GRINNELL, Iowa – For fans wishing to see a thrilling basketball game, the wait was worth it Wednesday night.
The start of Grinnell College's women's home opener against Central College was delayed an hour due to a power outage earlier in the day. When the teams took the court at 8 p.m., it was the start of an action-packed affair.
In the end, Central held off the Pioneers for a 62-57 victory before a large crowd at Darby Gymnasium.
Erin Lillis '24 had another big outing for Grinnell (1-1), scoring 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. Lillis, who moved up to 14
th on Grinnell's all-time field goals list with 306, also had four assists and three steals.
Bailey Strovers '27 came up with eight points and six boards, while
Sara Booher '25 added nine boards and two blocks.
Skylar Thomas '26 grabbed seven rebounds.
Central (2-1), coached by former Pioneer assistant Justin Weiland, broke out to a 20-9 lead before settling for a 22-14 cushion by the end of the first period. Grinnell gradually clawed its way back in the second period, cutting the gap to 32-30 on a layup by Thomas with 2:43 left. However, the Dutch answered and were ahead 39-30 at intermission.
Grinnell trailed by seven points a few minutes into the third quarter before delivering a 9-0 run to take command. Lillis made a 3-pointer and layup to start things off, followed by a pair of free throws to tie the game. Strovers drove for a layup after that for a 45-43 Pioneer lead.
A 3-pointer by
Reese Stephens '27 later in the period put the Pioneers ahead by three, but Central rallied for a 50-49 edge entering the final frame. The Dutch held the lead for a good chunk of the fourth period, going ahead 56-51 with 3:50 left before the Pioneers made one final charge.
Lillis sank three unanswered buckets to push the hosts on top 57-56 with 1:29 remaining. But the Dutch came back with a basket and sealed the victory with four consecutive free throws.
Grinnell meets another American Rivers Conference squad, Coe College, at 7 p.m. Friday in Darby.
