Amsbaugh powers Storm to 75-72 win over Coe

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Sam Amsbaugh had a Senior Day to remember, finishing with 33 points and nine rebounds, and the Simpson men's basketball team erased a double-digit defict to beat Coe 75-72 in Saturday's regular season finale at Cowles Fieldhouse.

Conor Riordan added 10 points, including a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch, and the Storm (13-11, 9-7) came back from 14 points down to win and secure the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Iowa Conference Tournament. Simpson will host No. 5 seed Wartburg on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Amsbaugh went 10-for-17 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free throw line for the seventh 30-point game of his career. He scored 25 points in the second half and helped seal the win by going 6-for-6 from the line in the final 21 seconds.

Despite a relatively quiet night, Riordan stepped up when it mattered most. With the game tied at 66, Riordan nailed a deep 3 from the left wing -- his only trey of the game -- to put Simpson ahead with 48 seconds left. Amsbaugh did the rest of the scoring from the free throw line.

Trevor Haaland's half-court heave as time expired was on-line but fell just short.

Matt Meyer had 15 points and Nolan Timp finished with 14 and 10 rebounds for the Kohawks (9-16, 5-11), who built an early lead thanks to strong post play.

Simpson cut the lead to five at halftime with a 13-4 run to close the first. Cayce Good came off the bench to hit a 3 with 55 seconds left to make it 34-29 Coe. Amsbaugh scored eight straight points as part of a 13-0 run in the second that put Simpson up 57-47.

When it looked like Simpson would win it going away, Meyer got Coe back in the game with seven points as part of a 12-0 run that gave Coe a 63-61 lead with 3:55 left.

John Barbee had eight points and six steals off the bench for the Storm.

Up Next
Fourth-seeded Simpson hosts fifth-seeded Wartburg on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the first round of the Iowa Conference Tournament. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from Cowles Fieldhouse.