WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg men's basketball got back on track today with an 81-67 win over Simpson College. The victory moves the Knights to 15-4 overall and to 8-2 in American Rivers Conference play.
Game Summary
The contest got under way with layups from each team, but it was Wartburg who jumped in front early to a 10-3 lead. The Knights continued their hot start with 10 more unanswered points that was capped off by a
Drew Olson three-ball to make the score 20-3 with just under 13 to play in the half.
After a Simpson made three, the Wartburg lead was cut down to 10 points with over nine minutes to play in the half. The Orange & Black closed the half on a 21-14 run after a
Davis Roquet three-pointer and a layup from
Marshun Williams gave Wartburg a 44-27 lead heading into the break.
The Knights were led by
Jack Molstead in the first half, who was doing a little of everything for the Orange & Black, having recorded 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the first half.
The second half got under way slow offensively, but both teams settled in after baskets from both sides. The Knights kept the foot on the gas throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half, ballooning the lead all the way to 28 points after a Williams put-back with 12:41 to go.
The Knights controlled the rest of the game through defensive stops and dominating points in the paint. Wartburg held the Storm's offense to just 37.5% from the field and doubled Simpson's rebounding total (50-25). The Knights scored 50 of their 81 points in the paint today and shot 55.6% as a team from the field.
Game Leaders
Molstead was today's high-point man with 20 points from 50% shooting from the field and 33.4% from three. The Charles City, Iowa native was tied for a team-high in rebounds with 7 and he also added four assists to lead the Knights offensively.
Drew Olson led the Knights in assists with six, despite a quiet shooting night. The senior guard played 20 minutes tonight and finished with nine points from 50% shooting from both the field and from beyond the arc. Olson also continued to lead the Knights defense in steals, recording five in today's contest.
The Orange & Black had three other players record a team-high seven rebounds in
Keagan John,
Codey Hicks, and
Cade Daugherty. Both John and Hicks scored an efficient nine points, having shot 66.7% and 80% from the field respectively. Daugherty grabbed seven boards off the bench and added two points and a steal in his 18 minutes of play.
Next Time Out
Men's basketball will be in action next on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to Luther College to continue A-R-C play.
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