Tourney-bound! Central takes surprising road to men’s basketball title
Central College
WAVERLY — An unprecedented three-game run through the Iowa Conference tournament culminated with the Central College men’s basketball team beating Wartburg 92-80 in the title game Saturday and advancing to the 11th NCAA Division III Tournament in program history.
With their third road victory of the week, the Dutch (19-9) become the first team in Iowa Conference tournament history to win three consecutive away games on its way to the title. Prior to Tuesday’s win at Loras, Central had been 0-11 on the road in the tournament’s 16-year history.
“This team earned it,” coach Craig Douma said. “To go on the road three times this week as a No. 5 seed and win it, that says a lot about our team. I’m so proud of them.”
With the win, Central secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Central’s 11 appearances is best of any school in the league. It’s the program’s second trip to the dance under Douma, having previously made it to the Round of 32 in 2014.
The Dutch led the game wire-to-wire and won nearly every statistical category. Central shot 51.6% from the field compared to 39.7% for the Knights. The Dutch won the rebounding margin 40-38 and outscored Wartburg 22-9 on points off turnover.
Central secured a 38-32 halftime lead relying on some stingy defense. With 6:10 remaining in the second half, Wartburg trimmed Central’s lead to 65-62. The Dutch defense stiffened once again as Central took control and expanded the lead to 14 by the 3:02 mark.
“We stepped up defensively in those last 10 possessions,” Douma said. “We got some steals and forced them into some tough shots.”
After starting slow, Colby Taylor (junior, Creston) turned in a monster game for the Dutch, scoring 28 points and securing 17 rebounds.
“Colby’s finding out that when you get that much attention as a player, you have to wear them down,” Douma said. “You have to stay patient. He made plays down the stretch by letting the game come to him. He made some tough shots down low and came up with some rebounds.”
Joining Taylor in double digits was Pete Walker (junior, Red Oak), who added six rebounds to go with his 20 points.
Central will not find out the identity of their opponent until 11:30 a.m. Monday when the NCAA reveals the bracket. Regardless of who they face next weekend, Douma believes his team is up to the task.
“These guys are pretty fearless,” he said. “We’ve played tough teams in the past so we’re battle-tested. We’re thrilled to be here, but we want to get some wins. This team can do it. They believe in each other. That’s what great teams do.”
