Storm lose overtime heartbreaker to Luther

INDIANOLA, Iowa - The Simpson men's basketball team got what it wanted on the last play of the game, but a near-miss is all it has to show for it.

Zack Barragan's (Ankeny, Iowa) 3-pointer as time expired rimmed in-and-out as defending conference champion Luther escaped Cowles Fieldhouse with a 74-71 overtime win Wednesday night.

Tim Merritt scored a game-high 23 points and tied a single-game school record with seven 3-pointers for the Norse (6-1, 3-0 Iowa Conference).

Merritt's game-tying 3 with 25 seconds left forced overtime. In the extra frame, his seventh triple a gave Luther a 72-69 lead, one it would not relinquish.

Reining Iowa Conference MVP Dane Larson scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and center Tyler Wedemeier had 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Barragan scored 18 points to lead the Storm (2-5, 1-2). Chad Boston (Des Moines, Iowa) added 17 points and five rebounds and Cornelius Mosby went for 13 and five.

Tightly contested throughout, neither team led by more than seven points. The game featured 15 ties and five lead changes.

Each team went 4-for-4 from the field in the final three minutes of regulation, neither willing to give ground. Elijah Knox (Scottsdale, Ariz.) gave Simpson a 67-64 lead on a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, but Merritt answered with a 3 of his own on the ensuing possession.

The Storm had the ball last in regulation, but Knox's step-back jumper from the top of the key as time expired was short.

With conference play finished for the calendar year, the Storm will host North Central (Ill.) in a non-conference contest Saturday, Dec. 10 at Cowles Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.