Dutch women’s basketball team falls in Colorado tourney
Central College
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — The Central College women’s basketball squad was outscored by 10 points in the third quarter before dropping the Colorado College Winter Invitational championship game 70-49 to Wis.-La Crosse Tuesday.
Trailing 31-26 at halftime, the Dutch (3-8) were outscored Central 23-13 in the third quarter and 16-10 in the fourth.
“They (Wis.-La Crosse) wore us down over the course of 40 minutes,” coach Chelsea Petersen said. “Our players had to play quite a few minutes over the last two days and it showed in the second half today.”
Central shot 30 percent, while the Eagles (6-5) made 41 percent of their baskets, including 38 percent from 3-point range. The Dutch made just 10-of-23 free throws and 5-of-15 3-pointers.
“Our free throw shooting hurt us today,” Petersen said. “If we are going to win games down the stretch, we have to make more free throws.”
Wis.-La Crosse outrebounded the Dutch 50-38 and led from the 8:12 mark of the first quarter until the final buzzer. Central turned the ball over 17 times and the Eagles turned those into 17 points. The Eagles had 21 offensive boards that resulted in 23 second-chance points.
“We gave them way too many offensive rebounds,” Petersen said. “We have to box out better on the defensive end.”
Sophomore guard Emily Dine (Oldsmar, Fla./East Lake HS) led Dutch scorers with 10, knocking down 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Sophomore guard Alison Malaby (Mechanicsville, Iowa/North Cedar HS) added nine points, while forwards Claire Marburger (freshman, Perry, Iowa) and Jackie Kriegel (sophomore, Marengo, Iowa/Iowa Valley HS) both went for eight. Kriegel also had seven rebounds.
Petersen cited Malaby, Kriegel and sophomore guard Jessica Helton (Nevada, Iowa) for their effort late in the game.
“Jessica, Alison and Jackie played with a lot of energy today,” she said. “They kept up their high intensity throughout the entire game.”
The Dutch will have a week off before leaping into Iowa Conference play Jan. 6 at Decorah against 21st-ranked Luther College. The women’s and men’s doubleheader tips at 6 p.m. The Norse defeated Central in both meetings a year ago and took an 8-1 record into a pair of games in Wisconsin over the next two days.
