Storm bounce back with 68-51 win over Curry

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- For the second straight game, the Simpson women's basketball team couldn't find its usual shooting touch.

This time around, it didn't matter.

Janey Botkins scored 15 points, Jenna Taylor had 10 and 15 rebounds, and the Storm overcame a subpar shooting night in a 68-51 win over Curry on Friday at the Cruzin Classic.

After seeing their four-game winning streak come to a close in Thursday's loss to Marietta, the Storm (8-2) got back on track thanks to a suffocating defense. Curry went just 18-for-61 from the field and never made more than five shots in a quarter.

Simpson didn't burn the nets on the offensive end -- shooting 30.6 percent -- but Botkins helped carry the offense. The junior 3-point specialist went 4-for-9 from beyond the arc in just 19 minutes of play, continuing her recent success. Botkins is 10-for-22 from 3-point range in the three games since the first semester ended.

The Storm took control of the game late in the first quarter and never looked back.

Taylor's layup with 3:40 left in the opening frame gave Simpson a 12-11 lead, sparking a 14-0 run. Taylor also made a 3 and hit two free throws, and an old-fashioned three-point play by Botkins made it 24-11 early in the second quarter.

Simpson led by double figures the rest of the way, building the lead to as many as 22.

Emily Irwin finished with 17 points and Peyton Perine had 13 for the Colonels (4-6).

Cameron Kincaid finished with nine points and seven rebounds and Kia Rasmussen added seven and four off the bench for the Storm.

STAT OF THE DAY

Taylor led a dominant effort on the glass. Simpson outrebounded Curry 57-40, including 22-11 on the offensive end. Simpson turned those offensive rebounds into 19 second chance points, compared to just five for Curry.

UP NEXT

Simpson will break for the holidays before taking part in the Loras Classic on Dec. 28-29. Simpson plays Elmhurst on Friday, Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. in Dubuque.