The first half of American Rivers Conference basketball came to an end Wednesday evening as Central played host to Buena Vista. The Dutch women clinched their first three-game conference winning streak since 2002 with a 71-56 victory. Central raced out to a 26-10 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. The Dutch only scored 12 in the second quarter, but held the Beavers to just 10.

Kendall Brown once again led the Dutch in scoring with 13 points, but it was the play of reserve post player Payton Rogers. The junior from Moravia was all over the court, recording her first career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.

While Central had 23 turnovers and would still like to see that number drop, the three straight consecutive wins matches the win total from last season, and is a step in the right direction for a relatively young team that is playing their best basketball of the season. Central improves to 11-6 overall and 3-5 in the conference.

The Dutch men could not hold on to an early lead, and fell to the Beavers 90-75. It was the ninth consecutive loss for Central. The Dutch had controlled the game for most of the first half, leading by as many as nine points midway through the period. Buena Vista battled back just before halftime to take a 45-42 lead, one that they never gave up. The Beavers led by at least 10 for a large portion of the second half, though Central got to within five at one point, courtesy of three consecutive three-pointers by Keaton Rodgers. Adam Flinn had a great offensive performance, leading the Dutch with 28 points, but a 50-30 rebounding advantage for Buena Vista is what set the Beavers apart. Central falls to 4-13 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

Both teams will return to action Saturday at Coe as the second round of conference play begins. Pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on 92.1 KRLS, with the opening tip of the women’s game at 2:00 inside Kohawk Arena in Cedar Rapids.