Still a step ahead of the pack in the American Rivers race, the Central College men’s basketball team needed another blue-collar effort to subdue Wartburg College 84-77 Wednesday while signs of progress weren’t enough for the Dutch women’s basketball team in a 65-57 loss to the Knights.

The Dutch (15-6 overall, 10-3 conference) remain just a game in front of the University of Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan University in the standings with three regular-season games remaining. 

Yet again, Central’s 6-foot-10 post duo logged a productive effort. Joshua Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) had 19 hard-earned points with seven rebounds and two blocks and Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) had his usual stat-stuffing night with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. It was his fifth double-double of the season. Meanwhile, Kade Terrell (5th-year, Montrose, Colo.) had 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while knocking down five 3-point shots. Wartburg (10-12 overall, 7-6 conference) led by as many as six points in the first half and came storming back after Central went up 70-57 with 3:50 to play, slicing the advantage to 74-70 with 1:56 left. But the Dutch made seven of eight free throw tries in the last 46 seconds to settle matters. The Dutch blocked another seven shots and lead the NCAA Division III with 6.1 blocks per game. 

Wartburg, who remained unbeaten in the American Rivers Conference, took a 34-17 halftime lead Wednesday but couldn’t shake a scrappy Central women’s squad. Center Allison Van Gorp (sophomore, Pella, Pella Christian HS) posted a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 12 points in notching her sixth double-double of the season and 10th of her career. That helped Central post a lopsided 51-34 rebounding advantage. The Dutch trailed by as many as 21 early in the second half, but steadily chipped away and when Van Gorp knocked down her first career 3-pointer in the closing seconds, Wartburg’s lead had melted to just six points. Guard Samantha Scott (sophomore, Davenport, North Scott HS) was a big part of the resurgence, draining three second-half 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 14 points.

Both of the Central basketball teams make their final regular-season home-court appearance Saturday, taking on Luther College in a women’s-men’s doubleheader.