Storm sweep Wartburg in road battle

WAVERLY, Iowa -- Conor Riordan and Kyle Wagner combined to score 62 points as Simpson won 87-73 over Wartburg on Saturday to snap a three-game skid in American Rivers Conference play.

Riordan tallied 31 points on 11 makes for his second 30-point performance this year, while netting 21 points in the second half to provide a spark. Riordan is now ninth in program history in career points with 1,445. Wagner went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc to grab a career-high 31 points. The Storm (11-12, 5-9 A-R-C) broke out of their shooting slump by connecting on 55% of their attempts for the team's first time going above 50% since their last win.

Wagner drained back-to-back triples to start the game by scoring the team's first eight points. The Knights (9-14, 5-9 A-R-C) battled back from the early deficit to tie it at 8-8, but the senior duo rallied for seven points to widen the margin to 15-10.

The Knights would come within one point on multiple occasions through the next 10 minutes of play, but couldn't get over the hump. Nick Janssen scored his second basket of the half to give Simpson its biggest lead up to that point at 37-30. The Storm aimed to go into half ahead by five points, but the hosts tallied a layup in the final minute to place the game at 43-40.

Simpson held a 51-47 lead five minutes into the second frame before the Knights went on an 8-0 run to take control. The A-R-C foes traded blows to knot the contest at 66-66 until Chris Honz made a layup to give the Storm the lead.

Riordan made seven-straight points to help stretch the tilt to 75-69 with just under four minutes to play. The duo of Riordan and Wagner teamed up for a 6-1 run down the stretch to put the lead at double digits at 85-72 to seal the deal.

Simpson shot over 90% for the second time all season at the free throw line by going 14-for-15. The Knights held a 37-31 rebounding edge and tallied five more assists, but the Storm took control in the paint by netting 40 points near the hoop, compared to Wartburg's 34.

Up Next
Simpson is back in Cowles Fieldhouse for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with No. 6 Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday.