Central’s Turner, Van Renterghem win league honors
Central College
PELLA—Central College senior Demarco Turner (guard, Des Moines, East HS) has been named the Iowa Conference Athlete of the Week and Men’s Basketball Player of Week while junior Tommy Van Renterghem (Oskaloosa) has been cited as the league’s Wrestler of the Week.
Turner scored 20 points or more in each of Central’s three games last week and hit seven consecutive 3-pointers over two games. Turner shot 60.5 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from behind the arc and 92.3 percent at the free-throw line.
The two-time letterwinner tied his own school record for 3-point percentage in a game, hitting 6-of-6 on the road at Dubuque Monday. He set the record earlier this season with another 6-of-6 effort against Faith Baptist Dec. 6. His career-high 31 points at Dubuque are the most scored in a game by a Central player since Clint Driftmier scored 37 against Monmouth (Ill.) on Dec. 9, 2006.
Turner also tallied seven assists and eight rebounds as the Dutch went 2-1. Central topped Dubuque 97-81 before stumbling against Buena Vista 76-68 Wednesday. The Dutch ended the week with a 78-66 win over Loras Saturday.
On the year, Turner leads the Dutch offense averaging 16.8 points per game, hitting 50 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from 3-point range. He has an 84.6 free-throw percentage and has scored double digits in 14 of Central’s 17 games. Turner also received the league’s men’s basketball player of the week honor Dec. 8.
Central is 9-8 overall, 5-4 in the league and travels to Wartburg College Wednesday in a men’s-women’s doubleheader with the men’s game at 8 p.m.
Van Renterghem extended his win streak to 12 straight, recording two back-to-back pins in a 4-0 effort at the Wabash College (Ind.) Max Servies Duals Saturday.
Competing at 174 pounds, Van Renterghem pinned Alex Faulkner (Knox College, Ill.) in 2:12 before scoring a second pin against Jeremy Pogorzelski (Manchester College, Ind.) in 1:59. He won by major decision, 11-2, over James Haywood (Lincoln College, Ill.) before winning by another major decision, 10-2, over Bryce Howard (Milwaukee School of Engineering, Wis.).
As a team the Dutch finished 3-1, topping Knox 40-9 after a 49-3 win earlier this season. Central cruised past Manchester 31-12 before falling 27-13 to Lincoln. In their final dual the Dutch smashed MSOE 28-7.
A two-time letterwinner, Van Renterghem is 21-8 this season. He won the 174-pound title at the Central Invitational Jan. 15 and placed third at the MSOE tournament Dec. 4.
Central is 7-7 and travels to Loras College for the Iowa Conference duals Saturday in Dubuque. The Dutch tackle Luther at 9 a.m., Loras at 12:30 p.m., Buena Vista at 2:15 p.m. and No. 13 Cornell at 4 p.m.
