Taylor drops 30 in Central’s basketball victory over Wesleyan

PELLA — Central College men’s basketball junior forward Colby Taylor of Creston had a career night Wednesday, going for 30 points in a 92-73 victory over Iowa Wesleyan.

Taylor knocked down 12 of his 14 shots and was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc. He added two free throws to tie a career high in points. Taylor also grabbed seven boards to go along with three steals and two assists.

“Colby let the game come to him tonight,” coach Craig Douma said. “He took the shots when they were open. He was able to get some switches and our guys did a good job of getting him the ball.”

The Dutch (2-0) put the pedal down early, taking a 49-35 lead into halftime before outscoring the Tigers (1-2) by just five in the second half. Central outshot Iowa Wesleyan 51 percent to 47 percent.

“We executed our game plan really well,” Douma said. “I think we came out prepared and ready to play.”

Central won the rebound battle 45-30, including 10-4 on the offensive end. Those 10 boards turned into 16 second-chance points. The Tigers were held without a second-chance basket.

“We did a great job covering the boards,” Douma said. “The put back points played a big role in the outcome of the game.”

Junior forward Ryan Kunkel (Solon) was not to be forgotten in the midst of Taylor’s big night, notching his first career double-double. Kunkel scored 13 points and brought down 13 rebounds, also adding three blocks.

Junior guard Pete Walker (Red Oak) joined the double-digit scoring party, tallying a career high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and four free throws.

The Dutch will have their first road test Saturday, traveling to Mankato, Minn. for a 5 p.m. tilt with Bethany Lutheran (Minn.). The Vikings are 0-2 on the young season.

“We have to learn to handle a long road trip,” Douma said. “We are going to do this back-to-back weekends and I think it will be a good learning experience for us as a team.”