Get to know the teams coming to Simpson this weekend

by Aaron Young

The Simpson College women’s basketball team was selected Monday afternoon to be hosts of the first and second rounds of the NCAA DIII National Basketball Tournament.

The Storm will face the Griffins of Westminster College (Mo.) on Fri., Mar. 1.

The other teams traveling to Indianola include the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point and Concordia College, Moorhead. Game times are yet to be determined.

About the Griffins

Westminster College (Mo.) is coming into the tournament with a record of 17-10, 14-2 in SLIAC action. Westminster is coached by Tracey Braden, who is in her sixth year as the head coach. She has guided the Griffins to a 95-58 overall record thus far during her tenure.

Being led by a dynamic duo in junior guard Leigh Ann Lutz and senior guard/forward Hannah Kloster, the Griffins are looking to end the Storm’s chances in a hopeful national title in Holland, Mich.

Lutz leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. The junior guard is a terror behind the arc, shooting 73-for-193 on 3-pointers (.378), and is an 86 percent free-throw shooter.

Kloster is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game. The senior guard/forward is shooting .447 on 130-for-291 shooting.

On the floor, you will likely the Griffin starting line-up to be: Lutz, Kloster, Kenna Cornelson, Talisha Washington and Laci Luff.

About the Pointers

UW-Stevens Point is coming into the tournament with a record of 23-5, 12-4 in WIAC action. The Pointers are coached by Shirley Egner, who is in her twenty-fourth year as the head coach. Last season, Egner led the squad in a 20-5 record and were co-conference champions.

The Pointers are led by senior guard in Sam Barber and junior post-player Myranda Tyler. One of five captains on the roster, Barber is leading the team with 18.7 points per game and is averaging 7.3 boards. Tyler is second on the team with 10.6 points per game and is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game as well.

On the floor, you will likely see the Pointers starting line-up to be consisted of: Barber, Tyler, Brooke Allen, Alyssa Olp and either Liz Althoff or Josi Schultz.

About the Cobbers

Concordia College, Moorhead is coming into the tournament with an overall record of 21-6, 19-3 in MIAC play. The Cobbers are coached by Jessica Rahman, who is in her ninth season as the head coach. In her first eight season as the head coach, she has guided the Cobbers to a 153-61 record. Last season, the Cobbers were 18-9 and 15-7 in the conference, losing to Gustavus Adolphus in the semifinal round of the conference tournament.

The Cobbers are led by senior forward Tricia Sorensen, senior guard Emily Thesing and sophomore guard Alley Fisher. Sorensen is averaging 13.9 points per game, which leads the team. Her 7.1 rebounds also lead the team. Thesing is averaging 13.0 points per game while the sophomore Fisher is scoring about 11 points per game of her own.

On the floor, you will likely see the Cobbers starting line-up be: Sorensen, Thesing, Fisher, Alexandria Lippert and Erika Jossart.

If the Storm defeat Westminster, they will face the winner between UW-Stevens Point and Concordia College, Moorhead on Sat., Mar. 2. The winning team will then move onto the third round of the national tournament on Mar. 8.