Lutmer, Nash fuel Simpson to 77-66 road victory

DECORAH, Iowa – A couple of outstanding fourth-quarter performances by Molly Lutmer and Cassie Nash fueled the Simpson College women's basketball team to a crucial 77-66 road win over Luther on Saturday afternoon.

The Storm (12-9, 7-5 A-R-C) led by just one going into the final period but got a combined 23 points from Lutmer and Nash to pick up the 11-point victory. Lutmer was 4-for-4 behind the arc during the quarter, while Nash exploded for 11 points, five rebounds, five steals, two blocks and two assists in the final 10 minutes.

Together, Lutmer and Nash scored 51 of the Storm's 77 points on the day. Lutmer notched her fifth game of the season with at least five 3-pointers, while Nash collected her second straight double-double and first 30-point performance of the year. She also brought down a career-high 17 rebounds and recorded seven steals and four blocks, both season highs.

With four regular season games remaining, Simpson sits in fifth place in American Rivers Conference standings. The Storm are just one game behind Coe and Dubuque for third place and two games behind Loras in second.

BREAKING DOWN THE GAME

• The Storm led 15-14 after a back-and-forth first quarter that saw four lead changes and three ties.
• An 11-0 run in the second period put Simpson ahead 29-19, but the Norse finished the half strong and closed the gap to two, 38-36, at the break.
• Luther rallied late in the third quarter to take a 53-51 advantage with 29 seconds left, but a 3-pointer by Molly Lutmer pushed Simpson in front by one heading into the final 10 minutes.
• The Norse scored the first four points of the fourth quarter before Lutmer and Cassie Nash took over the game, combining for all 23 of Simpson's points to secure the victory.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

• Cassie Nash: 30 points, 17 rebounds, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 3 assists
• Molly Lutmer: 21 points (5 3FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Haley Rasmussen: 9 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
• Dylan Holland: 6 points, 5 rebounds

NOTES

• Cassie Nash needs just four more points to become the fifth Simpson women's basketball player to reach 1,500 career points. She is also 47 rebounds away from becoming the 10th player to surpass 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
• Nash now has five double-doubles, two 30-point outings and 23 games with 20+ points in her career.
• Nash is the first Simpson player to record more than 15 rebounds in a game since Jenna Taylor had 15 on Dec. 21, 2018. Her 17 boards are the third-most in a single game in school history.
• Molly Lutmer has five games with at least five 3-pointers this season, including three in the last two weeks. She leads the conference with 2.6 3-point field goals per game.

UP NEXT
Simpson has just a day to rest before going back on the road to face Loras on Monday night at 5:30 p.m. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Jan. 13 and will be the first of a three-game week for the Storm.