The Simpson College women’s basketball team mounted a valiant fourth quarter comeback but ultimately fell short, 76-69, to Saint Benedict on Saturday at the Gunderson Hotel and Suites Thanksgiving Classic.

Trailing by double digits in the final frame, the Storm (3-3) found their spark with a Morgan Pietig 3-pointer at the 7:57 mark, igniting a 15-5 run that brought them within a point at 70-69 with under a minute to play. However, following a timeout, Lauren Arnold buried a corner three to push the Bennies (3-1) ahead by four, a gap Simpson couldn’t bridge in the final seconds.

Simpson started strong, jumping out to a 7-2 lead, but a 20-9 Saint Benedict run left the Storm trailing by six at the end of the first quarter. The Storm battled back in the second, outscoring the Bennies 19-16 and tying the game at 35-35 on an Ella Anderson layup. However, a late 3-pointer by Kira Young sent Saint Benedict into halftime with a narrow edge. The Bennies extended their lead to six at the end of the third and led 65-54 early in the fourth before Simpson’s rally began.