Central Men's Basketball Team Loses Close Game to Wartburg

Slow second-half performance dooms Central in conference matchup

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The Central College men's basketball team led for much of the game against Wartburg College on Saturday, but a poor second-half showing resulted in a 70-63 loss for the visitors.

Why it matters

This was an important conference matchup between two rival schools, and the loss is a setback for Central's hopes of making a deep postseason run this year.

The details

Central held the lead for nearly half the game, but Wartburg was able to pull away in the second half, outscoring Central 40-29 over the final 20 minutes to secure the victory. Central struggled to find their rhythm offensively in the second half, allowing Wartburg to take control of the game.

  • The game was played on Saturday afternoon.
  • Central led for a significant portion of the first half.

The players

Central College men's basketball team

The men's basketball team representing Central College, a private liberal arts college located in Pella, Iowa.

Wartburg College

A private liberal arts college located in Waverly, Iowa, and a conference rival of Central College.

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The takeaway

This loss is a setback for Central's basketball team, but they will have opportunities to bounce back and improve their conference standing as the season continues.