GALLATIN, TENN.—Knocking down seven of his final eight shots, center Joshua Van Gorp (senior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) became the 32nd Central College men's basketball player to top the career 1,000-point mark but the Dutch couldn't counter a torrid 3-point North Park University (Ill.) shooting effort in an 88-76 defeat Saturday.
           
Competing in the second day of the Music City Classic in suburban Nashville, Tennessee, the Dutch (9-3) fell behind 16-13 at the 12:35 mark of the first half and never led again. North Park (6-7), a preseason favorite in the rugged College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, rained in 17 of 33 3-point shot attempts.
           
"They were shooting 27% from three coming into the game as a team and then they hit 17 threes," coach Joe Steinkamp said. "It was crazy. They really just made a lot of tough threes and that was the difference in the game."
           
North Park hit only 37.9% (11-29) from inside the arc. Central sank eight 3-pointers and shot 39.4% from the field. The Dutch, who lead the NCAA Division III in rebound margin, held a 45-35 advantage on the boards. They passed out 21 assists to 16 turnovers.
           
"I really like how we played," Steinkamp said. "I thought we got great shots. I thought we took care of the ball and we dominated the rebounding. More than anything, you just tip your hat to North Park. They played a great game and had some incredible shot making."
           
Van Gorp recorded his seventh double-double of the season and 14th of his career with 25 points and 16 rebounds after mustering only eight points in the first half on 3-of-11 shooting. He also had two blocks and two steals.
           
"He still got his 25 points," Steinkamp said. "They really had no answer for him."
           
Van Gorp now has 1,013 points, tying him for 30th on Central's all-time scoring list.
           
"It's really fun for him to get there," Steinkamp said. "It's a testament to how hard he's worked. He's having an unbelievable season and an unbelievable career. And the thing about Josh is, he doesn't care about individual accolades, he just cares about his teammates and winning. But it's so special to be able to celebrate these kinds of things when they happen. We're all happy for Josh. He just plays the right way. He's a great player and a great teammate."
           
Forward Kole Tupa (senior, Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) added a double-double of his own with 17 points and 11 rebounds along with six assists. Forward Kaleb Brand (senior, Mount Vernon) had 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals.
           
Central returns home to conclude the non-conference slate with a 5 p.m. game Tuesday against Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The Vikings are 9-2 after holding off Wartburg College at home Saturday 83-78. Central tumbled at Bethany Lutheran last year, 79-74 but leads the teams' series 11-5.
           
"They're really playing well of late," Steinkamp said. "They had some injuries early on but they're a really good offensive team and one of the top teams in their league. They beat us up at their place last year. We're excited to get back to work and get after it on Tuesday."