Central sprints past Faith Baptist, 95-49
Central College
PELLA—Central College raced to a 38-point halftime lead and shot 57.1 percent from the field, overpowering Faith Baptist for a 95-49 men’s basketball victory Tuesday night.
The win snaps a six-game losing streak for the Dutch, who earlier posted the program’s third longest win streak at 11 victories.
“It was a good game for us and good timing for us,” coach Mike Boschee said. “We played at a high level offensively and it was a fun game for Central basketball.”
Central (13-7) broke it open early. Ahead 10-3 with 16:02 left in the first half, the Dutch went on a 24-0 burst in the next nine minutes for a 34-3 lead and jumped to a 52-14 advantage at the break. Central maintained a 40-point margin throughout the second half while Boschee played the entire squad.
Guard Demarco Turner (senior, Des Moines, East HS) had a game-high 17 points, hitting five of six shots from 3-point range. Forward Jack Bruns (senior, Story City, Roland-Story HS) had 16 points and nine rebounds and guard Kevin Kaerwer (sophomore, El Paso, Texas, John L. Chapin HS) notched his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
The Dutch held a 41-29 rebounding advantage and forced 22 turnovers while committing a season-low seven.
“We did a nice job on the boards, which allowed us to get out and run,” Boschee said. “We also did a good job taking care of the ball and limiting our turnovers.”
Central shot 41.7 percent from long distance, its second-best effort of the season, and hit 59.5 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes. Faith Baptist (9-12) shot 37 percent for the game.
The Dutch return to Iowa Conference action Saturday, hosting Cornell College in a women’s-men’s doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The Rams are 3-16 overall and 1-9 in the league. Central defeated Cornell 67-52 earlier this season.
“The players have done a good job staying positive and focused,” Boschee said. “They know they’re a good team and hopefully they’ll be able to show it here down the stretch.”
