Dunlavy's double-double powers Storm over NWU

LINCOLN, Neb. - Tim Dunlavy registered his third double-double of the season and Andrew Dau continued his hot streak as Simpson defeated Nebraska Wesleyan, 73-65 Saturday evening at Snyder Arena.

Nebraska Wesleyan overcame a 14-point second half deficit to force a tie late in the second half, but Simpson answered with a 10-0 run to pull away down the stretch.

The win marks the second in a row for the Storm (3-7, 0-2 IIAC), which defeated NWU for the second time this season. The two teams met at the Jim Merris Tournament Nov. 21 at Jacksonville, Ill., with Simpson taking a 61-49 decision in that contest.

Dunlavy scored 20 points and pulled down a season-high 12 boards, leading the Storm to a 34-26 advantage in the paint.

Averaging 19.3 points over the last three games, Dau came away with 18 off 8-of-10 shooting Saturday night. The junior from Primgahr, Iowa, has reached double-digits in the last six games and in 8-of-10 contests this season.

Leading 36-26 at intermission, Simpson built its lead to 14 with jumpers from Robert King and Dunlavy to open the second half.

The Pairie Wolves (3-6) chipped away at the lead over the next 10 minutes, drawing even when a Nick Dinan layup made the score 52-52 with 5:44 remaining.

A pair of free throws from Zack Barragan on the next possession gave Simpson the lead and the defense held NWU scoreless on the next four possessions, sparking the 10-0 run that put the game out of reach.

Barragan finished with 14, knocking down three treys and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.

Andy Schweitzer led Nebraska Wesleyan with 16 points, while Nick Dinan paced the effort on the boards with 11 rebounds.

Simpson returns to action Jan. 2 in a non-conference game on the road at Elmhurst in Elmhurst, Ill. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.