Second half run fuels Simpson win over Westminster

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Charles Swain scored 16 points, DJ Dafney pulled down 13 rebounds and the Simpson men's basketball team beat Westminster (Mo.) 70-52 on Wednesday night.

Leading by eight at halftime, Simpson mounted a 26-4 run early in the second half to pull away for its second win in a row.

Dillon Gretzky scored 12 points and Sam Amsbaugh added 10 off the bench, hitting all four shots he took for the Storm (5-5).

Brandon Moore scored 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting for the Blue Jays (2-7). Averaging almost three 3-pointers per game, Simpson's defense held Moore to just 1-for-4 from beyond the arch.

Westminster cut Simpson's lead to five early in the second half but Gretzky stopped the mini-run with a 3 for a 37-29 lead. A short jumper by Cort Singleton and a pair of free throws by Austin Turner extended the lead to 12.

The run was just beginning.

The Storm defense suffocated the Blue Jays, allowed just one made field goal in a 9 minute stretch. A Mik Ebert lay-in finally stopped the run, but not before Gretzky (7) and Amsbaugh (6) combined for 13 points during the 26-4 run, resulting in a comfortable 60-33 lead.

Westminster came up with a late surge that cut the lead to 63-52 with 2 minutes left, but Simpson answered by spreading the floor and letting Swain create. The move resulted in back-to-back layups and a three-point play that put a bow on the win.

Up Next: Simpson makes the short trip to the Knapp Center in Des Moines on Monday, Dec. 22 to face Drake for the first time since 2003. The Bulldogs (2-8) beat Jackson State 76-66 at home on Monday and face Iowa State in the Big Four Classic on Saturday.