkinson 2 1-1 5; Hubert Bayigamba 1 0-0 3; Enki Diarra-Gentes 1 0-0 3.