Women's Basketball | 2/17/2021 11:04:00 AM

STORM LAKE, Iowa (February 17, 2021) - The Buena Vista women's basketball team has wrapped up its home schedule for the regular season and will now finish the last four games on the road beginning tonight at 13th-ranked Simpson College inside Cowles Fieldhouse.

THE MATCH-UP 
Who: Buena Vista (1-3, 1-3A-R-C) at #13 Simpson College (4-0, 3-0 A-R-C) 
When: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 | 6:00 p.m. 
Where: Pella, Iowa | Cowles Fieldhouse 

MEDIA LINKS 
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/simpson/
Live Stats: https://simpsonathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/boxscores/20210217_dq70.xml
 
SERIES HISTORY 
This marks the 87th meeting between the two teams since the series began in 1976-77...Simpson has won four straight meetings and leads the all-time series, 52-32...BVU's last win over the Storm was a 74-62 triumph in Storm Lake back in 2017-18...since that victory, the Beavers have been held to 60 points or less in the last four match-ups.
 
LAST 5 MATCH-UPS 
Feb. 22  |  Simpson 76, Buena Vista 56  |  Indianola, Iowa
Jan. 15  |  Simpson 83, Buena Vista 60  |  Storm Lake, Iowa
Jan. 23  |  Simpson 75, Buena Vista 53  |  Storm Lake, Iowa
Dec. 5  |  Simpson 82, Buena Vista 56  |  Indianola, Iowa
Jan. 20  |  Buena Vista 74, Buena Vista 62  |  Storm Lake, Iowa

 
LAST TIME OUT 
Buena Vista rounded out its home schedule this past Saturday hosting Coe College on Senior Night.  It was a tight game throughout until the Kohawks pulled away in the closing two minutes of regulation en route to a 59-46 victory.  The Beavers held a slim 37-35 lead heading into the final stanza, but made just three field goals and three free-throws while Coe buried four long range buckets in the quarter to help extend the cushion late.  Sophomore Olivia Larsen turned in another solid all-around performance with 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and six steals.  Fellow sophomore Vanessa Hamlett followed with 10 points and eight boards.  BVU was held to only 30 percent shooting from the field while Coe ended at 40 percent.
 
ABOUT BUENA VISTA 
The Beavers, who are full off young talent, continue to grow into their individual roles and are getting a balanced effort at both ends of the court.  Sophomore Olivia Larsen continues to ignite the team at both ends, leading the team in scoring (15.5ppg), assists (4.2apg) and steals (5.5spg).  She ranks fifth in the American Rivers Conference in scoring and leads all of Division III in steals per contest.  Senior Cassy Miller has chipped in with 8.8 points per game, is second on the team with 15 assists and is averaging a team-high 37.8 minutes per outing.  Sophomore Vanessa Hamlett (8.5ppg) is also averaging better than eight points per game and leads the team on the glass with 8.5 rebounds.  As a team, BVU has been held to under 36 percent shooting from the field but has tightened its defensive presence by allowing just 62.0 points per game over the last two contests.
 
ABOUT THE STORM
Simpson is the lone A-R-C team without a loss on its resume this season and is one of nine teams listed in the latest d3hoops.com rankings without a loss.  The Storm have used their efficient offensive shooting to help lead the way early on.  The team, which is averaging over 80.0 points per game, ranks fourth in DIII in three-point makes per game (10.0) and is shooting better than 81 percent from the charity stripe.  Senior Jenna Taylor is helping to lead the way at 21.3ppg and a stellar 59.3 percent mark from the field.  She's currently 3.0 three-point makes per outing and shooting over 60 percent from long range.  Cameron Kincaid follows Taylor in scoring at 14.5ppg with Cassie Nash chipping in at 13.7ppg.  Hattie Rhodes is grabbing a team-leading 9.5 rebounds per contest with Taylor right on her heels at 9.3rpg.  As a team, Simpson is shooting over 41 percent from the field while holding opponents to only 34.8 percent.  Defensively, the team is averaging over 13 steals per game and forcing nearly 20 total turnovers per night.
 
UP NEXT 
The Beavers will continue their road slate by traveling to the University of Dubuque on Saturday, February 20, for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off against the Spartans.