Storm remain perfect with double-digit win at Central

PELLA, Iowa -- It's been a while since RV Simpson College women's basketball has lost to RV Central, 39 games as a matter of fact, after the Storm added another triumph to the streak on Wednesday in a 77-61 win over the Dutch.

The Storm (4-0, 3-0 A-R-C) have now beaten Central (3-1, 3-1 A-R-C) by double digits in seven straight outings dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. During the team's current 39-game winning streak over the Dutch, Simpson has only won by less than five points on three occasions.

In a battle of American Rivers Conference foes that are receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top-10 Poll, the Storm ushered a 23-12 advantage after the first quarter on 40.0% shooting with five 3-pointers. The reigning A-R-C Player of the Week, senior Jenna Taylor, poured in 12 points to help garner the lead.

During the second stanza, Central brought the game to within eight points on two instances, but the momentum was stopped each time as junior Kia Rasmussen and Taylor each knocked down a triple. Simpson went into halftime with a 43-30 lead.

The offense slowed a bit in the third as only three players scored for the Storm. Senior Cameron Kincaid scored 11 of the team's 16 points in the frame, while senior Raegan Boothe added a triple and freshman Sophie Reed had a bucket.

The Dutch looked to rally in the fourth by starting the quarter on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 59-52 with 8:47 to go. Freshman Regan Freland connected on her first career 3-pointer to stop the run and put Simpson on the board in the fourth. Later in the period, a basket by junior Chloe Van Vliet at the 2:38 mark started a 7-0 spurt to give the Storm their largest lead of the game of 18 at 75-57 with under a minute to go.

The rivals shot nearly identical with Simpson holding a slight edge at 33.8%, compared to Central's 32.9% shooting clip. Both teams made 24 field goals, with the Storm draining 11 triples and the Dutch sinking just four shots from behind the arc on 31 attempts.

Taylor led all scorers with 23 points and 13 rebounds for her second-straight double-double. Kincaid added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior Kelli Hanson made three triples to score nine points off the bench for a new career high.

Up Next
Dubuque (4-4, 3-1 A-R-C) visits on Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest inside Cowles Fieldhouse. The Spartans just claimed a 69-61 over Loras tonight.