STORM LAKE, Iowa (Nov. 29, 2023) - The Buena Vista women's basketball team opened American Rivers Conference play inside of Siebens Fieldhouse on Wednesday night against visiting Central College, but the Beavers dropped a hard-fought contest, 88-70.

Sophomore Danika Demers went 3-of-4 from downtown and scored a team and season-high 17 points to help pace BVU. She also added seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Junior McKenna Cone followed with 13 points while Addison Weber drilled a career-high four long range treys for 12 points. She also dished out four assists.

The Beavers made a season-high eight shots from downtown in the contest, but the Dutch caught fire from long range in the final half, making 8-of-16 after going just 5-of-17 in the first.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the first quarter, but the Beavers still trailed 24-20. Central widened the margin in the second quarter by outscoring the Beavers 22-13 and led 46-33 at the break. BVU went cold in the quarter, making just 4-of-15 from the field.

The Dutch outscored BVU 44-24 in the paint for the contest and led by as many as 23 in the second half. After making 4-of-8 from downtown in the opening stanza, the Beavers went cold after that, converting only 4-of-16 the rest of the contest.

Abby Johnson made a game-high six three-pointers and turned in 22 points to lead the Dutch (4-3, 1-1), who have now won four straight games over BVU.

Buena Vista is now 1-3 overall (0-1 A-R-C) and travels to Coe College on Saturday, Dec. 2 for a 2 p.m. tipoff against the Kohawks.