Central sets scoring record in men’s basketball season-opening win
Central College
PELLA — It was cold outside but the Central College men’s basketball team’s hot shooting led it to a team-record 132 points in a 132-118 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan Saturday.
The Dutch used 60.6-percent shooting to roll up 132 points, eclipsing the old mark of 124, set in 1991. The Dutch also set records for most points in a half (70), most free throws attempted (54) and most free throws made (41).
Coach Craig Douma was proud of his team for its success against the up-tempo offense of Nebraska Wesleyan (0-1).
“Our guys did an outstanding job tonight persevering, staying the course and not getting frustrated,” said Douma. “This is one of those games where your opponent can hit you and they can hit you quick in bunches.”
Guard Aaron Rosenstiel (senior, Oelwein) shattered his previous career high in both points and rebounds, scoring a team-high 26 points and grabbing 11 boards in 24 minutes for his first career double-double. He also had five assists.
“Aaron had an outstanding game,” said Douma. “We thought this would be a big night for him. He’s so aggressive and he did a great job of playing like he can play. He attacks the rim, knocks down free throws, rebounds the ball and gets the 50/50 basketballs.”
Forward Kyle Newendorp (senior, Pella) also had a career night, missing just one of his eight field-goal attempts en route to 21 points in just 17 minutes. He also hauled in a team-high 13 rebounds for a double-double.
“He came to play,” said Douma. “That’s the best rebounding night he’s had in a Central Dutch uniform. He attacked the board defensively like we’ve never seen him do before. He finished around the basket and made some great plays. His defense and his defensive rebounding might have been the difference in the game.”
Guard Nile Eckermann (senior, Cosgrove, Clear Creek Amana HS) added 22 points and five assists for the Dutch, while forward Colby Taylor (sophomore, Creston) fell one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Central led by two, 62-60, at the half, thanks to a few players who had a positive impact coming off the bench.
“You saw it in the first half,” said Douma. “Our best five were our second five. Our starting five kind of struggled. The second five really gave us a lift and gave us a lot of energy. That’s what you need your bench to do. It was a great team win.”
One of those players off the bench was guard Nate Munn (sophomore, Ames), who drained four first-half 3-pointers.
The game stayed close most of the second half until the Dutch pulled away in the last few minutes. Douma said Central’s effort at the charity stripe helped the Dutch earn the victory.
“We really did knock down our free throws down the stretch,” said Douma. “In the first 10 minutes of the second half we missed some free throws, but in the last 10 minutes we made them.”
The Central coach was also pleased with the atmosphere in the gym Saturday night.
“We had a great environment,” said Douma. “Our crowd did a great job of coming out. They saw how hard our team plays and I think we are going to draw an even bigger crowd in the future just because of how this team plays. We are going to play hard and leave it all on the floor.”
Central will travel to St. Louis, Mo. Tuesday to take on Missouri Baptist at 7 p.m. Douma said dealing with such widely different styles of play in a short span is a challenge.
“We need to focus in practice on Monday,” said Douma.
