Young Dutch outlasted in women’s basketball defeat
Central College
PELLA — The Central College women’s basketball squad led by one at halftime, but Simpson outscored the Dutch by ten in the third quarter in a 65-54 Central loss Wednesday night.
The Dutch (4-14, 1-6 Iowa Conference) led 27-26 at the break before the Storm (11-7, 4-3 conference) exploded in the third quarter, pouring in 21 points to Central’s 11.
“We played 30 minutes of great basketball tonight,” said coach Chelsea Petersen. “But we didn’t respond to Simpson’s pressure in the third quarter and it cost us.”
Central held a 13-7 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
“We have been focusing on how we start games,” Petersen said. “We want to start games with a sense of urgency and purpose and we did that tonight.”
Petersen liked what she saw in the first, second and fourth quarters.
“We shut down Simpson, boxed out and finished plays,” she said.
Central shot 34 percent from the floor and 35 percent from behind the arc, while Simpson connected on 35 percent from the floor and 27 percent of 3-pointers. The Dutch made 10-of-17 from the charity stripe, while the Storm were 18-of-25 from the line.
Simpson outrebounded the Dutch 41-38 and committed 10 turnovers to Central’s 18.
The Dutch did not play a senior in the contest and only one junior saw the floor.
“Our young players are learning and figuring things out right now,” Petersen said. “We will continue to grow as a team.”
Petersen knows that doesn’t ease the pain after a loss.
“Tonight was a winnable game,” she said. “And it hurts not to get the job done.”
Sophomore forward Jackie Kriegel (Marengo/Iowa Valley HS) led the Dutch with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting and added six rebounds off the bench.
“Jackie is a really energetic player,” Petersen said. “She gave us some great minutes tonight.”
Freshman forward Claire Marburger (Perry) and sophomore guard Emily Dine (Oldsmar, Fla./East Lake HS) both poured in 10 points and Savanna Thornton finished with nine. The Dutch also got the services of Jessica Helton back after she missed a game with an illness.
“It was great to have Jessica back on the court,” Petersen said. “She brings so much energy and really fuels her teammates.”
The Dutch will host Coe Saturday at 2 p.m. in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium in the front end of a women’s-men’s doubleheader. A special event will follow the men’s contest. The Kohawks beat Central 76-54 in Cedar Rapids Jan. 20. The game will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) and live stats and video will be available at central.edu/athletics.
“We need to play how we did in the second half at Coe for a full game,” Petersen said. “If we can start the game Saturday like we did today, we will be in a good position to win.”
