PELLA, Iowa – The Loras College women's basketball team got back on track with a 74-61 win over Central College on Saturday afternoon inside P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.

The Duhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter, holding the Dutch scoreless for the first 4:40 of play. A three-pointer by Abby Johnson with 5:20 remaining in the first period put Central (10-12 overall, 4-9 American Rivers Conference) on the board, but Loras (17-3,9-2) responded with a pair of baskets by Claire Wagner and a layup by Megan Murray to extend the lead back to 10.

The Purple and Gold held a 20-10 advantage over the home team after 10 minutes of play.

The Dutch started off the second quarter with six straight points, cutting the Duhawks lead to just four, however, Loras answered back with an 11-3 run to put themselves ahead 12 points.

The Duhawks outscored Central by just one point in the second half (41-40), but the Dutch were unable to make up for the first half where they only shot 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from the floor.

Johnson led the way for the Dutch finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. Allison Van Gorp added in 10 points, eight boards and one block, while Emily Naughton dished out a team-high four assists in the loss.

Five Duhawks scored in double-figures in Loras' sixth consecutive victory over Central. Leading the pack was Wagner who totaled 13 points and five rebounds, while Silvana Scarsella and Sami Martin contributed 12 and 11 points respectively. Martin also pulled down a team-high eight boards, while Daniella Jarrell and Madison Haslow chipped in 10 points apiece in the win. As a team, Loras shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the field and 80 percent (16-of-20) from the charity stripe.

Up Next: The Duhawks return to Lillis Court on Monday, Feb. 5 to take on the Simpson College Storm. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.