Big second half propels Storm

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Simpson erased a four-point, halftime deficit by outscoring Dubuque 53-34 in the second half of a 91-76 win at Cowles Fieldhouse Thursday night. The win gives Simpson a five-game winning streak, its longest of the season.

Originally scheduled for Wednesday night, the game was rescheduled because of an ice storm that hit central Iowa and cancelled classes at Simpson.

Simpson (14-3, 7-1 IIAC) led by as much as 12 in the first half, but Dubuque rallied to take a 42-38 lead at the break. The Storm dominated the second half, hitting 53 percent of its field goals and all 15 free throw attempts in the final 20 minutes.

Junior Amy Hamilton (Ames, Iowa/Ames) led Simpson with 17 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-of-11 from behind the arc. Darrina Bledsoe (Glendale, Ariz./West View), the conference leader in assists and steals, finished with nine and four, respectively.

The Storm featured a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures. Katie Kitzman (Gillman, Iowa/East Marshall) chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, Stacey Schutjer (Titonka, Iowa/Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka) added 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Mindy Hutchcroft (Steamboat Rock, Iowa/AGWSR) came off the bench to contribute 10 points.

Krystal Parr led the Spartans (10-7, 4-4 IIAC) with 19 points. Parr connected on 5-of-10 three pointers. Mollie Whiting had 17 points and Jennifer Nichols added 14.

Simpson hit 18-of-18 free throws in the game and outrebounded Dubuque 43-34. The Storm scored 36 points off 25 Spartan turnovers.

Simpson returns to action Saturday afternoon when it takes on Central at 2 p.m. at Cowles Fieldhouse.