Schutjer's 29 paces Storm in conference opener

PELLA, Iowa - It took all 40 minutes, but No. 23 Simpson began defense of its Iowa Conference crown with a win Wednesday night.

Stacey Schutjer scored a career-high 29 points and had eight rebounds and the Storm (4-1, 1-0 IIAC) survived 1-of-17 shooting from downtown in an 88-81 win over Central at Kuyper Gymnasium.

The nation's leading three-point shooting team a year ago, Simpson struggled from beyond the arc against the Dutch (1-5, 0-1 IIAC), a team it had beaten 15 straight times entering the night.

The back and forth contest featured 14 lead changes and 17 ties. Simpson led by as much as 10 in the first half, but Central crept back in the game and trailed 34-32 at halftime.

Central opened the second half with a 5-0 run, taking a 37-34 lead less than two minutes in. With 9:06 remaining, Alyssa Schwartz's lay-in gave the Dutch its largest lead of the game, a six-point margin at 60-54.

After head coach Brian Nieumth called timeout, the Storm responded with an 8-0 run capped off by a Jeni Hegstrom layup with 7:43 remaining.

The lead was short-lived, as Central responded with an 8-2 run, resulting in a four-point Dutch lead with just over six minutes remaining in the game. But a jumper from Schutjer and a layin from Katie Kitzman tid the affair again.

Central took the lead yet again when AJ Baker knocked down a pair of free throws to make the score 76-74 with 2:38 remaining. From there, Schutjer hit a pair of free throws to tie the contest and gave Simpson the lead with a layup at the 2:12 mark. Kitzman knocked down a jumper for a four-point edge and Darrina Bledsoe hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch in securing the victory.

Haley Brillhart led four Dutch players in double-digits with 16 points and nine rebounds. Melanie Hopkins snagged a game-high 10 boards.

Kitzman shook off an injury sustained in the first half to score 14 points. Bledsoe came away with six rebounds and four steals and tied Schutjer with a game-high four assists. Hegstrom grabbed four offensive rebounds and swiped four steals.

Simpson is set to take on Cornell in its next matchup, the final conference game before the holiday break. The Rams will visit Cowles Fieldhouse on Saturday for a 6 p.m. tipoff as part of a men's and women's doubleheader.