Storm hold off Alma in season opener

WHEATON, Ill. – The Simpson women's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season in winning fashion, edging Alma 73-70 in a back-and-forth battle on Friday night the Beth Baker Classic.

The Storm (1-0) built a 36-27 halftime lead and stretched the margin to a game-high 15 early in the third quarter. The Scots (0-3) surged back with a 15-0 run to take a 51-48 lead late in the period. Simpson regrouped, reclaimed the advantage heading into the fourth, and then used a 13-5 burst to push the lead to 67-58. Maddax DeVault scored nine of her game-high 22 points during the stretch.

Alma trimmed the deficit to one on three occasions, but Simpson locked down defensively and held the Scots scoreless over the final 1:40 to secure the season-opening win. The Storm shot 45.9 percent from the field while limiting Alma to 39.4 percent.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Maddax DeVault: 22 points, 3 steals, 3 assists
• Karsen Jacks: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
• Ella Anderson: 14 points, 5 rebounds
• Taylor Hansen: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Elle Street: 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, 2 blocks

NOTES

• Simpson is now 28-11 in season openers under head coach Brian Niemuth.
• Niemuth is now five wins away from becoming the 12th Division III women's basketball coach to reach 700 career victories.
• This was the first-ever meeting between Simpson and Alma.

UP NEXT
Simpson will face the winner of Lake Forest and Wheaton in the Beth Baker Classic Championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.