7th ranked Pirates basketball took their first loss of the season on Tuesday night when they fell to Ellsworth Community College 67-59. The game was also the team's first road contest of the year, with the prior three victories coming at the Ketcham Community Center. NCMC will look to rebound when they take on Link Year Prep in the Keith Lindsey Classic, hosted by Kansas City Kansas CC this coming Friday.
NCMC is the second nationally ranked opponent Ellsworth has defeated in the young season. Earlier, they knocked off Bryant and Stratton College who was 17th in the NJCAA preseason poll. 3 Panthers scored in double figures, led by 19 points from Tom Stanley.
Kolten Griffin and Isaiah Ervin each totaled 19 points for NCMC in the losing effort. No other Pirates were able to get into double figures. As a team, NCMC shot a dismal 36.8% from the field and 56% from the free throw line. Worse yet was the three point shooting for the Pirates; the team went 3-16 with all the makes coming from Ervin.