LINCOLN, NEB.—The Central College men's basketball team traveled to Lincoln for its highly anticipated American Rivers Conference opener against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday, but ultimately fell short with a 67-91 loss.

The game was competitive for a large part of the first half and was even tied at 19 with just over seven and a half minutes left, but a 22-10 run from that point on put Wesleyan in control with a 41-29 halftime lead, and the Prairie Wolves never looked back. The rhythm of the game would stay the same until the final buzzer, as Wesleyan outscored the Dutch by 12 in the second half as well to cap off a dominant performance.

Grant Uecker (sophomore, Urbandale) and Owen Schipper (sophomore, Waukee) led the way offensively for Central, with Uecker putting up 15 points and Schipper adding another 13. Both sophomores shot 5-8 from the field, with Uecker going 5-8 and Schipper going 3-6 from beyond the arc. They also had seven rebounds each, which led the team.

Central is now 4-3 on the season (0-1 conference) and will look to bounce back with an away game against Buena Vista University on Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m.