Moran Lonning’s first season as Central College women’s basketball coach kicks off with three home games before Thanksgiving.

Lonning, a former two-time Iowa Conference MVP at Luther College who served as the top assistant at Simpson College for six seasons, makes her head coaching debut Nov. 8 against Waldorf College in Forest City.

The Dutch then host three non-conference games, followed by three games in Illinois before tipping off the American Rivers Conference schedule with a Nov. 30 trip to Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

Enthusiasm is building for the Dutch, who return five starters from a COVID-disrupted 6-15 campaign, including a pair of all-conference performers. Guard Kelsea Hurley was tabbed for the third consecutive season while center Allison Van Gorp was also selected in her rookie season. Both were second-team picks.

Lonning is also putting together a junior varsity schedule that includes 11 games thus far.