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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Bethel University claimed a 34-31 lead over Simpson College going into the half, but it wasn't enough as the Storm rallied back to take down the Royals 81-63 in the season opener. Simpson shot a staggering 53.6 percent, including 60 percent in the second half to support a 50-29 second-half splurge that made the Storm too much to handle. Meanwhile, the Royals opened up the game with 47.8 percent shooting, but was unable to maintain the high performance as the second half finished with a field goal percentage of 34.
 
Bethel's Taylor Hall (Sr., Blaine, Minn.) had a monster performance in the first game of his final season, posting 32 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks in the contest – but the Royals totaled a field goal mark of 40 percent and a 25.0 3-point percentage. Hall completed 9-of-15 shot attempts and cashed in on 13-of-16 shots from the charity stripe.
 
Simpson took the early lead when AJ Arrington had a layup at the 16:06-mark to give the Storm an 11-7 lead. BU went on a 9-6 run that changed the landscape of the remainder of the first half, however. The Royals owned the lead throughout the rest of the period and even into the second, as the score read 40-37 with 16 minutes left in the game. Yet, it was Simpson who went on a 17-7 run over the game's next five minutes to secure a seven-point advantage. The Storm continued to increase the gap by putting pressure on both the front and back court with corner traps, which created numerous BU turnovers and several fast-break scoring opportunities for Simpson. By night's end the Storm outscored the Royals 20-12 in points off turnovers.
 
Beyond Hall, JD Robinson (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) was the only other Bethel player to score in double figures—draining 4-of-12 shots for 10 points and two assists. 12 of the Royals team members saw the hardwood Friday night.
 
Bethel held the advantage in several areas over its opponents, as the Royals not only outscored the Storm in second chance points (12-7), but also in points in the paint (32-28).  Nevertheless, BU was unable to handle the Storm that brewed a second-half explosion.
 
With the loss, Bethel drops to 0-1 on the season and faces St. Scholastica Saturday evening in the 6 p.m. game. The Saints fell to UW-Stout in the first game Friday night 82-51, which put the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils in the championship game tomorrow night against Simpson College Storm. Live webcasts will continue to be available for both games here.