This week in sports 11/23-11/30 (Thanksgiving Break)

This+week+in+sports+11%2F23-11%2F30+%28Thanksgiving+Break%29

by Chris Miller, Staff Writer

Men’s Basketball 

@ Loras 83-57 L

The Storm opened the week and American Rivers Conference (ARC) schedule with a loss at Loras. After trailing by only six points at halftime, the Duhawks went on a 35-12 run to put the game too far out of reach. The Storm battled back with a 10-0 run late in the game but it wasn’t enough. 

Game Leaders

Points: Curran – 15 Rebounds: Honz – 7 Assists: Curran and Eagleburger (tie) – 2

  1. Hannibal-LaGrange 62-60 W

The Storm started the first half shooting 58% from the field which allowed them to take a comfortable 34-26 lead at the half. The rest of the game, however, was action-packed. After being up 15 points with 12:27 left in the game, the Trojans stormed all the way back with a 24-9 run, tying the game at 59 with 1:37 to go. With 20 seconds left in the game, Curran drove to the hoop and missed a tough layup with 3 seconds to go but Swanson saved the day with a game-winning shot as time expired to win the game. 

Game Leaders

Points: Curran – 16 Rebounds: Swanson and Williamson (tie) – 6 Assists: Curran – 4

  1. Northland 75-74 W

Northland scored the first 11 points of the game, putting the Storm in an early hole. The Storm, however, was able to slowly chip away at the lead. A 16-4 run gave Simpson a 31-27 lead with 3:05 remaining before the half. Northland, again, would go on a run of their own to trail by one at half. In the final 11 minutes of the game, there were 14 lead changes, and no team led by more than two possessions. The Storm was led by Andrew Curran who shouldered most of the scoring in the second half, scoring 19 points. Down 70-71 with 36 seconds left, Curran hit a three-pointer to take a 73-71 lead. Northland missed on the next possession and Chris Honz rebounded, giving his first double-double of the year. Curran would get fouled and sink two free throws to put the Storm up 4. Northland made a three-pointer as time expired, but still came in a point behind. The Storm remained undefeated at home and moved to 3-3 on the year. They will travel to Cedar Rapids to face the Kohawks on Dec. 4. 

Game Leaders

Points: Curran – 28 Rebounds: Honz – 11 Assists: Curran and Honz (tie) – 4

Women’s Basketball

@Loras 85-79 W

The Storm began the American Rivers Conference opener with a remarkable shooting performance. The Storm shot 60.3% from the field, the highest shooting percentage since 2019 against Concordia-Moorhead. Shooting 77.8% from the field in the first quarter provided an early 31-19 lead. The second quarter was all Duhawks as they outscored the Storm 20-6 to take a two-point lead at the half. The three-pointers started to fall for the Storm, they shot 6-7 from beyond the arc and outscored Loras by 15 in the third quarter. Simpson at one point led by 20 in the fourth quarter but the Duhawks were not done scoring. They went on a 19-4 run and cut the lead to 3 points, however, the Storm hit some free throws to seal the deal and come out victorious. 

Game Leaders

Points: Nash – 18 Rebounds: Taylor – 8 Assists: Kincaid – 8

@Wisconsin-Eau Claire 72-70 L

The Storm traveled to Wisconsin La-Crosse for the first day of the Gundersen Hotel & Suites Thanksgiving Classic. The Storm led at halftime with 40-32 in large part due to the three-ball; shooting 53.8% from downtown. Jenna Taylor provided 16 points in the first half to give them an early lead. The Storm continued their lead going up 11 points in the third quarter. The Blugolds would respond with a 21-6 run of their own and would take a 64-60 lead with 5:49 in the 4th. Back and forth scoring brought the game to a tie at 70. With only 22 seconds left, the Blugolds made a layup to go up two points with seven seconds left. The Storm tried to tie the game with a last-second shot but it didn’t go in, giving the Storm their first loss of the season.

Game Leaders

Points: Taylor – 27 Rebounds: Taylor – 9 Assists: Rasmussen – 6

@Wisconsin-La Crosse 70-56 W

The Storm started the game with a 15-3 lead and never looked back. The Eagles brought the game to within six in the second quarter but the Storm pulled away again leading 35-22 at half. Cameron Kincaid carried the scoring load with 14 first-half points. The second half consisted of back and forth scoring but with a big lead already in hand, the Storm was able to keep a double-digit margin and get back in the win column. 

Game Leaders

Points: Kincaid – 18 Rebounds: Taylor – 9 Assists: Rasmussen – 5

@Wisconsin Superior 77-50 W

The final game of the week for the Storm was a little less stressful than previous games. The Storm and Yellowjackets exchanged buckets in the first quarter but the Storm’s defense stepped up and caused many turnovers. The Yellowjackets finished with 30 turnovers in the game. A 14-0 scoring run in the second quarter by the Storm provided a comfortable lead throughout the game. The Storm at one point led by 34 in the second half. The women’s team improved to 5-1 on the year and stayed on the road as they head to Cedar Rapids to face the Kohawks on Dec. 4.

Game Leaders

Points: Nash – 22 Rebounds: Taylor – 9 Assists: Freland and Rasmussen – 4