No. 8/10 Simpson defeats Vikings to wrap up 2021

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Cassie Nash posted her fifth 20-point game of the season, Kia Rasmussen surpassed 10 assists for the second time in her career, and the No. 8/10 Simpson College women's basketball team defeated Bethany Lutheran 89-76 in the final nonconference game of the season.

With the win, the Storm capped off the first two months of the season with an 11-1 mark, bringing their overall record for the 2021 year to 23-1.

Midway through the first quarter, Simpson broke a 10-all tie with a 15-4 run that saw scores from six different players. The Storm were 6-of-7 from the field during the stretch, helping Simpson to a 72.2 percent shooting clip in the opening frame.

After knocking down five three-point shots in the first quarter, the Storm were held scoreless behind the arc in the second frame and only managed to put 13 points on the board but held a 44-39 lead at the break.

Jenna Taylor opened the second half with a triple and Regan Freland scored the next five for Simpson as the team took a 60-47 lead with 6:45 left in the third. Bethany Lutheran (7-6) managed to battle its way back within three with a late third quarter push, but the Storm orchestrated a 17-3 run extending into the fourth to put the game away for good.

For the second night in a row, the Storm were led by Nash who came off the bench and shot a blistering 81.8 percent from the floor on her way to 21 points. She also added four steals, four rebounds, and two blocks.

Along with Nash, Taylor (16), Freland (14), and Cameron Kincaid (13) reached double figure scoring. Kincaid pulled down a season-high eight rebounds, and Rasmussen was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and a season-high 11 assists.

Simpson shot 54.5 percent from the floor as a unit, the highest scoring efficiency since shooting 60.0 percent on the same court against Loras back in November.

Up Next
The Storm resume conference play on Jan. 5 when they host Buena Vista inside Cowles Fieldhouse at 5:30 p.m.