• Sophomore Trevian Carson leads four DMACC players in double figures with 19 points
• Sophomores Da'Shon Fisher and Jamal Ambrose and freshman Jaden Jefferson also score in double figures
• DMACC leads throughout the game

Sophomore Trevian Carson of Des Moines scored 19 points and three other players also scored 14 or more points as the DMACC men's basketball team took a 94-81 decision from Ellsworth Community College (ECC) in a matchup of ranked teams Jan. 18 inside the DMACC gymnasium.

DMACC, ranked sixth in the most recent Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), improved to 18-2 overall and 8-1 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). ECC, ranked ninth in the poll, fell to 15-5 and 5-4.

Sophomores Da'Shon Fisher of Iowa City and Jamal Ambrose of Apple Valley, Minn., joined Carson in double figures with 18 points apiece and freshman Jaden Jefferson of Forney, Texas, added 14 points. Freshman Andrew Austin of Rock Rapids narrowly missed double figures with nine points.

DMACC never trailed after a jumper from Ambrose gave the Bears a 5-3 lead with the game just less than four minutes old. DMACC led by ten points at 26-16 midway through the first half and went up by 14, 49-35, before settling for a 49-38 lead at halftime. The Bears shot 61 percent in the half, hitting 19 of 31 field goal attempts.

DMACC maintained a comfortable advantage for most of the second half. ECC closed to within five points twice, the last at 77-72 with just more than five minutes to play, before Ambrose keyed a 9-0 run with six points as the Bears went up 86-72 with just more than two minutes remaining. The Bears has three 16 point leads the rest of the way.

DMACC cooled off a bit in the second half and finished with a 57 percent shooting percentage, making 35 of 62 field goal attempts. The Bears were 4-of-19 from three-point range for 21 percent and went 20-of-31 from the free throw line for 65 percent.

ECC shot 44 percent from the field, connecting on 28 of 64 field goal attempts. The Panthers were 8-of-30 from three-point range and 17-of-27 from the free throw line.

Fisher came away with a double-double after collecting 10 rebounds and leading DMACC to a 38-36 advantage on the boards. Ambrose had six rebounds and Jefferson added five. Sophomore Demerius Shakur of Milwaukee, Wis., dished out a team-high six assists and Fisher topped the Bears in steals with three. Jefferson recorded three blocked shots.

The DMACC men's basketball team will face Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) Jan. 22 at Norfolk, Neb., NECC is 3-13 overall and 0-9 in the ICCAC. DMACC took a 111-78 decision from the Hawks when the two teams played Dec. 4 inside the DMACC gymnasium.