A 36-point eruption from center Joshua Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) wasn’t enough to overcome a dismal shooting night for the top-seeded Central College men’s basketball team, dropping an American Rivers Conference tourney semifinal heard live on KNIAKRLS.com to fourth-seeded Loras College 79-67 Thursday.
Playing before a raucous P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium crowd, Central’s conference champs never led, staggering out of the gate and trailing 20-4 just over 6 minutes into the game. Central (18-7) was down by as many as 18 points in the first half. Central shot an icy 29.6% from the field in the first half and a meager 47.4% from the free throw line.
It was a bruising affair, with 45 fouls called and bodies frequently crashing to the floor. Central’s uphill climb got even steeper in the second half as forward Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter…
