PELLA—The score, much like the season record, was not reflective of the effort for the Central College women's basketball team Saturday.
           
No. 2-rated Wartburg College (25-0 overall, 16-0 Iowa Conference) flexed its league-leading muscle with a 73-52 win over the Dutch, who saw eight seniors wrap up their college careers.
           
Central (7-18 overall, 2-14 conference), which failed to reach the six-team conference tournament, could have made some early noise, trailing just 12-8 after the first quarter. But offense was the Dutch undoing as they shot just 27.3 percent from the floor and committed eight turnovers in the period.
           
"We knew they were going to make runs," coach Joe Steinkamp said. "We held them in check a little bit in the first quarter, but when you play a team like Wartburg, you can't just get stops, you've got to score with them, they're so good offensively."
           
That initial Wartburg run came at the start of the second quarter as the Knights completed a 15-0 burst and streaked to a 38-19 halftime lead, hitting 73.3 percent in the period.
           
But the Dutch wouldn't fade.
           
After committing 13 turnovers in the first half, the Dutch gave it up just four times the rest of the way and outscored Wartburg 18-17 in the third period.
           
"We executed the way we talked about at halftime," Steinkamp said. "We came out and got the shots we wanted. And we defended a lot like we did in the first quarter. It was really fun to watch us play for a stretch."
           
Guard Kylie Mack (Gilbert, Ariz.) notched her career-high in her final Central game with a team-high 12 points. Steinkamp was also happy to see Maddi Hennessey (senior, Robins) knock down a late 3-pointer, just her second bucket of the year, as all eight seniors saw action.
          
"Our seniors, and those two, in particular, I can't say enough about their attitude and enthusiasm," Steinkamp said. "Even when they're not in the rotation, they came to practice every day with a positive attitude and a willingness to work to make the other players better. It was really cool to see them have success in their final home game."
           
But the contest also marked the end of record-breaking careers for guard Emily Dine (senior, Oldsmar, Fla., East Lake HS) and forward Jackie Kriegel (senior, Marengo, Iowa Valley HS). Dine had six points but hit a pair of 3-point goals to tie her own school season record of 82. She also leaves with the single-game mark (11) and career record (225). Dine entered the game ranked eighth in Division III in 3-point goals made and ninth in 3-point goals per game (3.3). She was Central's leading scorer with 13.4 points per game and led in free throw percentage (80.0) as well.
           
Kriegel, who had two points and nine rebound with three assists, tied a school single-game mark with 22 rebounds against Dubuque December 2 and averaged a league-leading 11.6, along with 9.4 points a game. She and forward Kendall Brown (sophomore, Moravia) shot a team-high 50.0 percent from the field for the year.
           
Guard Jessica Helton (senior, Nevada) was the team's second-leading scorer with 10.5 points per game and was tops in assists with 3.5 per game while averaging 2.1 3-point buckets.
           
Other seniors included forward Tina Lane (Williamsburg), guard Alison Malaby (Mechanicsville)—a 25-game starter--and forward Emily Salvador (Burlington).
           
"They laid the foundation for the future of this program," Steinkamp said. "I was really proud of how they came to work every day. Even when we were mathematically out of the conference tournament, it didn't change their mood and it didn't change how they practiced. It takes a special group to be able to fight through those things. Even though they weren't able to experience all the wins they wanted to, they did a lot for this basketball program. It was a fun group to coach."
           
And as Steinkamp ends year one as a head coach, he senses momentum building for the Dutch.
           
"Our young kids really learned a lot from our seniors this year," he said. "I'm confident the group we have will work hard and make the sacrifices necessary to be a great team next year.
           
"It takes a group effort, but with contributions from the players already in the program and the recruits we're talking to or have already committed, the future is bright for Central women's basketball."
           
That confidence is also fueled by the other coaches on the Dutch bench.
           
"We'll continue to learn and develop," Steinkamp said. "I feel really good about the coaching staff, how hard they work and how well they treat the players. They're good coaches and good people who treat people right and want to be part of a great team with a family atmosphere."