Storm suffer road loss at No. 10 Nebraska Wesleyan

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Simpson men's basketball team looked to upset No. 10 Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday, but fell short, 86-64, to drop its second league contest in a row.

The scoresheet was fairly even between the two teams as both made nine triples and shot around 70% from the free throw line, but the Prairie Wolves (12-2, 5-0 A-R-C) outrebounded the Storm (7-6, 1-3 A-R-C) 41-29 to provide an edge. The effort provided a spark in the paint as Nebraska Wesleyan scored 46 points near the basket, compared to Simpson's 22.

The Storm shot 36.5% from the floor for their lowest this season, while the hosts connected on a blistering 56.9% to remain perfect in league play. Kyle Wagner was the lone Simpson player to reach double digits with 10 points.

Ahmed Musa tallied nine off the bench, and Adam Reiter and Jared Bacon each added eight points. Chris Honz made use of his time off the bench and went 3-for-3 from the field for six points. The Prairie Wolves showed their depth after four starters reached at least 10 points.

With the game planted at 15-10 in favor of the hosts, Nebraska Wesleyan issued a 9-5 run to put the game at 24-15. After a basket by Musa at the 8:29 mark, the Prairie Wolves ended the half on a 15-11 spree to place the game at 39-28 after sinking three triples during that span.

The hope of halftime stalling Nebraska Wesleyan's offense evaporated quickly after the team rattled off a 13-0 run in the first 4:41 of the second half, placing the game at 52-28. Conor Riordan broke the scoring drought to end the Prairie Wolves' spurt to set Simpson off on a 7-3 surge.

The freshman duo of Andrew Curran and Collin Lister provided a bright spot in the offense with five minutes left in the second half. Curran and Lister connected on back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to pull off a 9-2 run of their own, while Lister drained two. The baskets were the only points the tandem scored during the contest.

Up Next
The Storm host Central on Saturday for a 4 p.m. battle inside Cowles Fieldhouse.