IHCC Three-Pointers Shoot Down Ellsworth

Ottumwa -- Indian Hills used a three-point barrage to open up a big halftime lead and the Warriors cruised to a 97-75 win over Ellsworth CC in the Reed Overhead Doors Classic on Saturday night at the Hellyer Center.

The Warriors hit 10-of-15 shots from behind the arc in the opening half and made 14 in 25 attempts for the game in winning their third straight game to start the season. Indian Hills made eight 3's in the second half of Friday night's game and the 14 they made Saturday equalled the high-game total from last year.

Ellsworth took an early 8-7 lead, but Trey Starks got the Warriors' three-train going with his first of three treys in the opening half. A few minutes later, Derrick Hill nailed three consecutive three's allowing IHCC to open up its first double-digit lead at 32-21. Starks hit another three and Hill added a rare two-point basket as Indian Hills continued to widen the lead.

The first half ended, fittingly for the Warriors, when Kelvyn Valdez hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer.

Chad Dillard and Jerome Jones got in the act for IHCC early in the second half as each made his first 3 of the night. Jones' trey made the score 61-36 and the Panthers didn't get closer than 16 points the rest of the game.

Indian Hills shot 60% overall and 56% from long distance. Gary Ricks, Jr. led six Warriors in double figures with 18 points. Hill had 16. Trey Starks just missed a double-double with 13 points and 9 assists. Bill Freeman led ECC with 19, 18 of those coming in the second half.

The Warriors are idle until hosting Mid-Michigan CC on Nov. 11.

FINAL SCORE: INDIAN HILLS 97, ELLSWORTH 75

ELLSWORTH Jacques Coleman 4 0-1 9, Tut Jikany 0 0-0 0, Bill Freeman 6 4-6 19, Kewal Shiels 0 0-0 0, Darren Galloway 1 3-4 6, K.J. Evans 6 3-4 15, Charles Leans 0 0-0 0, Alfreeman Flowers 3 2-4 8, Mario Donaldson 2 0-0 5, Cody Olson 1 0-0 2, Luke Lamb 2 5-6 11 Team 25 17-25 75

INDIAN HILLS Stephen Coles 4 2-4 10, Jerome Jones 4 2-2 10, Derrick Hill 5 2-4 16, Dijon Farr 2 0-0 5, Kelvyn Valdez 4 0-1 9, Trey Starks 4 2-2 13, Bruno Ferreira 0 1-2 1, Riley Stuve 1 0-0 2, Chad Dillard 5 0-0 11, Gary Ricks, Jr. 8 0-1 18, D.J. Bennett 0 0-0 0 Team 37 9-16 97

Halftime score: Indian Hills 51, Ellsworth 33; Three-point field goals: Ellsworth 8 (Freeman 3, Lamb 2, Coleman 1, Galloway 1, Donaldson 1), IHCC 14 (Hill 4, Starks 3, Jones 2, Ricks, Jr. 2, Farr 1, Valdez 1, Dillard 1)