Late push not enough as Storm drop tight contest to Gustavus Adolphus

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Levi Gurwell and Cam Henderson combined for 36 points to power the Storm attack; however, Gustavus Adolphus erased a double-digit first half deficit to escape Cowles Fieldhouse with a 71-67 win.

The combination of Henderson and Gurwell not only accounted for over half of Simpson's 67 (3-7) points, but also managed to collect eight rebounds, and eight assists. Henderson led the Storm on the glass with seven boards and Gurwell paced the squad with five assists.

Seth Gipple was the next leading scorer at seven points off the bench while Calix Cahill added five points and six rebounds, and Isaac Averill accounted for five points and four assists.

As a team, Simpson shot 22-for-48 (45.8 percent) from the field, 8-for-20 (40 percent) beyond the arc, and 15-for-20 (75 percent) at the line. Simpson has now finished three contests shooting 45 percent or better from the field, and 40 percent from deep.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Henderson and Spencer Holley connected on a pair of early 3-pointers to fuel Simpson's 10-3 run to begin the match.
• By the 12:45 mark in the first half, Simpson had stretched its lead to double-digit, limiting Gustavus Adolphus to only five points.
• The Storm managed the largest lead of the game after a Gipple layup made it 26-12 with nine minutes to go.
• Simpson closed out the first half strong, holding onto a 40-30 lead heading into the locker room after shooting 54.5 percent from the field and not allowing a 3-pointer for the Gusties.
• The Gusties connected on two 3-pointers to jumpstart the second half with an 11-2 run to nearly wipe away Simpson's lead in the first five minutes.
• Both sides traded baskets and the lead back-and-forth until the Gusties took a 59-58 lead with five minutes to go.
• Simpson managed to cut the lead to just one twice in the final minute, but was unable to find the defensive stop or clutch basket in the final possessions to pull out the win.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Cam Henderson - 18 points, 6-11 FG, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Levi Gurwell - 18 points, 6-11 FG, 3-6 3-pointers, five assists
Calix Cahill - 5 points, 6 rebounds, 18 minutes
Isaac Averill - 5 points, 4 assists, 17 minutes

UP NEXT

The Storm return to action in two weeks time, traveling to Bethel on Tuesday, Dec. 30 for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off.