Second half struggles plague Storm against No. 2/11 Knights

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson College women's basketball team came out strong but couldn't sustain momentum in the second half, falling 61-49 to No. 2/11 Wartburg on Saturday afternoon at Cowles Fieldhouse.

The Storm (6-7, 2-2 A-R-C) jumped to an early 11-4 lead and controlled much of the first half, building an advantage of up to eight points in the second quarter. Wartburg (11-2, 4-0 A-R-C) responded with a critical 10-1 run to close the half, edging ahead 33-32 at the break.

Simpson's offensive efficiency cooled in the final 20 minutes, as the Storm were held to single-digit scoring in both the third and fourth quarters. Jaedon Murphy and Sara Faber led the Knights' second-half charge, combining for 19 of their 28 points after halftime.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Molly Lutmer: 15 points, 5 rebounds
• Doryn Paup: 9 points, 2 rebounds
• Morgan Pietig: 7 rebounds, 2 assists
• Elle Street: 5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds

NOTES

• With one made triple, Molly Lutmer became the eighth player in school history to reach 150 career 3-pointers. 

UP NEXT
Simpson returns to Cowles Fieldhouse on Wednesday to host Nebraska Wesleyan at 5:30 p.m.