Simpson comeback falls short against Whitewater
INDIANOLA, Iowa - Facing UW-Whitewater for the third time in as many seasons but for the first time in the regular season, Saturday's result was all too familiar for Simpson.
Trailing by as much as 14, No. 19 Simpson came within a bucket of No. 9 UW-Whitewater on two occasions in the second half, but couldn't come up with the equalizer as the Warhawks (4-0) left Cowles Fieldhouse unblemished with an 83-70 win in the final game of the 2009 Simpson Storm Classic.
Though only the fourth game of the season for each team, Saturday's meeting had all the intensity and excitement of an NCAA Tournament game - where the two teams collided in each of the last two seasons. In 2008, UWW ended Simpson's tournament run in the Sweet 16 with a 96-69 win; last year, the Warhawks prevailed, 69-59 in the first round.
Sophomore center Stacey Schutjer led the Storm (3-1) in scoring with 21, followed by Katie Kitzman (12) and Emily Smith (11). Kitzman and Amy Hamilton - who lit up Nebraska Wesleyan for 25 points Friday night - earned all-tournament honors.
UW-Whitewater had four players in double-figures, led by Nicole Bundy with 23. Bundy shot 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, as the Warhawks were 10-for-19 as a team. Tournament MVP Heidi Sonntag went 3-for-4 from deep and finished with 13 points, while Kelsey Hendrickson dished out six assists on her way to all-tournament honors.
The Warhawks jumped out to a 17-4 advantage in the first four minutes and led by as much as 14 in the first half before Simpson settled down and cut the lead to seven at the break.
UWW's lead grew to 14 again in the second half after Chantel Burg knocked down a jumper at the 15:35 mark, prompting a Simpson run. Mindy Hutchcroft and Smith each had four points in the 15-3 run, capped off by a Hamilton three-pointer which made the score 56-54. Bundy answered with a three of her own, extending the lead to five.
The two teams traded baskets before Ali Sokol knocked down a trey, again bringing the Storm within two with 7:43 to go.
Simpson would get no closer, however, as the Warhawks answered with an 8-0 run and made 9-of-12 free throws down the stretch to seal the contest.
The Storm opens the Iowa Conference schedule Wednesday with a trip to Pella to face the Dutch in a 6 p.m. tipoff.
