Simpson holds off Loras, advances to championship

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Amy Hamilton (Ames, Iowa/Ames) scored a team-high 12 points and Stacey Schutjer (Titonka, Iowa/Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka) amassed her fifth double-double of the season as Simpson held off a scrappy Loras team with a 75-59 win Thursday night in the Iowa Conference Tournament Semifinals at Cowles Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Iowa Conference Co-Champion and second-seeded Storm (21-5) advance to Saturday's championship game, when they travel to Cedar Rapids to face fellow regular season champion and top-seeded Coe (19-7). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. at Eby Fieldhouse.

All 12 of Hamilton's points on the night came as a direct result of the 3-point shot – she hit 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and drew a foul on another attempt, making good on the ensuing free throws.

As a team, Simpson went 9-for-21 from 3-point range, connecting on six in the first half. Katie Kitzman (Gillman, Iowa/East Marshall) also knocked down three treys, finishing with 10 points.

Schutjer pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, scored 11 points and registered four blocked shots. Ali Sokol (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) came off the bench to score 11 points and Darrina Bledsoe (Glendale, Ariz./West View) handed out a game-high five assists.

Lindsay Bava scored 21 of her 25 points in the second half to lead the sixth-seeded Duhawks (13-14), which saw their season come to a close. Alex Hudson added 10 points and Mellissa Herrmann tallied five blocks.

Simpson led the game from the opening tip to the final buzzer, but endured a number of runs from the Duhawks. After trailing by as much as 22 in the first half, Loras mounted a 13-3 run in the final 7:30 of the frame to pull within 10 at the break.

Loras cut the deficit to single-digits on a Herrmann layup just over five minutes into the second half, making the score 44-35.

On the next possession Lisa Morrissey fouled Hamilton on a 3-pointer. Her perfect trip to the line sparked an 18-5 Simpson run.

With Simpson leading 62-40 with 7:42 left, Loras made one last charge, cutting the lead to 10 with a little more than two minutes left.

Hamilton effectively dashed the Duhawks' hopes on the next possession, canning a three to stop the momentum.

Championship Preview
Coe advanced to Saturday's final with a 69-64 win Thursday against No. 4 Buena Vista. Simpson and Coe split the regular season series, with each team protecting its home floor.

Saturday marks Coe's second trip to the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship, while Simpson is making its ninth trip in the 11-year existence of the tournament. The Storm have won the last two IIAC Tournament Championships.

You can listen to the game live on 105.3 KEDB FM or online at www.kedb.fm. Simpson student Quinn Albrecht will have the call from Cedar Rapids.

The winner of Saturday's game earns the Iowa Conference's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, which begins March 5. The tournament's selection show will be webcast on NCAA.com Monday, March 1 at 11:30 a.m. CST.