The first slate of American Rivers Conference play wrapped up Wednesday night, as the Simpson College women’s basketball team outlasted Central College in an 84-79 overtime victory, while the Dutch men’s squad earned a 73-64 win over the Storm, with both games heard live on KNIAKRLS.com.

In the women’s contest, Central held the advantage for more than 37 minutes in the game, going up at halftime 36-31 and 53-47 after three quarters. Simpson, who remained within striking distance throughout the night, came back to take their first lead 63-62 with 3:52 remaining in the game. Both teams traded baskets for the remainder of regulation but ultimately neither team gained an edge as the game went to overtime tied at 70-70. In overtime, the Dutch and Storm matched either other shot for shot, but a key defensive stop and clutch free throws was enough for Simpson to extend their winning streak over the Dutch to 42 games. Haley Rasmussen scored a season-high 24 points to lead the Storm offensively, while Cassie Nash posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. Central was led by a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double by Allison Van Gorp, and 24 points from Kelsey Hurley.

The Simpson men grabbed the early advantage over the conference-leading Dutch, leading 21-10 at the 11:16 mark of the first half. The momentum quickly shifted from there as a pair of Storm technical fouls highlighted a 16-0 Central run, with the Dutch taking a 26-21 lead at the 6:49 mark in the first half. The Central lead held steady between four and eight points, as they took a 36-30 advantage into the intermission. The Storm hung tight with the Dutch in the second half, keeping the lead between five and 10 points, but Central held on to end the first round of league play atop the American Rivers Conference standings. Reigning conference player of the week Grant Johnson had a big night for Central, posting 22 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Simpson was led offensively by Andrew Curran with a 20-point effort.

The Central women’s team fell to 4-13 overall and 1-7 in conference action, while the men’s squad improved to 12-4 overall and 7-1 in league play. The Dutch start the second round of conference play on the road Saturday with a doubleheader at the University of Dubuque, that can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Simpson women improved to 9-8 overall and 4-4 in the conference, while the men’s team fell to 11-5 overall and 4-4 in the league. The Storm begin the back of ARC play on Saturday with a road doubleheader at Coe College that can be heard live on 94.3 KNIA.