News Release

PELLA, Iowa — Laura Porter’s layup with 10 seconds remaining lifted the Central College women’s basketball team to a surprising 66-64 victory over Wartburg College Tuesday.

Porter scored a career-best 26 points, including 13 of the team’s last 15, as the Dutch overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to claim their second victory of the season. Central (2-14 overall, 2-7 Iowa Conference) topped the Knights for the first time in the teams’ last eight meetings. Wartburg defeated Central at Waverly Jan. 10, 76-60.

Wartburg (6-10 overall, 3-6 conference) was up 38-33 at the half and extended its lead to 59-50 with just 6:09 remaining. But Porter delivered eight unanswered points in the next 3 minutes to make it 59-58.

A 3-point basket by Jamie Frantz put Wartburg back up 64-60 with 1:46 left but again Porter answered with a layup and free throw with 47 seconds left to cut the margin to one. Forward Emily De Jong stole the ball with 19 seconds left, setting up Porter’s winning shot. After the score, Central guard Emily Conway stole the inbounds pass and added a free throw for the final margin.

“Our players stepped up when they needed to,” first-year coach Natalie Nakic said. “They’re finally getting that confidence. Some people took that confidence and rolled with it.”

Nakic counts Porter in that group.

“Laura Porter took accountability,” she said. “Everybody told her that she was our floor general. When she plays well, we play well.”

Porter also had seven rebounds and four assists for the Dutch. Center Ashley Nekola, saddled with four fouls much of the second half, had 10 points and six boards while freshman forward Emily De Jong had another steady performance with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Wartburg got a double-double from Megan Hendricks, who had 21 points and 11 boards. The Knights outrebounded Central 48-38, but neither team shot well from the floor. Wartburg connected on 39.7 percent to Central’s 37.9 percent.

Central, making only its second home appearance in the last six games, is back on the road for two more league contests this weekend. The Dutch are at Mt. Vernon Friday for a women’s-men’s doubleheader with Cornell College at 6 p.m. Saturday they journey to Dubuque to meet Loras College in a 4 p.m. twinbill. Saturday’s contests will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) and can also be heard via www.kniakrls.com.