PELLA, Iowa (Jan. 7, 2023) – The winning streak finally came to a close at eight games for the Loras College men's basketball team as the Duhawks dropped their first American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) contest of the season on Saturday.

The Duhawks (10-4, 4-1 A-R-C) led by one at the half, but fell 83-71 to the Dutch (9-4, 4-1 A-R-C) after a long dry spell late in the second half that proved to be the difference.

This game didn't lack physicality as Loras was whistled for 27 personal fouls (17 for Central) with one flagrant and one technical foul handed out as well. The lead changed 18 times in the game, evidenced by a back-and-forth first half that saw each team lead by just six points at the most.

Just before the halftime break, sophomore guard Jared Pearson knocked down a three-pointer for the Duhawks that extended the lead to four, but Central's Kaleb Brand beat the buzzer with a three-pointer of his own to cut the Loras lead down to 36-35.

That blow-for-blow style continued early on in the second half as Loras found itself up by seven with 14 minutes to play. Junior guard Ali Sabet connected on three of his five three-pointers in the early going of the period as the offense started to get rolling for the Duhawks.

Sabet's final three-pointer came with just under 15 minutes to play in the game. Loras would make just five more field goals for the remainder of the game and found the bottom of the net just once in the ensuring nine minutes of play.

Despite that cold streak, a layup from freshman forward Jack Haynes with 6:20 remaining gave Loras a 59-58 lead. On the ensuring Dutch possession, sophomore Jared Pearson was tagged with a technical foul after he blocked a shot from Central's Drew Edwards.

Kade Terrell made both free throws before Grant Johnson connected on a three-pointer, making it a five-point trip for the Dutch. That sequence began a 13-0 run for Central that suddenly saw them lead by 12 at 71-59.

That proved to be the difference on Saturday as the Duhawks couldn't string enough stops and buckets together to make a dent in the Central lead, halting the Loras winning streak at eight games.

Sabet led Loras with 21 points as five of his seven field goals came from behind the arc. Pearson came off the bench to rank second on the team in scoring with 13 as he connected on three of his four three-point attempts.

Sophomore guard Tyler Bass also found his way into double figures with 11 points, thanks partly to a 4-for-4 effort from the free throw line.

Loras will look to bounce back with a rivalry game on Wednesday, Jan. 11 against the University of Dubuque. Tipoff at Lillis Court is set for 7:30 P.M.