PELLA, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's basketball team suffered their second consecutive Iowa Conference loss to Central on Saturday, 72-61. Junior Justin VanWambeke led the Duhawks with 18 points and added four steals.

TURNING POINT
Early in the second half, the Duhawks found themselves ahead by five at the 19:06 mark, but a 18-2 run by the Dutch that spanned 6:30 of game time put Central ahead by 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Central (12-3, 3-1 IIAC) struggled from the floor early thanks in part to Loras' game plan on defense. Senior Mirko Grcic was tasked with guarding Central's Cobly Taylor and limited the forward to four points in the first half. The Dutch repeatedly looked for the outside shot, going 3-of-17 in the opening frame.

The Duhawks were patient with their looks and while they were limited to 24 percent shooting, they had great success driving the lane and drawing contact, resulting in 11 free throw attempts, of which they converted 10.

Loras turned Central's eight first half turnovers into seven points, while the Dutch were unable to capitalize on any of the Duhawks turnovers. Junior Justin VanWambeke led Loras in the first half with nine points, going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Second Half
With the one point lead to start the second stanza, the Duhawks came out of the break and scored two quick baskets to extend their lead to five less than one minute into the half. After a missed layup from Central's Austin Hauser, Tayor grabbed the offensive board and sank a layup from inside the paint to start what would become an 18-2 run.

Loras went cold from the floor, converting on one of their next nine shots and saw their lead evaporate. Once in control, the Dutch maintained a healthy shooting percentage, finishing the half at 18-of-31 for 59 percent. On multiple occasions, the Duhawks managed to cut into the lead, bringing the game to as close as six with 4:36 to play, but Central's timely and effective shooting prevailed, keeping Loras' comeback hopes quelled.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | On a night where he was limited in his shooting from the floor, VanWambeke made up for his shooting with his ability to knock down free throws, finishing 9-of-10 from the line. The Machesney Park, Ill. native added four rebounds and four steals, along with two assists.

SOUNDBITES | Greg Gorton


UP NEXT
Loras returns to Lillis Court for a pair of Iowa Conference games next week. They'll host Luther on Wednesday night. The Norse, who entered conference play with a 1-10 record, have won their last two conference games over Wartburg and Coe, and now stand in with a 2-2 record in the IIAC.