Season comes to a close for Central men’s basketball squad
Central College
PELLA—The sensational post-season run came to an end for the Central College men’s basketball team Friday night, as the Dutch fell on the road 78-66 against St. Thomas (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Dutch (19-10) were able to give the No. 7 Tommies (25-3) all they wanted and more for much of the game, including going into halftime squared at 30-30. Sporting a senior-laden roster, St. Thomas used its size to take over in the second half, outrebounding the Dutch 43-28.
“They had 11 offensive boards tonight,” coach Craig Douma said. “They’ve done it all year long. Second-chance points were a big difference in this game.”
St. Thomas moves on to face Elmhurst (Ill.) in Saturday’s Round of 32 matchup.
The Tommies seemed intent on stopping Colby Taylor (junior, Creston), making it hard for him to make plays at the rim. The first team all-Iowa Conference player still managed 13 points and 10 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season.
“The put their center on him,” Douma said. “He’s a very athletic guy, he did a really nice job. They bodied him up and made his low post touches tough. They took that element away.”
Central’s offensive catalyst over the last few weeks, Pete Walker (junior, Red Oak), once again led the team with 16 points, but was limited to 23 minutes because of foul trouble.
“Pete Walker being out of the game didn’t help us,” Douma said. “He picked up his fourth foul pretty early in the second half. He’s a pretty important element of our team. He’s a tough guy to defend.”
Tate Handsaker (junior, Nevada) had 10 points for the Dutch and hit shots at critical times. He also limited the offense of the St. Thomas backcourt according to Douma.
“I thought Tate had a nice game,” he said. “Tate’s a great defensive player and his offensive skills have gotten better.”
With no seniors on this year’s team, Douma said the locker room had a unique vibe as the entire roster will return next season.
“I’ve never had it as a coach where you’re not losing anybody,” he said. “Even though we lost, we’re all pretty excited about next year. We’re going to be that team that’s pretty tough to reckon with. We’ll be ready to get back to work.”
