Central Athletics for February 3
Central College
Dubuque escapes Central women at home
PELLA—The Central College women’s basketball team clawed back from a 13-point deficit but couldn’t find the baskets it needed in the final six minutes of play as the Dutch suffered a 69-63 defeat to Dubuque College Wednesday night.
Down 48-41 10 minutes into the second half, two back-to-back 3-pointers from guard Cory Bacon (junior, Garwin, GMG HS) and forward AJ Baker (junior, Grinnell) fueled a 10-2 run to give the Dutch a one-point lead. But Dubuque held Central scoreless for the next two-and-a-half minutes as the Spartans regained control with a 7-0 run.
“We had too many missed opportunities,” coach Jerry Nikkel said. “Once we were ahead we had empty possessions and never gave ourselves the chance to get a shot off. That hurt us the most.”
Central (4-17, 1-11 conference) outrebounded the Spartans 38-32 but shot a chilly 25 percent from the floor in the first half compared to Dubuque’s 47 percent.
“We could have won the game if we had any shooting percentage in the first half,” Nikkel said. “But we weren’t in rhythm and a lot of our shots were rushed.”
Four Spartans scored in double digits and Dubuque (8-12, 5-6 conference) outscored Central 26-18 in the paint.
“Their big players were hard for us to handle,” Nikkel said. “They’re tall, strong and physical and we just don’t have those kinds of players.”
Leading the Dutch offense with 23 points, Baker also had six rebounds. Junior Haley Brillhart (forward, Pella) added 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Central faces Luther College in a women’s-men’s doubleheader Saturday at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The women tip off at 2 p.m. and the men will began at approximately 4 p.m. Luther sports a 5-16 overall record with a 1-11 league mark. The Norse defeated the Dutch 64-46 earlier this season.
“Luther’s a team that we had dug ourselves in a hole against but made a nice comeback,” Nikkel said. “If we play hard the whole game we’ll have a chance.”
Central recognizes breast cancer awareness Saturday, hosting Pink Day, and will distinguish the contributions of three seniors—Stephanie Ruzicka (center, Traer, North Tama HS), Jordan Waddell (guard, Guthrie Center) and Jamie Borland (Oxnard, Calif., Santa Clara College Prep)—with Senior Day.
Saturday’s games will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) with Eric Gotschall providing the call. A video webcast and live stats are also available through the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.
Dubuque turns tables on Central men’s basketball squad
PELLA—So much for the home-court advantage.
Central College, which had won its last three road games, suffered a 72-60 men’s basketball setback to the University of Dubuque at home Thursday night, just 17 days after knocking off the Spartans 97-81 at Dubuque.
Even without its leading scorer, guard Taylor Blum, who was sidelined by illness, Dubuque (14-6 overall, 8-3 Iowa Conference) never trailed. The Spartans shot 50 percent from the floor and placed four players in double figures. They scored the game’s first eight points and led by as many as 15 before settling for a 41-32 lead at the break. Central could come no closer than eight points in the second half.
Central (11-9 overall, 7-5 conference) shot just 39.6 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers to Dubuque’s five. Central held a slight 35-34 rebounding edge. The Spartans had a 10-1 advantage in steals.
Guard Demarco Turner (senior, Des Moines, East HS) had 16 points for Central but was the only Dutch player to crack double figures. Center Jack Bruns (junior, Story City, Roland-Story HS) and forward Chris Lehmann (junior, Champaign, Ill., Central HS) each had six rebounds.
The loss drops Central three games behind first-place Luther College in the league standings. The Norse, 10-2 in conference play and 13-7 overall, come to Pella Saturday for a women’s-men’s doubleheader. Luther defeated the Dutch 53-48 at Decorah Jan. 5.
Saturday’s games will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) with Eric Gotschall providing the call. A video webcast and live stats are also available through the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.
