Brian Ortmeier knows the importance of these early-season games. 

The 16th-ranked Iowa Central women were able to improve to 3-0 on the year with an 80-61 victory over the Buena Vista JV here Tuesday night inside Hodges Fieldhouse.

While the final score might have made it seem like an easy night at the gym, Ortmeier saw it very differently. 

"We did what we had to do to get the win," Ortmeier said. "What I was most happy about was how persistent we were. We had lulls on offense and defense, but we were able to maintain our composure and overcome them.

"Games like this can help build your character for down the road."

Carley West found her groove over the final 20 minutes, scoring 15 of her game-high 22 points. She added 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals to lead the Tritons.

Autumn Dykstra had 15 points, five boards, two assists and two steals, Ashley Fountain added 11 points and four steals, and Taylor McKinney chipped in nine. 

"We were able to do some different things and get our bench in there again, which was big," Ortmeier said. "It's so important that we get those freshmen minutes to see what we can get out of them."

Iowa Central used a mini-run sparked by Dykstra in the third to gain control, taking a 57-38 lead into the final quarter. From there, they were able to keep the Beavers at bay. 

McKinney knocked down a triple midway through the fourth to put the lead at 75-45. 

Tessa Grooms chipped in eight points and six rebounds, adding two blocks and a pair of steals, while Emma Scurek had seven points.

The Tritons return to action on Friday night when they host the William Penn JV at 5 p.m.

-By Dana Becker