Reiter connects on game-winning basket against Coe

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Adam Reiter got off a last second shot that fell through the rim as time expired to give Simpson a 72-70 win at Coe on Saturday.

The victory was huge for the Storm (15-9, 9-7 American Rivers) as the team will host the Kohawks (14-11, 8-8) in the opening round of the American Rivers Conference Tournament next week.

Reiter made a free throw will 25 seconds left to give Simpson a slim lead at 70-68, but on the ensuing possession he was committed with a foul and put Adam McDermott at the line. McDermott sank both attempts to tie the game.

After a timeout for Simpson, Conor Riordan was tasked with the last play and put up a 3-point shot that rolled around the rim and fell out towards Reiter, who was able to corral the rebound and kept his arms extended to get off his game-winning shot.

The game saw each team go on a large-unanswered run during the contest in the second half. The game clock just went under the 18-minute mark in the second when the Storm embarked on a 19-0 run that spanned nearly seven minutes of play. During that stretch, five different players scored and three made a triple, with Taylor Filbert leading with five points.

McDermott halted that run with a basket that sent Coe on a 24-0 run to bring the game to a tie at 61-61 with 3:30 left. Kyle Wagner stopped the momentum with two straight treys to stretch the lead to six at 67-61 with 2:30 to play.

Before all the excitement began in the second half, Simpson took a 39-33 lead into the break after shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 37.5 from three.

Wagner led the squad with 24 points and made six shots from behind the arc after not making one during the team's game on Wednesday against Central. Reiter ended with 14 points and two rebounds shy of a double-double with eight. Tyler Stumbo and Filbert combined for 20 points and 15 rebounds coming off the bench.

For the Kohawks, Nolan Timp ended with 21 points and 11 rebounds. McDermott ended his night with 13 points.

TOURNAMENT TALK

The Storm are now the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Coe on Tuesday. The third-seeded Wartburg will host No. 6 Dubuque. Top-seed Nebraska Wesleyan awaits the winner of Simpson and Coe and Loras will play the winner of the other first round matchup.

GAME NOTES

This Storm made four free throw attempts in the win, their second-lowest output of the season in a victory. Coe never held a lead bigger than four points all game. That is the closest game Simpson has won since defeating Central, 64-63, on Jan. 18, 2017 at home.

UP NEXT

Both teams meet again on Tuesday in the opening round of the A-R-C Tournament. The game will begin at 8 p.m. inside Cowles Fieldhouse.