Men's basketball falls victim to second half comeback

DES MOINES - Kevin Smith scored a game-high 25 points and Grand View recovered from a 20-point, halftime deficit in a 65-57 win against Simpson on Tuesday night.

The Vikings (7-1) outscored Simpson 45-17 in the second half, erasing a 40-20 halftime deficit. Grand View opened the second half on a 26-5 run, taking a 46-45 lead on a Brad Burton layup with 8:46 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Zack Barragan on the ensuing possession gave the Storm (1-3) a two-point lead, which increased to three on a JJ Vanderheiden free throw. But a pair of Sean Jones free throws tied the game with just over 5 minutes remaining.

After an Elijah Knox three gave Simpson a 54-53 lead with 4:01 left, Grand View closed the game on a 12-3 run to complete the comeback victory.

Barragain led the Storm with 14 points, hitting 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Seth Hutcheson and Vanderheiden each added 10 points, as Simpson shot nearly 49 percent from the field.

Stefon Brown and Matt Fouch handed out four assists each to lead the Storm.

The Grand View defense tightened in the second half, forcing 14 turnovers which led to 16 points. Simpson scored only one point off Grand View turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

Simpson has the weekend off before opening the Iowa Conference schedule against Dubuque on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at Cowles Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.