The Iowa Central women were unable to keep the momentum from a strong first half going here Saturday, falling to No. 24 Iowa Western, 75-72.

Isabell West scored a game-high 30 points with eight rebounds and six assists while Nevaeh Galloway had her second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Tritons (1-1 overall).

Autumn Dykstra added 11 points with six rebounds and Nevaeh Moeschter had eight points and five assists. 

"Ultimately, it came down to second-chance points," Iowa Central head coach Brian Ortmeier said. "They had 25 offensive rebounds. We stressed coming into the game the importance of boxing out.

"Despite that, we took the No. 24 team down to the wire and I'm proud of the team for that. I was proud of their effort."

A quick start provided Iowa Central an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter. West scored 10 of her 30 during that opening stretch of play. 

The Tritons were able to maintain the advantage before the break thanks to their effective offense. Iowa Central shot 62 percent from the field over the opening 20 minutes including 6 of 8 from the 3-point line. West tallied 17 during that run, sinking three triples. 

In the second half, the Reivers relied on their balanced attack with five players finishing in double figures. Grassy Germano and Dustie Obah each scored 15 points with Brala Benion adding 12. 

The Tritons finished with 15 assists on 27 made field goals and shot 47 percent from the field. 

"I thought the girls played well together and passed the ball better," Ortmeier said. "We did a nice job of creating offense off our screens, which gave Isabell better space and a chance to score."

Iowa Central returns to action on Wednesday when they hit the road for the first time, playing at Ellsworth. 

-By Dana Becker