Strong fourth quarter lifts Simpson to victory

WAVERLY, Iowa – The Simpson College women's basketball team engineered a late comeback to defeat Concordia Wisconsin 71-68 at a neutral site in Waverly on Monday.

Simpson (5-5) trailed 37-33 at halftime and entered the fourth quarter down seven, but the Storm turned up the defensive pressure and executed down the stretch to seize control. A layup by Elle Street tied the game at 61-61 with 3:41 remaining, and after the Falcons (2-8) answered, Taylor Hansen buried a clutch 3-pointer to give Simpson a 66-64 advantage with 2:19 to play. Maddax DeVault and Ella Anderson knocked down key free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the victory.

The Storm shot 52.3 percent overall, including 63.6 in the first period. Hansen and Anderson combined for 14 of Simpson's 18 points in the frame, while DeVault carried the scoring in the second with nine of the team's 15.

SIMPSON LEADERS

• Maddax DeVault: 23 points, 5 steals, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
• Taylor Hansen: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
• Doryn Paup: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists
• Ella Anderson: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
• Elle Street: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists

NOTES

• Head coach Brian Niemuth is now one win away from becoming the 12th Division III women's basketball coach to reach 700 career victories.
• This was the first clash between the two squads since the 2000-01 season when Simpson was victorious 88-50.

UP NEXT
Simpson faces Lake Forest tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Waverly.