Storm drop heartbreaker to Buena Vista despite 28 from Riordan

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Conor Riordan scored a career-high 28 points and the Simpson men's basketball team erased a 16-point deficit but Adam Juhl hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 14 seconds left as Buena Vista escaped with a 91-90 win in the Iowa Conference opener Wednesday night at Cowles Fieldhouse.

Simpson led by six after a 3 by Aaron Hauser with 2:22 left but Buena Vista scored the final seven points in a wild game that featured 12 lead changes, six ties and a 22-point swing.

Leading 90-88 with the ball and under a minute to play, a Simpson turnover—just its sixth—gave the ball to Buena Vista. With the clock winding down, Thomas Wisecup found Juhl in the right corner for a 91-90 lead. After a missed opportunity on the ensuing possession, a missed free throw gave Simpson a final chance with 2.9 seconds left but Riordan's half court heave fell just short.

Billy Sparks came off the bench to score 22 points on 6 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc to lead the Beavers (4-1, 1-0), who built a 33-17 lead on a Sparks 3 with 8:21 to play in the first half. David Jeffries added 20 points and Wisecup finished with seven assists.

Riordan went 10-for-19 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range in 39 minutes for the Storm (2-4, 0-1), who dropped their third straight. Sam Amsbaugh added 16 points while Ben Rajewski and Tyler Stumbo had 15 apiece.

After back-to-back 3s by Sparks built Buena Vista's largest lead, an Amsbaugh lay-in sparked a 17-5 run to get Simpson back in the game. Neither team led by more than six points in the second half.

Key Players
Conor Riordan — 28 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4-9 3FGs
Sam Amsbaugh — 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists
Ben Rajewski — 15 points, 4-7 3FGs
Tyler Stumbo — 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6-8 FGs

Up Next
Saturday, Dec. 2 at Nebraska Wesleyan

Game Notes
• Simpson falls to 79-75 in the all-time series against Buena Vista and lost its fourth in a row.
• The Storm lost despite shooting 48.5 percent from the field and committing 10 fewer turnovers. Simpson handed out 18 assists and had just six turnovers on the night but were outrebounded by 19.
• Amsbaugh reached double figures for the 11th straight game dating back to last season. His seven assists are a career-high.