IOWA FALLS, IOWA - The greatest start to a men's basketball season in Madison College history came to an end Saturday at the hands of the No. 1 team in the country as Madison College suffered its first loss of the season wth an 82-74 setback on the road against Ellsworth Community College. Sophomore Carson McCormick drained seven 3-pointers, the last of which made it a one-possession game with 69 seconds remaining; however, the top-ranked Panthers closed out the win at the free throw line to hold off the #19-ranked WolfPack. The all-time series now favors ECC by a 3-0 count.

After trailing for the first six-plus minutes of the game, Madison College used a Ryen Jones three-pointer and Isaiah Robinson jumper to take their first lead of the game at 13-11 with 12:44 left in the half. The WolfPack eventually led by as much as six when Cam Williams knocked down back-to-back jumpers for a 22-16 advantage with 6:24 to go. Ellsworth Community College (12-0) closed out the half with a 20-10 run capped by a successful shot at the buzzer to take a 36-32 lead into halftime.

The Pack hung tough and regained the lead just over three minutes into the second half when George Whaley IV followed a Carson Jensen bucket with a three-pointer to go ahead 40-39. The team's went back-and-forth in a game that featured ten ties and eight lead changes, and with 7:43 left in the game, McCormick sank his fifth triple to give the visitors a 62-59 edge. The Panthers then took a 64-61 lead before another McCormick long range hit evened the score with 6:13 remaining. The game was still tied after Noah Compan scored to make it 69-69; however, Ellsworth put together an 8-2 surge to lead by six. McCormick's last three-pointer closed the gap to three at 77-74 with 1:09 remaining, but Madison missed their final three shots of the game, while ECC went 5 for 8 at the free throw line down the stretch to secure the win.



McCormick finished with 25 points on 9 of 24 shooting and a 7 of 19 effort from long range. The second year guard from Janesville, Wisconsin, now has three games with 20 or more points this season. He also added three rebounds, three assists, a steal, and the team's only blocked shot.

Jones and Williams were the only other double-digit scorers for the WolfPack, as the duo came off the bench to score 12 and ten points, respectively. Jones, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, was 5 for 7 with a pair of three's, while Williams, a guard from Verona, Wisconsin, delivered his fourth double-digit performance on 4 of 7 shooting with a three-pointer and a free throw. Williams also led the team with three steals.

Compan also came off the bench with eight points and a career-best eight rebounds. Whaley had five points and dished out a team-best four assists.

Madison College was 30 for 69 overall (43%), 12 of 32 (37%) beyond the arc, and 2 for 6 (33%) at the free throw line. The WolfPack came through with a 20-15 lead in points off turnovers, as they capitalized on five more miscues credited to the Panthers.

Up Next:

Madison College (9-1) is on the road again Wednesday, December 10 when they head west to take on Rochester Community & Technical College (4-5). The Yellowjackets boast a 20-13 lead in the all-time series, including four straight wins and victories in 11 of the last 14 meetings. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Rochester, Minnesota, and can be streamed live via Hudl.

Follow WolfPack men's basketball: Facebook | Twitter