STORM LAKE—Central College secured at least a share of its 18th conference men's basketball championship Wednesday and did so with an exclamation mark, posting an 81-54 road runaway at Buena Vista University.
           
But hit the pause button on the celebration. One regular-season game remains for a chance at an outright crown as the Dutch (17-6 overall, 12-3 American Rivers) travel to Indianola to meet Simpson College Saturday in a 4 p.m. game that's part of a women's-men's conference doubleheader. Central is clinging to a one-game lead over Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Dubuque who both won Wednesday and stand 11-4.
           
"It's great to know we're conference champs but we're not satisfied, we've got a lot to play for," coach Joe Steinkamp said. "We want to win it outright and continue to keep playing our best basketball next week (in the conference tournament)."
           
The Dutch grabbed the opportunity Wednesday with two hands, bolting out of the gate to take a 28-13 lead midway through the first half and kept the accelerator floored throughout.
           
"(Buena Vista) actually took away our big guys for the first stretch but we shot the ball really well," Steinkamp said. "We got out in transition and got a lot of open shots. Kaleb Brand (junior, Mount Vernon) had three threes in the first half and we had a lot of hot shooting. We've always said when we make shots, we're really hard to beat."
           
Central was up 44-21 at halftime, hitting 53.1% (7-13) from 3-point range, while passing out 15 assists on 18 field goals. The Dutch had 24 assists for the game.
           
"No one cares about anything individually," Steinkamp said. "It's just all about team. It's amazing how much better you get in the season when everybody's on the same page and everyone's on board, working hard to try to make each other better."
           
Central's lead ballooned to as wide as 39 points in the second half on a floor that has been the scene of almost nothing but misery in recent years. In Central's previous 26 trips to Storm Lake, the Dutch were 2-24. But Wednesday's rout was Central's most lopsided in the teams' series since 1984, and its biggest at Storm Lake since 1979.
           
Brand finished with a game-high 16 points while forward Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, forward Kole Tupa (junior, Center Point, Center Point-Urbana HS) had 12 points and four assists and guard Kade Terrell (5th-year, Montrose, Colo.) had 10 points and eight rebounds. Guard Drew Edwards (senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) also had five assists.
           
Central outshot Buena Vista 50.8% to 33.9% and the Beavers were limited to 25.9% shooting in the first half. But the Dutch were outrebounded 35-34. Remarkably, Central shot just one free throw on the night in the swiftly played 75-minute game as the teams were only whistled for a combined 11 fouls.
           
Steinkamp emptied the bench in the final six minutes, with 18 players seeing action.
           
"Our bench players came in and did a good job, too," Steinkamp said. "It's good when you've got a long trip back and another road game later in the week, to be able to not extend our starters' minutes as much."
             
It's the first title for Steinkamp, who is in his rookie season as men's head coach, although he served as head women's coach for five seasons and spent 10 years as men's assistant. It's Central's first conference crown since 2014.
           
In addition to determining whether Central shares the title or wins it outright, Saturday's games will also help finalize seeding for the six-team conference tournament, which starts Tuesday. The top two regular-season conference finishers receive a first-round bye and host a semifinal round game next Thursday. The tourney winner receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
           
But Steinkamp and the Dutch have eyes squarely fixed on Saturday's contest at Indianola. Central outlasted Simpson 73-64 at Pella Jan. 18. Simpson  (12-10 overall, 5-10 conference) was topped at Nebraska Wesleyan Wednesday 74-57.
           
Saturday's game will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) with Tyler Crabb and can be accessed at kniakrls.com.