Simpson tops Coe, clinches home tournament game

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Simpson College women's basketball team secured a 68-58 win over Coe on Saturday, clinching a home game in the opening round of the American Rivers Conference tournament thanks to the victory and Central's win over Luther.

Simpson (13-12, 9-7 A-R-C) locked up the No. 4 seed in the tournament and will host No. 5-seed Luther (12-13, 8-8 A-R-C) for the first round on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Storm got off to a fast start, leading 7-2 before Coe (19-6, 13-2 A-R-C) answered with an 11-0 run fueled by three consecutive triples. Simpson regained control at the end of the first, finishing the quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 17-15 lead.
• Simpson extended its advantage in the second quarter, outscoring the Kohawks 23-12 and closing the period on a 13-1 run to carry a 40-27 lead into halftime.
• The Storm maintained double-digit leads for much of the third quarter. Coe trimmed the margin to 54-48 early in the fourth, but Simpson responded with a 9-2 run to push the lead back to 63-50 with 5:35 remaining
• Elle Street capped the game with a 3-pointer at the 2:09 mark to seal the Storm's victory.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

• Taylor Hansen: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Keira McCormick: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Maddax DeVault: 9 points, 2 assists
• Doryn Paup: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 ast
• Morgan Christian: 8 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds
• Ella Anderson: 8 points, 6 rebounds
• Elle Street: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS

• Simpson shot 53.7 percent from the floor (29-for-54) and 46.2 percent from deep (6-for-13). Coe was 38.5 percent overall and 30.8 percent behind the arc.
• The Storm won the turnover battle 16-9 and dominated the paint, 40-22.
• Simpson led for all but 2:31 of the contest. The Storm went in front by as many as 15.

NOTES

• Simpson qualifies for the conference tournament for the 25th time in the league's 26-year history of playoffs.
• The Storm finish the regular season ranked fourth in the conference. Simpson has finished fourth or higher for eight straight seasons.

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts Luther for the first round of the American Rivers Conference Tournament on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.