The Simpson women’s basketball team (8-7, 3-1) notches their third straight victory Saturday against Luther (10-5, 1-3), maintaining second place in the conference, keeping their hopes to repeat as champs alive.

After a slow opening ten minutes, the women rattled the Norse with a full-court press. Simpson produced a hand full of turnovers to give them a spark.

The defensive front was powered by freshman Brittany Hedrick and Markayla Mahr. Hedrick played aggressive man-to-man defense while Mahr protected the lane.

Mahr recorded 5 blocks against Luther giving her a whopping 39 on the season; compared to the women’s opponents combined total of 28.

Senior Morgan Terpsta had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in the match. She has taken on this years leadership role being the lone senior on the women’s squad.

The Storm had four girls score double-digit points as the field goals began to drop (25-59) and the free throws followed (23-32).

The aggressive defense continued into the second half as the Storm stayed in front of the Norse, giving them a 79-71 win.

The women’s team is averaging 81 points per game in their last three outings.

“As always we are looking for a conference title and to get back to the NCAA tournament,” Terpstra said regarding the focus for the remaining conference play.