Central edges Simpson on final possession

PELLA, Iowa – A last-second layup lifted Central to a 62-60 win over the Simpson College women's basketball team Wednesday night in a back-and-forth American Rivers Conference contest.

With the game tied at 60 and just seven seconds remaining, Central's Emily Naughton converted a turnaround layup that rolled in with 0.1 seconds on the clock, giving the Dutch (10-12, 5-8 A-R-C) the narrow victory. Simpson (11-11, 7-6 A-R-C) had an opportunity to take the lead with 18 seconds left but could not convert, setting up Central's final possession.

The Storm built the game's largest lead in the opening quarter, using a 9-0 run to go ahead 13-7 and taking a 19-14 advantage into the second. Central answered before halftime, knocking down a pair of late threes to take a 36-35 lead at the break.

Simpson led 51-48 at the end of the third quarter after regaining momentum late in the period. Central responded with back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth to swing the lead, and neither side gained more than a one-possession edge the rest of the way.

STORM LEADERS

• Taylor Hansen: 15 points, 5 rebounds
• Maddax DeVault: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
• Ella Anderson: 8 points, 3 rebounds
• Elle Street: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts Dubuque for Senior Day on Saturday at 2 p.m.