The Dutch were down 33-28 at halftime, then cut the lead to three before a 14-0 run midway through the second half gave the Spartans a 55-40 advantage and put them in control for the remainder of the game. Central shot 35.1 percent on the game while the Dubuque sank 50.8 percent of their attempts, including nine-of-18 from long range. The Dutch held the advantage on the boards, outrebounding Dubuque 40-32.
Forward Keith Pedersen led the Dutch with his first double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and snagging 10 rebounds. Guard Zak Clark added 12 points while center Clint Driftmier had 11 points and moved up three spots to 20th among Central’s all-time leading scorers.
Dubuque had three players in double-digits led by Nick Thomas with 31 points, shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc.
Central dropped to 6-7 overall and 3-2 in Iowa Conference play, while the Spartans improved to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Central makes a quick turnaround by returning home to take on Simpson College in a women’s-men’s doubleheader Saturday, with the men’s game tipping off around 6 p.m. at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The two squads split a pair of games last season. Simpson was also on the road Friday, taking an 8-5 overall record and a 1-3 league mark into a game at Luther College.