WAVERLY—A 10-0 first-half run got the Central College men's basketball team rolling and the Dutch raced to a lopsided 81-49 American Rivers win at Wartburg College Saturday.
           
Freshman guard Brad Curren (Harlan) pumped in five first-half 3-point goals and finished with a career-best 19 points along with seven rebounds and two assists.
           
"He was really a difference-maker when they were packing it in on D and really made them pay," coach Joe Steinkamp said.  "He's one of the best shooters in the program."
           
Central (7-1 overall, 3-0 conference) was up 40-24 at intermission but then the Dutch further turned up the intensity, opening with a 16-0 run and holding Wartburg scoreless until the 13:43 mark.
           
"We've been giving up some points in the second half, so we really talked at halftime that we wanted to play a two-half defensive effort and I thought we really locked in," Steinkamp said. "That's what once the game."
           
Wartburg was limited to 26.5% shooting for the game and Central controlled the glass, 53-38.
           
"I think (point guard) Drew Edwards (5th-year, Eden Prairie, Minn.) set the tone with his defensive intensity," Steinkamp said. "They have a really good scoring point guard and Drew kind of locked him up, got through all the screens and didn't let them get their offense initiated."
           
All-American center Joshua Van Gorp (senior, Pella) dominated inside once again with 16 points and 12 rebounds in just over 22 minutes of action. It was his fifth double-double of the season and 12th of his career. That put him over the 900-point mark for his Dutch career as he now has 906.
Guard Kaleb Brand (senior, Mount Vernon) had 13 points and four assists. Edwards had nine rebounds and three assists while forward Grant Johnson (5th-year, Waukee, Van Meter HS) had eight rebounds and four blocks.
           
"I thought Grant might have had even more (blocks)," Steinkamp said. "He altered a lot of shots."
           
Steinkamp emptied the bench as 18 Dutch players saw action.
           
"It was really nice to get everybody in there," he said. "Everyone that played, played well and played hard."
           
Central is off until next Saturday when Coe College visits for an American Rivers women's-men's doubleheader at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The men's game starts at 4 p.m. Coe is 8-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play after a 78-66 victory over Buena Vista University at Cedar Rapids Saturday.
           
"We've been in game prep mode over the last few weeks so it will be good to get back to some competitive practices early in the week and then get ready for Coe," Steinkamp said. "Coe is off to a great start. It would be really helpful to have a rocking Kuyper Gym next Saturday."
           
A video webcast and live stats of Saturday's games will be available through athletics.central.edu. They will also be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) with Tyler Crabb and Central junior Shaffer Landuyt and can also be heard via kniakrls.com or through the KNIA-KRLS mobile app.