Senior duo leads Simpson in loss at Loras

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Seniors Adam Reiter and Kyle Wagner teamed up to both score 19 points in a losing effort for Simpson on Saturday as the Storm fell 85-67 at Loras to finish 1-1 on the week.

Reiter went 8-for-11 from the floor with five boards, and Wagner shot 50% overall and from behind the arc to lead Simpson (10-10, 4-7 A-R-C). The Duhawks (14-6, 7-4 A-R-C) had four players score in double figures, with two netting above 20 points.

A bucket by Wagner knotted the game at 7-7 in the first five minutes of play, which would be the last time the Storm had a shot at the lead. Loras then took off on a 10-3 spurt to pull away.

Nearing the end of the first half, a triple from Jared Bacon brought Simpson to within five at 36-31 with 4:18 left. The defense forced two turnovers to inch closer to regaining the lead at 39-35 after a basket by Conor Riordan. Riordan ended the half with a bucket to keep the game at a four-point margin at 41-37.

An 18-4 run to start the second half propelled the Duhawks out in front to 59-41. The Storm halted the momentum with an 8-0 spurt after back-to-back treys, but Loras responded with six-straight points. Later in the half, the hosts carried another run to extend the advantage to 20 points for the Duhawks' largest of the game.

Simpson finished with 20 rebounds for its lowest since grabbing 18 against Coe on Feb. 15, 2014. As a unit, the team shot 41.3% and allowed Loras to connect on 51.7% of its attempts. 

Up Next
The Storm will look to sweep Central on Saturday, Feb. 8 in a 4 p.m. contest in Pella, Iowa.