Morrow posts double-double as Storm women hold off Coe

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Noreen Morrow scored a career-high 21 points and Maddie Bosworth hit four free throws down the stretch to hold off Coe as the Simpson women's basketball team prevailed 75-71 on Saturday.

Mackenzie Haupt scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half, Bosworth finished with 13 and Katie Ahrenholtz had 10 off the bench for the Storm (8-5, 1-1 Iowa Conference), who avoided an 0-2 start in league play.

Morrow added 11 rebounds – seven on the offensive glass – for her third double-double.

Aleena Hobbs had 24 points, Jenna Lehman had 14 and Mickey Hansche 11 for the Kohawks (9-4, 0-2), who dropped their second in a row after a 9-2 start.

Coe took its first lead since the first points of the game, 61-60 on a jumper by Hobbs with 6:05 to play in the fourth quarter. Simpson answered two possessions later, when Haupt had a steal and breakaway layup to make it 62-61.

The lead grew to 68-61 after buckets by Ahrenholtz, Haupt and Bosworth before a 3 by Hansche and a three-point play by Lehman pulled Coe within 69-67. Ahrenholtz answered with a strong drop-step lay-in to make it 71-67 with 1:32 left and Bosworth went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 21 seconds to close it.

Ahrenholtz scored 8 of her 10 points in the second half, going 5-for-6 from the field for the game.

Simpson jumped out to a 20-11 lead after the first quarter thanks to an early 10-0 run. After Hobbs opened the scoring, Simpson scored 10 straight, four each from Bosworth and Haupt.

Coe got back into the game in the second quarter, scoring the first eight points of the period. A Hobbs layup with 7:17 to play pulled the Kohawks within 20-19. Simpson held the lead until Courntey McCrary hit the game-tying 3 with 3 seconds left before halftime, making it 35-all.

Up next: Simpson hosts Loras in the conference home opener Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Duhawks (9-4, 2-0) beat Buena Vista 73-71 on Saturday.