Storm ride big second half to third straight win

LINCOLN, Neb. – Maddax DeVault scored a career-high 18 points, Cassie Nash logged her 20th career game with 20+ points, and the Simpson College women's basketball team used a big second half to defeat Nebraska Wesleyan 94-48 in its first action of 2024 on Wednesday evening.

The Storm (8-6, 3-2 A-R-C) outscored the Prairie Wolves 22-5 in the third quarter and 36-9 in the fourth to earn their third straight win and third American Rivers Conference victory of the year.

FULL GAME SUMMARY

• Simpson got off to a slow start but soon found its groove and led 22-8 at the end of the first quarter.
• The visitors pushed their lead to 18 in the second before Nebraska Wesleyan (0-9, 0-4 A-R-C) rallied all the way back within two, 36-34, with a 15-2 run to end the half.
• The Prairie Wolves leveled the game with a basket on their opening possession of the third quarter, but Simpson scored the next 17 points to put the game away. Cassie Nash fueled the run with seven points and two assists.
• Maddax DeVault scored 11 of her career-high 18 points in the final 10 minutes as the Storm continued to distance themselves with 66.7 percent shooting from the field.
• Simpson ended the game on a 15-0 scoring spree to set the final margin at 46 points.

TOP STORM

• Cassie Nash: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists
• Maddax DeVault: 18 points, 2 steals, 2 assists
• Elle Street: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
• Molly Lutmer: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
• Doryn Paup: 6 points, 5 rebounds
• Dylan Holland: 4 points, 8 rebounds

NOTES

• The Storm improve to 3-2 in American Rivers Conference action and are now tied with Coe and Luther for third place in the league.
• Simpson has won four of its last five games, with its only blemish being a two-point loss to No. 8/9 Gustavus Adolphus.
• The Storm are now 21-4 against the Prairie Wolves and have won the last nine matchups.
• Simpson shot a season-high 52.8 percent and has scored 90 or more points in its last three games.
• Haley Rasmussen moves into a tie for ninth all-time in made 3-pointers (93). She has made at least one triple in 22 consecutive games dating back to last season.
• Cassie Nash now has 20 career games with 20+ points.

UP NEXT
Simpson plays its next two games on its home court against Luther and Buena Vista. The Storm will face the Norse (8-6, 3-2 A-R-C) on Saturday at 2 p.m. before hosting the Beavers (1-10, 0-4 A-R-C) on Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m.