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ELC Boys Basketball

2-5 overall, 0-3 Lakes Conference

Points (per game):

Jeremy Hunt - 13.7

Alex Arends - 11.3

Spencer Johnson - 8.4

Rebounds (per game):

Spencer Johnson - 7.8

Alex Arends - 7.0

Jeremy Hunt - 4.3

Assists (per game):

Spencer Johnson - 3.8

Marcus Christensen - 2.8

Jacob Perkins - 2.3

Tyler Lutz - 2.3

Blocks (per game):

Spencer Johnson - 1.8

Alex Arends - 0.6

Steals (per game):

Jeremy Hunt - 2.2

Marcus Christensen -

Three-pointers (total):

Jeremy Hunt - 17

ELC Girls Basketball

7-3 overall, 3-1 Lakes Conference

Points (per game):

Alyssa Johnson - 11.3

Allie Sievert - 10.0

Kelsie McCauley - 8.7

Rebounds (per game):

Alyssa Johnson - 6.5

Kelsie McCauley - 6.0

Allie Sievert - 5.4

Assists (per game):

Kelsie McCauley - 3.9

Sara Heywood - 2.1

Blocks (per game):

Alyssa Johnson - 2.5

Allie Sievert - 1.3

Steals (per game):

Kelsie McCauley - 2.7

Sara Heywood - 2.3

Emily Kirchner - 2.3

Three pointers (total):

Liz Humble - 12

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If there is one good thing about the lull of Christmas break for local basketball teams, it is that this time affords them a rare opportunity to take some much needed time off, to take a step back and analyze their performances to this point in the year and figure out a strategy for the rest of the season. It also affords local sports writers an opportunity to do the same.

The Estherville Lincoln Central boys basketball team, to this point, hasn't had the season that they would have liked. With a 2-5 overall record and a 0-3 mark in the Lakes Conference, one assumes that big changes need to be made in order to finish the year on a high note. However, when diving into the statistics, I don't see a need for wholesale changes.

The Midgets have been competitive in nearly every game this season, losing just one game by more than 20 points - a 59-37 loss to Storm Lake.

Slow starts are almost certainly the culprit in ELC's season thus far. The Midgets have scored just 68 points in the opening quarter compared to 89, 95 and 92 in the following three quarters, respectively.

If ELC can find a way to start games with the same output that they've been finishing them, they will see a drastic change in the win/loss column as evidenced by their 2-1 record when scoring nine or more points in the opening period.

The Estherville Lincoln Central girls team has been very impressive to start the 2009-10 season. With just three losses, they have shown that they will be a contender for the rest of the winter schedule and possibly into the playoffs.

Every team would like to hang their hat on beating the teams they are supposed to beat and staying competitive with teams with equal or greater talent. So far the Midgettes lone losses are to Class 2A No. 3-ranked Manson-Northwest Webster, Class 3A No. 13-ranked Storm Lake and to Benson High School (Minn.) - currently 5-1 on the season - by an average of just 12.3 points per contest.

In their seven victories the Midgettes have won by an average of 14.9 points per game, including a 50-22 shalacking of then Class 3A No. 15-ranked Spencer on Dec. 15.

It's only a matter of time before this extremely talented and youthful ELC team figures out a way to beat the upper echelon of competition.

When they do, the rest of the state better look out.