Simpson College came up empty in both ends of an American Rivers Conference basketball doubleheader Saturday in Storm Lake, with the women falling 73-57 and the men dropping the nightcap 72-71 to Buena Vista in games heard live on the KNIA3 stream.

The Simpson women stayed within striking distance early, shooting an efficient 53 percent in the first quarter and trailing just 38-29 at halftime. But Buena Vista seized control in the third quarter, opening the second half on a decisive 16-to-3 run to create separation and put the game out of reach. 

Maddax DeVault led the Storm with 17 points, Keira McCormick added 10 points, while Elle Street and Ava Levings each chipped in eight. Simpson falls to 11-10 overall and 7-5 in conference play.

The Simpson men came within inches of stealing a win, but couldn’t convert on the final possession for the second straight game. The Storm jumped out early behind two Levi Gurwell three-pointers and led by nine in the first half before Buena Vista rallied to take a 37-32 halftime advantage. The second half featured multiple lead changes and was tied at 66 with under four minutes to play. After Buena Vista took a late lead, Calix Cahill hit one of two free throws to pull Simpson within one with 43 seconds remaining. The Storm came up with a defensive stop, but Isaac Averill missed a three-pointer on the penultimate possession, and Cahill’s last-possesion attempt also came up short.

Cahill led Simpson with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Averill added 13 points.

The loss drops the Simpson men to 8-13 overall and 5-7 in the conference. Both Storm teams will look to bounce back on Wednesday on the road against rival Central College in Pella. The games will be broadcast live on 94.3 KNIA.