Posted: Jan 15, 2016

First place on the line when Storm men host Dubuque on Saturday

INDIANOLA, Iowa - The Simpson men's basketball team hosts Dubuque on Saturday, Jan. 16 with a share of first place in the Iowa Conference on the line. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. from Cowles Fieldhouse.

Game Setup
Matchup: Dubuque (9-5, 2-1 IIAC) at Simpson (9-5, 2-1 IIAC)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 16
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Cowles Fieldhouse - Indianola, Iowa

Live Coverage
Live Video: SimpsonAthletics.com
Live Stats: SimpsonAthletics.com
Live Audio: kniakrls.com

Last Time Out
Sam Amsbaugh showed few ill-effects from a leg injury early sustained early in the week, scoring 21 points as the Storm pulled away for 78-60 win over Loras on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Ryan Skaar had 19 points and eight rebounds and Dillon Gretzky scored 12 of his 18 in the second half. Simpson went 13-for-13 from the free throw line in snapping a five-game losing streak against the Duhawks.

A look at Dubuque
The Spartans come into Saturday's contest 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the Iowa Conference. The preseason conference favorite had won five games in a row before suffering a 72-67 setback at Central on Wednesday. 2015 Iowa Conference MVP Andre Norris is the early frontrunner to win the award again, as he leads the league in scoring (23.3 ppg) and rebounding (12.8 rpg) while shooting 60 percent from the field (second in the IIAC). Norris ranks in the top five in Division III in defensive rebounds (1st, 11.27), double-doubles (2nd, 11), total rebounds (4th, 12.4) and field goals made (4th, 135). Kain Arthofer averages 14.7 points and Jacob Mohlis puts up 13.3 to go along with a team-best 37 3-pointers.

The all-time series
Saturday marks the 146th meeting between Dubuque and Simpson in a series that dates back to the 1919-20 season. Simpson is 65-80 all-time against Dubuque and has lost seven in a row. Since 2007-08 Simpson is just 2-16 against the Spartans. The Storm's last win in the series came in the 2012 IIAC Tournament, a 95-87 double-overtime triumph in Dubuque.

TOP 5 STORM STORYLINES

1. First place on the line
The Storm come into Saturday's game part of a five-way tie for first in the Iowa Conference standings. Simpson, Dubuque, Central, Buena Vista and Loras are all 2-1 in league play. Picked last in the IIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Storm have a chance to shake up the standings early in the season when they face off with the preseason favorite Spartans.

2. Storm look to remain perfect at home
Simpson is a perfect 4-0 at Cowles Fieldhouse this season, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 16 points per game. The Storm shoot a higher percentage (45.5% to 41.2%) and force more turnovers (19.8 to 16.6) in front of the home crowd. Simpson also makes more 3-pointers, hitting 9.3 per game at home compared to 8.3 in all other games.

3. Slowing down the MVP
Dubuque's Andre Norris is the most dominant player in the Iowa Conference and one of the top talents in all of Division III. He comes into the game averaging 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, but the 6-7 senior has averaged modest numbers in his career against Simpson. In seven games, Norris averages 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Those numbers are below his career averages of 17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 1.8 apg. He has never lost to Simpson, though, going 7-0 since his freshman season in 2012-13.

4. What a difference a year makes
It took the 2015-16 Storm just 11 games to surpass last year's win total. First-year head coach Brad Bjorkgren led Simpson to a 7-4 mark, the best record through 11 games since the 2006-07 team also went 7-4. That team finished 18-9, the program's last winning season. Simpson is currently 9-5, already a three-game improvement over last season.

5. Amsbaugh heating up
Sophomore forward Sam Amsbaugh has been on a roll as of late, averaging a team-high 19 points and 7.4 rebounds over the last five games. He is shooting better than 53 percent from the field during the stretch. In IIAC play, he is one of just four players averaging at least 18 points and eight rebounds per game (18.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg).

The coach
Brad Bjorkgren is in his first season as head coach of the Storm. The Simpson alum coached Urbandale High School for 27 seasons, winning nearly 400 games, nine conference championships and appearing in seven Class 4A State Tournaments.

Up next
Simpson hits the road on Wednesday, Jan. 20 when it travels to Waverly to take on Wartburg. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. from Levick Arena.