Some offensive struggles combined with sizzling Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) shooting spelled an 89-70 loss for the Central College men's basketball team.
           
A second half run fizzled for the Dutch (4-7) as Bethany Lutheran (7-5) shot 52.3 percent from the field, including 52.2 percent from 3-point range.
           
Central wasn't at full strength, playing without guard Saad Ali (sophomore, Glendale, Ariz., Copper Canyon HS), and was also missing coach Craig Douma, who had to remain in Pella while recovering from a back injury. Assistant Obinna Agomo piloted the squad Tuesday night.
           
Agomo said Central had a hand in Bethany Lutheran's success.
           
"We gave them a lot of open looks," he said. "But they hit a lot of 3's from the wings and the corners. They really filled it up."
           
Down 45-37 at intermission, Central trailed by 14 with 18:10 left in the game. The Dutch clawed within 57-51 with 9:46 left, but a foul on a 3-point attempt gave Bethany Lutheran three free throws.
           
"That kind of turned the game around," Agomo said.
           
Central still had opportunities.
           
"We had about five stops in a row but we couldn't convert on offense," he said.
           
Guard Jaden Moody (junior, Cambridge, Ballard HS) had 23 points for the Dutch while Jamel McKnight (senior, Austin, Texas, Hendrickson HS) added 15 and forward Seth Wood (junior, Branson, Mo.) had 10 points and eight rebounds. Guard Adam Flinn (sophomore, Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette HS) had six assists.
           
"Jaden Moody played solid offensively," Agomo said. "He had the most efficient game."
           
But it was an uncharacteristic effort, he said.
           
"A lot of guys were going one-on-one," he said. "We've been a team that shares the ball but we had too many guys standing tonight."
           
Central shot 41.9 percent from the field, including 31.3 percent from 3-point range. The Dutch were also dominated on the glass, 41-27.
           
"It was kind of physical," Agomo said. "We have to be able to play through that physicality."
           
The Dutch have some time off for Christmas but return later next week to prepare for a flurry of American Rivers Conference action. A Jan. 2 women's-men's doubleheader with the University of Dubuque is the first of three home games in eight days. The men's game tips off at 8 p.m. at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. Live stats and a video stream of the action will be available through athletics.central.edu.
           
Dubuque is 6-3 after an 87-72 win over Rockford University (Ill.) in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tuesday. The Spartans have three other non-conference games before heading to Pella Jan. 2. They're 2-1 in American Rivers play, knocking off nationally ranked Loras College and edging Luther College but tumbling to No. 1 Nebraska Wesleyan University.
           
"We've got a lot of things to work on," Agomo said. "We've got conference play from here on out. We want to try to get back to the conference tournament and make another run. We need to get back to playing Central Dutch basketball the way we're capable of."