Offense sputters as Storm fall to Luther

DECORAH, Iowa – Neither team found a rhythm offensively, but Luther made enough plays to beat the Simpson women's basketball team 45-35 on Wednesday night.

Britney Boland scored 10 points – the only player in double figures for Simpson – as the Storm (14-6, 4-5 Iowa Conference) shot just 22.8 percent from the field in one of the lowest scoring performances in school history.

Carrie Kilen scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Norse (16-4, 6-3), who avenged an overtime loss to Simpson just two weeks earlier. Simpson won that game, 88-81.

Simpson trailed 21-13 at the break and trailed by double figures early in the second half. Brittany Hedrick knocked down a jumper to get the lead back to eight and Boland added another, triggering an 11-2 run. Hedrick canned a 3-pointer and Whitney Van Wyk added a bucket to help the Storm pull within 25-24 at the 13:15 mark.

From there it was all Luther. Moran Lonning made a 3 to silence Simpson's run and a jumper by Kylie Romeo extended the lead to 34-24 with 9:02 to play. Simpson made just three field goals the rest of the way and couldn't get closer than seven.

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NOTES

Simpson's 35 points are the least scored by a Brian Niemuth-coached team and the third-lowest output in school history. Only twice has Simpson scored less in a game: 34 against William Penn in 1977 and 24 against Westmar in 1974-75, the program's inaugural season.

UP NEXT

Simpson goes to Central on Saturday, Feb. 7. The Dutch (9-11, 0-9) lost to Dubuque 68-52 on Wednesday. Simpson won the first meeting 70-46.