FOREST CITY— The promise displayed by a high-energy comeback was undone by cold shooting down the stretch as the Central College women's basketball team saw its season opener spoiled 76-74 at Waldorf College Tuesday.
           
Down by as many as 14 points in the first half and 42-33 at halftime, first-year coach Moran Lonning's squad used a relentless full-court press to tie the game at 46-46 with 5:57 left using a 13-4 run. Central surged to a 74-70 lead with 2:00 remaining, only to go scoreless the rest of the way. The Dutch were 0-3 from the field and misfired on a pair of free throws in that span as a Sandra Christian lay-in with 3 seconds remaining gave Waldorf the winning margin.
           
"I think we're going to hit shots eventually," Lonning said. "But I think defensively is where we really turned the corner in the second half. We were able to get ourselves back into it with our press and ability to wear them down."
           
Central (0-1) shot 55.6% from the field during that third-quarter comeback but a chilly 32.1% for the game, including 20% from 3-point range on 6-of-30 shooting. The Dutch were also hurt at the foul line, hitting 55.2% (16-29) while Waldorf (2-3) connected on 72.0% (18-25). The Warriors shot 42.6% from the field.
           
"I think our urgency and intensity picked up in that third quarter," Lonning said. "Now we've just got to find a way to bring it at the beginning. But I was really, really proud of how the players battled back. They just clawed their way back into it."
           
Senior guard Kelsea Hurley (Scottsdale, Ariz., Desert Mountain HS) and sophomore transfer guard Samantha Scott (Davenport, North Scott HS) each scored 16 points. Hurley also had nine rebounds, three assists and a block without committing a turnover. Scott had six boards.
           
"In the second half, Kelsea really started being aggressive and hit some incredible shots," Lonning said. "But that's Kelsea. We all know she's capable of doing that every night."
           
Point guard Hannah Dau (sophomore, Paullina, South O'Brien HS) added 10 points while transfer guard Abby Johnson (sophomore, Ankeny) and guard Kassidi Steel (junior, New Sharon, North Mahaska HS) were each credited with three steals.
           
Lonning also liked the floor game of freshman point guard Jasmyn Williams (Denver, Colo., Arvada West HS), who had seven points and three rebounds.
           
"Jazzy was able to drive a little bit and Hannah (Dau) was able to drive a little bit and open it up for the other shooters," Lonning said.
           
The Dutch, playing without injured all-conference center Allison Van Gorp (sophomore, Pella, Pella Christian HS) were outrebounded 43-31 but forced 20 Waldorf turnovers, coming up with 12 steals.
           
While it was a disappointing debut, the opener served its purpose in giving the young squad some early lessons.
           
"I am glad I was put in this situation in my first game and I'm ready to learn from it as a coach," Lonning said. "It's still upsetting to lose, but in the grand scheme of things, we are going to learn from this and it will help us down the road."
           
Central makes its home-season debut Thursday against North Central University (Minn.) at 6 p.m. at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. It's the season opener for the Rams, who are coming off an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference championship, posting a 24-5 overall record and making a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament. Leah Szabla, former coach at Crown College (Minn.), is in her first season as head coach at North Central, where she previously served as an assistant.