No. 13 Storm defeat Loras in comeback fashion

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- A slow start plagued the No. 13 Simpson College women's basketball offense for the second time this week, but another comeback was executed to clinch a 98-91 victory over Loras to snap a five-game losing streak to the Duhawks on Saturday.

Loras (3-4, 1-3 A-R-C) charged out to a 14-0 lead halfway through the first before senior Raegan Boothe had a basket fall to snap the scoreless streak. The Storm (6-0, 5-0 A-R-C) executed a 7-2 scoring run at the end of the half to put the game at 28-18 in favor of the hosts.

Simpson erupted for 25 points in the second period and held Loras to just 10 for the turning point. The team shot 53.3% from the floor, while holding the Duhawks to three makes on 11 attempts. Senior Jenna Taylor nearly scored more points than Loras in the quarter by tallying nine, while sophomore Cassie Nash and Boothe each had four to help the Storm garner a 43-38 lead at the half.

Intermission didn't slow down the offense one bit in the third as they made 66.7% of their shots for 26 points. The Duhawks were able to knot the game at 50-50 halfway through the period and even took the lead at one point, but an 8-2 run to end the frame gave Simpson a nine-point lead.

The Storm kept the game out of reach by at least five points through the whole fourth quarter until 56 seconds left. Loras connected on a layup to put the game at 93-89 before Simpson made five free throws down the stretch to put the game out of reach and seal the victory.

Taylor had a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds to help the Storm achieve their first win at Loras since the 2012-13 season. Freshman Regan Freland scored a career-high 12 points, while senior Cameron Kincaid (19), Nash (16), junior Hattie Rhodes (11) and Boothe (11) all had double-digit efforts.

Simpson shot 55.0% overall for its highest output of the season with six 3-pointers. The Storm had 33 attempts at the free throw line with 26 makes to help the cause.

Up Next
Simpson travels to Luther (0-6, 0-5 A-R-C) on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. contest.