CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team avenged an early-season loss on Saturday afternoon, defeating Simpson 87-76 at Kohawk Arena to split the season series with the Storm. Coe and Simpson exchanged runs early in the first half, keeping the score close throughout. A late surge from the Kohawks gave the hosts a 12-point advantage at the break, leading 43-31. Simpson sliced into the lead a few minutes into the second half, closing the gap to six points with 15:47 to play. The Kohawks secured the win with a strong close to the game, putting together a late 9-3 surge to defeat the Storm. Coe's offense was clicking on all cylinders, producing four double-digit scorers with
Cael Schmitt, TJ Schnurr, John Steffen and
Greg Hall eclipsing the milestone. Schmitt matched his season-high with 26 points, shooting 10-of-21 and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.
John Steffen turned in his first career double-double, posting 14 points and 10 boards, five of which came on the offensive glass.
TJ Schnurr finished the game with 19 points and seven boards, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor.
GAME FACTS:
COE 87 - SIMPSON 76
- Coe and Simpson traded blows for the first few minutes of the game, each scoring six points in the opening possessions. The Kohawks then took the first real lead of the game, getting back-to-back 3s from Schmitt to jump ahead 12-8 with 16:44 left in the half. Simpson answered the run with one of its own, outscoring the hosts 7-2 over the next 3:14 to make it 15-14. The game continued to go back-and-forth, with Coe scoring seven-straight points in less than two minutes to regain a 21-15 lead at the 11:18 mark.
- Simpson got back within one point over the next couple of minutes, getting a 7-2 spurt to close the game to 23-23. The Kohawks again managed to respond with a run, scoring seven unanswered points during the following 53 seconds to regain a 30-22 advantage. Coe kept up its strong offensive play over the final minutes of the half, edging Simpson 13-9 to go ahead 43-31 after 20 minutes.
- The teams went back-and-forth at the beginning of the second half, trading five points apiece in the opening two minutes. Simpson began to claw back with 17:35 left in the game, outscoring coe 12-6 over the next two minutes to slice the deficit to six. Coe regained its offensive flow and slowed the run, trading buckets with the opponents over the next five minutes to maintain a 67-60 lead with 9:56 left.
- The offensive showcase continued for both teams during the next two minutes, combining for 16 points during the stretch. Coe, which edged Simpson, 9-7 over the span, began to pull away with six minutes to play. The Kohawks ripped off a 9-3 spurt to put the game away for good, extending their lead to 85-72 with 3:03 remaining. Simpson kept up the pressure throughout the final minutes but Coe handled the pressure and locked up the victory.
Up next: Coe returns to the hardwood on Wednesday for a midweek road game at Luther College scheduled for 7:30 PM in Decorah.
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