Mauck tops 1,000 as Central closes with men’s basketball win
PELLA—It was a Senior Night to remember for Caden Mauck (5th-year, Kansas City, Mo., Blue Springs South HS) and the Central College men’s basketball team Saturday.
Mauck topped the 1,000-point mark for his career and pumped in a team-high 16 points to propel the hot-shooting Dutch to an 89-73 season-ending triumph over Simpson College before a raucous P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium crowd.
Mauck needed just four points to reach the milestone and hit it early with a jumper in the paint at the 17:02 mark of the first half. He’s the 31st player in program history to reach 1,000 points and hangs up his Dutch uniform with 1,012.
“What a way to finish his career,” coach Craig Douma said. “He’s one of the reasons we got better down the stretch, because he stepped up his game.”
Central hit a sizzling 63.3% in the first half and jumped to a 15-4 lead with 15:05 still left in the opening half. It was 43-25 at intermission and the Dutch led by as many as 24 points in the second half.
“That first half we just kept the pedal to the metal,” coach Craig Douma said. “We just played fearless. I was so happy for the seniors. That’s the way you want to start that game, with Caden getting his four points right away. Kade Terrell (senior, Montrose, Colo.) hit a shot, Nick McColgan (senior, Western Springs, Illinois, Lyons Township HS) hit a shot and Jake Anderson (senior, Iowa City, West HS) hit a shot. We had such balanced scoring.”
A frantic Simpson rally cut the margin to as few as 12 but Central put it away with some easy baskets down the stretch, capped by a steal and an and-one 3-point play by Terrell.
“We just had to settle down and break the press,” Douma said. “The guys figured it out and we closed the game out. I’m just so proud of this team and really proud of these seniors. What a way to go out. We had a great crowd and a great atmosphere. It was a really special night.”
The Dutch (7-17 overall, 4-12 American Rivers) shot a season-high 61.1% for the night and put five players in double figures. Center Joshua Van Gorp (sophomore, Pella, Pella Christian HS) was 7-of-7 from the floor and scored 14 points while guard Sam Beatty (junior, Mount Pleasant) had 12, center Grant Johnson (junior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) had 11 and Terrell had 10. Van Gorp had eight rebounds while guard Drew Edwards (junior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) passed out four assists.
Simpson (5-20 overall, 2-14 conference) was limited to 33.3% first-half shooting and 46.0% for the game. Central held a 36-20 rebounding advantage.
The Dutch honored seniors Terrell, Anderson and McColgan and prior to the game. Anderson and McColgan both started the finale along with Terrell after seeing limited action much of the year. Yet their contributions were significant, Douma said.
“Jake and Nick really epitomize what it means to be selfless and team-first players,” Douma said.
It’s a year that easily could have come off the rails but impressively, the Dutch played their best basketball down the stretch. Douma said Terrell’s determination was a key factor.
“His leadership went to a new level this year,” Douma said. “He challenged guys and he got tougher. That was pretty cool to see.”
The game also marked the end of Douma’s Central career as he announced earlier in the week that he’s giving up the post after 10 seasons. That led to a flood of emotions as the game clock hit zeros.
“It was very bittersweet,” he said. “I’m going to miss being around this and I’m going to miss the players the most. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to do what I love and I’m proud of what these kids have done at Central College. My old coach said you always want to win the last one. Well, we won the last one and it felt really good.”
But Douma will be cheering hard for what he thinks will be an exciting Central team next year.
“There is no quit in this team,” he said. “You saw that we just got better and better as the year went on. These guys are relentless. And they’re going to be fun to watch in the next few years.”
