Storm battle to the wire, fall to league-leading Coe

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson College women's basketball team battled to the final buzzer, but came up just short in a 68-65 setback to league-leading Coe (RV) on Saturday.

Coe (12-3, 6-0 A-R-C) scored the opening basket before Simpson (7-7, 3-2 A-R-C) answered with an 11-0 run and led the rest of the first half. Taylor Hansen paced the Storm early with 12 first-half points as Simpson took a 32-26 advantage into the break.

Momentum shifted in the third quarter when Coe heated up from beyond the arc, knocking down five 3-pointers and outscoring Simpson 27-11. The surge gave the Kohawks their first double-digit lead of the night, 53-43, entering the fourth.

Simpson made one final push behind 11 fourth-quarter points from Maddax DeVault and a clutch jumper from Doryn Paup that pulled the Storm within one, 66-65, with 35 seconds remaining. Coe's lead-scorer Audrie Helmrichs answered with a layup, and Simpson's potential game-tying three was off the mark in a 68-65 finish.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Maddax DeVault: 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
• Doryn Paup: 15 points (6-8 FG), 5 rebounds
• Taylor Hansen: 14 points, 5 rebounds
• Ella Anderson: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals
• Elle Street: 2 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts Central on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. before opening up a three-game road stretch.