PELLA, Iowa - The Loras College men's basketball team came up short in a nail-biter, 78-76, to Central on Saturday evening. 

The tightly contested game between the Dutch and Duhawks featured 13 ties and 13 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than eight points.

Loras (10-4, 4-1 A-R-C) tied the game at 76-76 with 12 seconds remaining with a layup by Gavin Sarvis, but Central's Karson Wehde answered with a game-winning layup in the final moments to seal the victory for the Dutch.

Central (8-6, 3-2) was paced by a strong performance from Joshua Van Gorp, who scored a game-high 28 points, while adding eight rebounds, a block, and a steal to his stat line. Brad Curren and Wehde each contributed 15 points, while Owen Schipper added 10 for the Dutch, who shot 49.1 percent (28-of-57) from the floor and 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the free throw line.

Alex Singleton led the way for Loras with 21 points, three rebounds, and a steal. Sarvis added 17 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Jared Pearson chipped in 15 points and four rebounds, while Tyler Bass recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Duhawks. As a team the Purple and Gold shot 41.7 percent (25-of-60) from the field and 74.1 percent (20-of-27) from the charity stripe.

Up Next: Loras travels to Decorah, Iowa to face Luther College on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.