Photo by Paul DeCoursey Former Webster City standout Taylor McKinney looks to pass for Iowa Central against NIACC on Wednesday.

Taylor McKinney was the exact player Brian Ortmeier wanted with the ball in her hands late for the Iowa Central women.

Needing a bucket to stop a run by North Iowa Area, Ortmeier designed an in-bounds play that gave McKinney an uncontested layup as the Tritons scored a 64-54 victory here Wednesday night inside Hodges Fieldhouse.

McKinney, a former standout at Webster City, finished her collegiate debut with 11 points. Teammate Nevaeh Galloway recorded a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

“We have a lot of confidence in Taylor, and she showed why,” Ortmeier said. “She played like a sophomore would play in a game like this instead of the freshman that she is.”

Iowa Central (1-0 overall, 1-0 in ICCAC) led from start to finish, building a double-digit advantage early in the second. The lead would grow to as many as 17 before the Trojans (0-1, 0-1) made a run.

NIACC, which won the conference title and regional tournament last season, has just two players back from that roster. Behind the play of Kourtney Manning and Kayla Clewley, though, they cut the deficit from 17 to seven.

“I thought we got a little tired,” Ortmeier said. “You could kind of see that on their faces there late. It’s tough holding a lead, but they were able to respond and finish it off.”

Isabell West and Autumn Dykstra each added nine points for the Tritons, with Dykstra also recording nine rebounds. Galloway had six steals and four blocked shots, and McKinney dished out three of Iowa Central’s 13 assists.

“It was a great win and a great way to start the season,” Ortmeier said. “Now, we have to continue to work better moving forward.”

Iowa Central returns to action on Saturday, hosting Iowa Western. The Reivers posted a 74-46 victory over Iowa Lakes last night.

IOWA CENTRAL 64, NIACC 54

Iowa Central — Nevaeh Moeschter 3-14 1-2 8, Taylor McKinney 3-8 4-6 11, Jordan Engbrecht 2-6 0-0 5, Nevaeh Galloway 6-13 3-4 15, Isabell West 4-8 0-0 9, Autumn Dykstra 2-3 5-5 9, Sherynn Titus 3-4 0-0 7, Jacie Stephenson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 23-56 13-17 64.

NIACC — Kourtney Manning 6-14 3-3 16, Courtney Miller 2-3 0-0 5, Aaliyah Hill 2-8 0-0 5, Kayla Clewley 4-8 2-2 10, Abby Leach 2-11 0-0 4, Georgia De La Cruz 0-4 0-0 0, Haley Hungerholt 2-9 0-0 5, Czarina Mada 4-11 1-2 9. Totals: 22-68 6-7 54.

Quarter scores: Iowa Central led 16-11 34-24, 51-34. Three-point goals: Iowa Central 5-19 (Moeschter 1, McKinney 1, Engbrecht 1, Titus 1), NIACC 4-18. Total rebounds: Iowa Central 43, NIACC 38. Assists: Iowa Central 13, NIACC 7. Blocked shots: Iowa Central 3, NIACC 4. Steals: Iowa Central 7, NIACC 10. Turnovers: Iowa Central 25, NIACC 19. Fouls: Iowa Central 16, NIACC 19.