Fast start not enough for Storm against Loras

INDIANOLA, Iowa - The Simpson men's basketball team raced out to a 15-point lead in the first half but Loras couldn't miss in the second half en-route to an 86-65 win in the Iowa Conference opener for both teams on Wednesday night.

Loras - which entered the game with two wins over top-5 teams - closed the first half on a 23-6 run and put it out of reach with a 16-4 run to start the second. The Duhawks (8-4, 1-0) shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half and nearly 52 percent for the game.

The duo of Chad Gutschenritter and Austin Hennings ran the show for the Storm (2-10, 0-1). Hennings scored a game-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks and Gutschenritter finished with 18 points on 3 of 5 shooting from 3-point range.

The point guard/post combo was the key to Simpson's early success. Hennings scored eight points and Gutschenritter added seven and hit two 3s in the first six minutes as Simpson built a 21-6 lead.

Aaron Schueller's 15 points led a balanced Loras attack that saw five players reach double figures for Loras. Ryan Coon added a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Next up for Simpson is a trip to Cedar Rapids to face Coe on Saturday, Jan. 11. The Kohawks (8-4, 0-1) lost to Buena Vista 69-61 at home on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. following the women's game.