Terrell shot seals Central men’s basketball title

INDIANOLA—As if to silence those who somehow still doubted this team, in a game and season crammed full of clutch plays and memorable moments, Central College men’s basketball guard Kade Terrell (5th-year, Montrose, Colo.) found a way to deliver one more.

The Dutch found themselves trailing 74-73 after a Simpson College second-chance bucket with 20 seconds left. Rather than take a timeout, Terrell, who logged nearly 38 of the game’s 40 minutes, sprinted up the floor, took a handoff from forward Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) and drove to the basket, flinging an off-balance shot off the glass and drawing a foul for an outright title-winning and-one with 4 seconds left.

Moments later, he was stepping forward to accept the American Rivers championship trophy from commissioner Dan Hammes. Central, after a Simpson misfire on its final shot, pulled out a 76-74 win to secure an outright crown, the program’s 18th conference title and its first since 2014.

“We wanted to push it and see if we could get something easy in transition,” coach Joe Steinkamp said. “It was just an unbelievable shot. Just a big-time player making a big-time play. That’s why he’s one of the best guards in the league. He’s fearless. And he puts in the time and puts in the work that allow him to have those type of moments.”

The Dutch complete the regular season with an 18-6 record and a 13-3 conference mark, finishing one game in front of the University of Dubuque and carrying the top seed in next week’s six-team conference tournament. After a first-round bye, the Dutch will play host to a semifinal round game Thursday at P.H. Kuyper Gym, tentatively starting at 7 p.m.

Central meets the winner of Tuesday’s contest between No. 4 seed Loras College and No. 5 seed Wartburg College.

Believe it.

This, after all, was a team that didn’t even qualify for last year’s conference tournament after notching just four league wins. A team that was picked to finish eighth in a preseason coaches’ poll. A team that many expected might eventually stumble, once teams adjusted to a lineup that featured two 6-foot, 10-inch players in the starting lineup.

But these sultans of swat, who lead the NCAA Division III with 6.3 blocked shots per game, maintained their poise and defensive intensity throughout.

That was necessary Saturday. On a night when some of Central’s shooters were off the mark, Terrell knocked down five 3-point baskets and finished with a game-high 22 points. Guard Drew Edwards (senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) nearly posted a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Guard Kaleb Brand (junior, Mount Vernon) added 12 points, forward Kole Tupa (junior, Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) had 10 points and five rebounds, center Joshua Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) had nine points and six rebounds and Johnson had eight boards, six assists and three blocks. That gives Johnson the school season blocked shots record with 67, topping Ryan Kunkel’s 65 from 2016-17.

Simpson (12-12 overall, 5-11 conference) was playing for a shot at the final conference tournament berth and led Central by as many as six points in the first half. Central was up 40-37 at halftime but the lead changed hands 14 times in the game.

“We knew it would be a fun atmosphere and a tough game,” said Steinkamp, who masterminded the dramatic Dutch turnaround in his first season as head coach. “I thought in the first half we got a little rushed at times and we missed some opportunities to get a little bit bigger lead. But then in the second half, (Simpson) played really well again and made a lot of tough shots. And I thought we fouled too much.

“But I was really proud of how our guys defended and found ways to score when we needed it.”

While the Dutch shot only 38.5% from the field, they limited Simpson to 35.9% shooting and held a 46-39 rebounding advantage.

Terrell’s theatrics wouldn’t have even been possible without an equally critical play moments earlier by Tupa. Central was down 72-71 and Simpson gained possession as the ball went out of bounds with only 42 seconds left. But Tupa leaped to tip the in-bounds pass and was fouled as he secured it, sinking two free throws to put Central back on top.

“I was really proud of Kole,” Steinkamp said. “We put him in the game with 40 seconds left and he makes basically the defensive play of the year for us, and then had the composure to go to the line and make both pressure free throws. He doesn’t get much credit but he’s such a great player and his defense is a big reason why we’ve been successful.”

Then again, maybe it was Brand who delivered the defensive play of the year just a couple minutes before that. With the score tied 68-68 at the 2:40 mark, Simpson’s Marcus McRay had a breakaway layup and the home crowd was ready to erupt, but Brand soared from behind to swat the shot off the glass, and Central raced back, getting a 3-point basket and the lead from Terrell.

“That was a huge swing,” Steinkamp said. “We’re one of the leaders in the country in blocked shots but it’s not just our big guys. Kaleb’s kind of known for those transition rundown blocks. And he just made an incredible hustle play. One thing I love about our team right now is how fast we can turn those stops and blocks into instant offense.”

Despite the preseason forecast, Steinkamp saw reasons for optimism with his club.

“Early in the year, I was really impressed with how quickly the players picked up some of our defensive stuff,” he said. “Offensively, we were kind of a work in progress, but early in the year, those first weekends when we traveled on the road, we were able to score in a variety of ways. Another big key was we really learned from some of our losses and made adjustments. And when it looked like teams were maybe figuring us out, we just kind of got to another level and different guys kept stepping up. We have continued to get better along the way.”

More adjustments and more work await as the conference tourney looms, with the tournament winner gaining an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. But the Dutch will also take time to savor their championship.

“Those guys get that banner and it hangs there forever,” Steinkamp said. “The memories of this year are something special that this group has earned, but at the same time, we’re still hungry and we don’t want this season to end.”

“We think we have a special group. Every day that we practice, it’s a blast. It’s really fun and everybody’s a part of it. They all fill their role. And we just want to keep it going as long as we possibly can.”