INDIANOLA, Iowa – Men's basketball went on the road and closed the regular season with a 75-65 win over Simpson College on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Wartburg has now swept the regular season series against Simpson in two-straight seasons.
Luke Ladwig led all scorers with 19 points as four Knights finished with double-digit scoring figures. Wartburg finishes regular season play with an overall record of 14-11 and an American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) record of 6-10. Simpson now moves to 9-15 overall and 6-9 in A-R-C play.
Game Summary
- First Half
- The Storm jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first three minutes of play after shooting 3/4 from the field to begin the game
- Gabe Trujillo scored the first Wartburg points of the game after a tip-in following an offensive rebound and then Luke Ladwig added a made jumper a minute later to make the score 10-4
- Trujillo, Drake Wemark and Ethan Yungtum all scored in the paint over the next three minutes to bring the Knights within four points with 10 and a half minutes remaining in the half
- Yungtum converted a three-point play
- Austin Bienemann nailed Wartburg's first three pointer of the game before scores from Yungtum and Trujillo tied the game at 18-18 with just under nine minutes left in the first half
- Following a three pointer from Simpson, Wartburg went on a 8-0 run to take a 26-21 lead with 6:33 left in the first half
- Cael Schramm, Bienemann and Ladwig all scored during the run for the Knights
- Ladwig connected on his second three pointer of the half and Wemark scored in the paint, but the Storm were able to tie the game at 31-31 with just over three minutes left in the half
- The Knights retook the lead following a jumper from Wemark and a three pointer from Brody Bauer to put Wartburg in front 36-31
- Yungtum added one more score for the Knights before halftime as Wartburg took a 38-34 lead into the break
- Second Half
- Wartburg scored six points in the paint to begin the second half as Ladwig, Yungtum and Schramm each made baskets in the first three minutes to put the Knights in front 44-36
- The Storm outscored Wartburg 7-1 over the next four minutes to cut the Wartburg lead to 45-43
- A three pointer from Lyle Olsen and a score in the paint from Trujillo gave Wartburg a 50-45 lead with just over 11 minutes left to play
- Simpson scored the next six points to jump back in front of Wartburg 51-50, but two free throws from Schramm and a triple from Bienemann gave Wartburg a 55-51 edge with 8:17 remaining
- Both teams traded scores as Schramm and Ladwig both scored for the Knights, but the Knights took a two-possession lead (62-56, 5:21) when a steal from Bienemann led to a two-handed slam in transition
- Back-to-back made jumpers from Ladwig kept the Storm behind by eight points with just under three minutes to go
- After a Simpson basket to bring the Wartburg lead down to six, Schramm scored in the paint to push the lead back to 68-60 with 1:15 left to play
- Ladwig, Yungtum, Olsen, and Bienemann salted the game away from the free throw line to secure a 75-65 win over the Storm
Top Performers
Notes/Streaks
- Knights complete regular season sweep over Simpson
- Fourth-straight win over the Storm
- Wartburg leads the all-time series 86-40
- Season-high in scoring for Ladwig (21)
- Sixth double double this season for Schramm
- Also sixth career double double
- 10th game this season with three or more steals for Bienemann
- Third consecutive game today
- Bauer has made a three pointer in three straight games
- Wartburg has shot 40% or higher from the field in 21/25 games this season
- 20th time this season with 10 or more offensive rebounds for Wartburg
Next Time Out
Following tonight's results, the Knights will need both Central and Simpson to lose on Saturday, Feb. 21 to reach the A-R-C Tournament as the sixth seed.
