News Release

PELLA, Iowa — The Central College women’s basketball team watched a three-point halftime lead slip away in a 71-61 Iowa Conference loss to Loras College.

Center Ashley Nekola scored 10 of her team-high 18 points to give the Dutch a 32-29 lead at the half.

Loras (5-9 overall, 3-3 conference) opened the second half with a 9-2 run and opened up a 38-34 lead. After Central battled to cut the Duhawk lead to 41-40, Loras went on an 11-0 spurt for a 52-40 advantage with 9:46 left to play.

“Loras attacked during the first five minutes of the second half,” said coach Natalie Nakic. “We talk about the controlling the first five minutes. Loras’s press made us uncomfortable. Good teams do that.”

The Dutch (1-12 overall, 1-5 conference) battled back to make the score 61-58 with 39 seconds left in the game, but that was as close as they would get.

Loras then sealed the victory by making eight consecutive free throws.

Junior guard Morgan Martin scored 13 points and freshman forward Emily De Jong added 11. Nekola led all rebounders with 10, for her first double-double since returning to the team after a semester in Europe.

“We are getting better,” said Nakic. “We shouldn’t have been in this situation though. We need to get better at maintaining the lead. We have to fight the fight.”

The Dutch are back in action on Wednesday when they take on Luther at 6 p.m. in Decorah.