Weathering the storm of 17 lead changes and a combined 64 turnovers between the two sides, the Central College women’s basketball team opened its season with a 72-71 road win at the University of Dubuque Saturday. It’s the fifth straight win over the Spartans for the Dutch. Central was playing its first game since February 25, 2020 while Dubuque tallied its first game in the delayed season.

Central took the lead for good when freshman guard Kassidi Steel’s layup with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter put the Dutch ahead 63-62. A tight game for 40 minutes, the biggest lead for either team was Central’s 71-66 advantage with 18 seconds remaining.

Kelsea Hurley led all scorers with 22 points, including a 4-7 mark from beyond the 3-point line. She added five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Despite having 31 turnovers, Central won the turnover battle as the Spartans committed 33. The Dutch registered 16 steals and scored 30 points off the turnovers.

Tying a school record, guard Emily Hay recorded seven steals while also leading the team with four assists. The Dutch got 12 points from guard Carson Fisk, who also notched a career-high five blocks.

Central is on the road next Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. game at Buena Vista University.