MANKATO, MINN.—It was among the most torrid shooting nights for the Central College women's basketball team in recent memory, but coach Joe Steinkamp wanted to talk about the defense after an 81-54 rout of previously unbeaten Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) Friday night.
           
Central limited the Vikings (4-1) to an icy 18.8% shooting from the field. Guard Abby Olson and post Hanna Geistfeld each averaged more than 20 points a game through Bethany Lutheran's first four games but were stymied, shooting 8 of 36 from the field. The Vikings were 6 of 39 from 3-point range.
           
"We did a really good job of executing our game plan," Steinkamp said. "It was a team effort. We had multiple people helping out on those two players. Carson Fisk (freshman, Searsboro, Lynnville-Sully HS) and Ceora LeClaire (sophomore, Des Moines, Carlisle HS) did a really good job against (Olson). Payton Rogers (junior, Moravia) and Kendall Brown (senior, Moravia) played well against (Geistfeld) and we had really good help-side defense.
           
"I give a lot of credit to (assistant coach Amy) Briggs. She had it scouted perfectly for what we needed to do."
           
Central (4-1) shot 57.1 percent from the field. The Dutch jumped to a 13-2 lead and never trailed, holding a 39-29 advantage at halftime and breaking it open in the third quarter, 61-39.
           
Freshman Kelsea Hurley (Scottsdale, Ariz., Desert Mountain HS) appears increasingly comfortable each time out, pumping in a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Brown and Fisk each had 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Brown also had three blocks. Guard Emily Hay (junior, Stanwood, North Cedar HS) had seven rebounds and four assists. The Dutch were outrebounded 51-44.
           
"We just had a good balance of inside and outside scoring," Steinkamp said. "We were able to score in a lot of different ways. Kelsea (Hurley) shot well from 3-point range and was very efficient and Carson (Fisk) continues to get better every game. She was really good in transition."
           
The Dutch also got some valuable contributions off the bench from LeClaire in her first varsity game of the year.
           
"She played really well in a couple of JV games and so we decided we needed to give her a shot," Steinkamp said. "I was really happy for her. Those were her first meaningful minutes."
           
It was the second straight road win after a home-court loss to Knox College (Ill.) last Saturday.
           
 "This week has been really big for us," Steinkamp said. "We were really disappointed in how we defended last Saturday, but in the two games this week, it's like we're a totally different team."
           
But the week isn't over. The Dutch have their third game in four days, returning home to meet Iowa Wesleyan. Central outscored the Tigers (0-3) at Mount Pleasant last year 73-55. Game time is 7 p.m. at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.