PELLA - The Wartburg men's basketball team fell 92-79 at Central College during its American Rivers Conference opener Wednesday evening. 

The loss snaps a five-game Wartburg winning streak over Central, while the Knights fall to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the conference. 

A slow first half haunted the Knights, as shooting woes plagued the Knights to a 15-point deficit at halftime. Wartburg shot under 30 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, while the Dutch claimed a 37-22 lead at the break. 

While the Orange & Black outscored Central 57-55 in the second period, the home team maintained at least a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest. 

The Knights trimmed Central's lead to 12 near the midway point of the second half as back-to-back three-pointers by freshmen AJ Becker and Jack Molstead capped off a 16-3 run with just over eight minutes left in the game. However, the Dutch regrouped and led the Knights into foul trouble as the visitors committed 10 in the final minutes. Central converted 21 free throws on the night. 

Max Smith Drahos led Wartburg with a season-high 21 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. Smith Drahos and Molstead each tallied a trio of three-pointers, contributing to the Knights' season-high 10 made field goals from beyond the arc. Camry Moore added 12 points and Ryan Stulken totaled a team-high eight rebounds. 

Wartburg totaled a season-high 14 steals while forcing 23 Central turnovers. 

Up Next
Wartburg has another A-R-C road contest this Saturday, Dec. 7, traveling to Storm Lake, Iowa, to face Buena Vista University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.