Storm see lead slip late, fall in A-R-C First Round

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Simpson College women's basketball team saw a late lead slip away and fell 66-58 to No. 4-seed Dubuque in the first round of the American Rivers Conference Tournament.

The fifth-seeded Storm pulled ahead 56-51 with under five minutes to play but could not sustain the advantage as Dubuque tied the game with 1:14 left and went 2-for-2 from the field and 4-for-4 at the line in the final 30 seconds to claim the win. Tabria Thomas scored 15 of her game-high 28 points in the quarter to help the Spartans (16-10) defend their home court.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Spartans led 10-7 at the halfway point of the opening quarter but Simpson (14-12) rattled off a 22-4 run extending into the second frame for a big 29-14 lead. Doryn Paup and Cassie Nash each had six points during the stretch as the Storm were 9 of 11 from the floor.
• After a Dubuque timeout, the Spartans finished the half on an 18-5 run to trail by just two, 34-32.
• The Spartans hit a couple of threes in the third to go ahead 43-38, but a 6-0 run by the Storm put them back in front and Nash scored the final three points of the quarter to tie the game at 47-all.
• Simpson used baskets from Dylan Holland, Nash and Molly Lutmer to earn a five-point advantage at 56-51 with 4:45 remaining in the contest.
• The Spartans began chipping away but a couple of free throws from Nash restored a three-point lead as the clock approached the final two minutes.
• A free throw and layup by Tabria Thomas leveled the game at 58 points and Morgan Hawkins gave her squad the lead with a pull-up jumpshot as the shot clock expired with just over 20 seconds left.
• The Storm came up empty on their next possession and Thomas scored the final six points of the game.

STORM LEADERS

• Cassie Nash: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks
• Doryn Paup: 9 points
• Dylan Holland: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
• Haley Rasmussen: 7 points, 3 steals

KEY STATISTIC

• The Storm held a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint but could not get things going behind the arc, converting just two 3-point buckets in 19 attempts.

NOTES

• Cassie Nash ends her remarkable career with 1,586 points (4th all-time), 492 rebounds, 377 assists (4th all-time), 359 steals (1st all-time) and 85 blocks (8th all-time). Tonight's game was her 26th time surpassing 20 points.