INDIANOLA, Iowa (Nov. 22, 2022) – A strong, balanced performance from Loras College's men's basketball team propelled the Duhawks to a convincing 80-69 over Simpson College in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) opener on Tuesday night.

The Duhawks (2-2, 1-0 A-R-C) connected on just five three-pointers to set a new season-low, but were efficient from inside the arc as a 30-for-46 (44.8%) shooting performance was enough to hand the Storm (4-1, 0-1 A-R-C) their first loss of the season.

Loras darted out to a big lead in the first half as the Duhawks took advantage of 14 fouls called against the Storm. The Duhawks made 13 of their 15 free throw attempts in the opening 20 minutes while going 14-for-34 from the field in the half.
Those 13 free throws, compared to just two for Simpson, played a huge role in the Duhawks taking a 43-26 lead into the locker rooms.

The Duhawk lead rose to as many as 21 points in the second half as everything looked to be going right on the offensive end for the visitors. Despite that sizable deficit, the Storm didn't go away quietly and began mounting a comeback attempt on their home court.

Simpson cut the Loras lead down to 11 points on four occasions in the closing minutes of the half, but it wasn't enough as the Duhawks had built up enough of a buffer to hold on for an 80-69 win to start conference play.

Four Duhawks finished in double figures, led by an 18-point performance from sophomore guard Ali Sabet. Sabet was followed closely by junior guard Declan Ciurlik, who filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists, and 16 points thanks in part to two three-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 output from the free throw line.

Sophomore forward Alex Singleton tallied 14 points on an efficient 6-for-7 performance from the field while sophomore guard Tyler Bass notched a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

Loras will get back to action with a nonconference matchup this Saturday, Nov. 26 when the Duhawks host North Park University at Lillis Court at 4 P.M.