Marshalltown, IA— Taking control of the inside game, the Marshalltown Community College men's basketball team managed to outmuscle Ellsworth Community College at the Student Activity Center on Tuesday night, taking an 83-66 cross-division contest against the Panthers. Christal Malalu ('s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands /Koning Willem 1) came off the bench to score 16 points and grab nine rebounds.
The Tigers did a majority of their damage inside the paint, winning the battle down low with a 52-20 scoring edge. Thanks to 16 offensive rebounds, the Tigers scored 24 second chance points on the night.
Malalu led MCC to 27 bench points on the night, playing in a season-high 20 minutes. Mike Rodriguez (Boston, MA/Redemption Christian Academy) scored from all areas of the floor to finish with 21 points on the night. The sophomore dished out seven assists as well.
Merdic Green (Levittown, PA/Harry S. Truman) and Terence Shelby Jr. (Peoria, IL/Limestone) finished the night with 11 points and Vincent Lasley (Tama, IA/South Tama) grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with six points.
Rodriguez scored the first five points of the game for MCC. The Panthers stayed within reach, but Rodriguez and Shelby Jr. sank back-to-back three-point shots to extend the advantage. Malalu scored baskets on each of his first two shots to put MCC up 34-20 with 6:25 to play. Ellsworth cut into the lead with five straight to close out the half, but MCC stayed on top 43-34 at halftime.
The Tigers opened up play in the second half with consecutive put-backs on offensive rebounds. MCC maintained a comfortable lead, never allowing the Panthers within seven. A personal foul and technical foul assessed to Ellsworth allowed MCC to sink four straight free throws, deflating any chance of a comeback.
The Tigers reached the 80-point threshold for the ninth time in 10 games this year thanks in part to a 49.2 percent shooting percentage. MCC is averaging 86.8 points on the year.
With his 21 points, Rodriguez now leads all NJCAA Division I players with 248 points on the year. The sophomore ranks seventh in the nation with 24.8 points per game and second in the country with 70 made free throws. Rodriguez extended his current streak of at least 20 points in a game to 13.
The Tigers return to action after the holiday break with a home game against North Iowa Area Community College at 7:00 PM on Dec. 1.
