Storm look to keep win streak going against Coe, undefeated Wartburg

The Simpson women's basketball team heads into this week looking to continue it's winning streak when the Storm travel to Cedar Rapids to take on the Coe Kohawks on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. and host the undefeated and second-ranked Wartburg Knights in Indianola on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m.

Simpson (10-4, 4-1) started off the year by tacking on two more conference wins, beating Luther 78-73 on Jan. 3 and Loras 80-72 on Jan. 6. The Kohawks (4-9, 1-3) sit in sixth in the IIAC standings while the preseason-favorite Knights (13-0, 4-0) stand on top of the board in the conference.

Todd Guessford will have the call for the video stream on Saturday's game on SimpsonAthletics.com. Pre-game begins at 1:45 on Saturday. Andrew Swadner and Rick Wilson will have the call for Saturday's game on KNIA 1320 AM/95.3 FM and online at KNIAKRLS.com.

THIS WEEK
Simpson (10-4, 4-1) at Coe (4-9, 1-3)
Wednesday, Jan. 10 — 6 p.m.
Kohawk Arena — Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Live Video | Live Stats

Wartburg (13-0, 4-0) at Simpson (10-4, 4-1)
Saturday, Jan 13 — 2 p.m.
Cowles Fieldhouse — Indianola, Iowa
Live Video | Live Stats

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1 — Simpson extended its winning streak to three games with wins over Luther (78-73) on Jan. 3 and Loras (80-72) on Jan. 6 at Cowles Fieldhouse. Janey Botkins led the Storm with 16 points, two assists and one steal in their victory over Luther. Four players reached double digits in points - Jenna Taylor (15), Ellen Gallagher (15), Noreen Morrow (14), and Victoria Hazard (10) - on Saturday's win against Loras.

2 — Simpson remains among the nation's best in team field goal percentage and has two players in the ranks of the nation's best. The Storm's 46.6 shooting percentage currently ranks 8th in Division III, jumping two spots from last week. Noreen Morrow is seventh in the country in field goal percentage (60.5) while Janey Botkins moved from 30th to 19th in the nation in 3-point percentage (45.7)

3 — The Storm shot 50.9 percent from the field in Simpson's 80-72 victory over Luther, the sixth time this season the Storm has shot 50 percent-or-better. Simpson shot 50 percent in just two games last season. Simpson leads the conference in field goal percentage.

4 — Noreen Morrow continues to close in on the 1,000-point milestone. Morrow's combined 29 points from last week gives her a total of 944 in her career. Though she averages 14.1 ppg, Morrow would need to average just 5.1 ppg the rest of the season to reach 1,000 points on the mark.

5 — Just a sophomore, Janey Botkins is already climbing Simpson's 3-point career leaderboard. . She reached 87 made 3s during Saturday's game against Loras, passing Chelsie Rohrs (86 from 2011-13). Botkins is tied in sixth place with Katie Kitzman (2008-10).

SERIES NOTES
Coe — Simpson and Coe meet for the 54th time in a series that dates back to the 1977-78 season … Simpson leads the all-time series 43-11 and has won three of the last five games against the Kohawks ... Simpson split contests last year, falling 70-65 on Jan. 14 at home and edging over the Kohawks 64-61 a week later on Jan. 21 in Cedar Rapids … the Storm are 20-5 against the Kohawks in Cowles Fieldhouse.
Wartburg — Simpson and Wartburg meet for the 84th time in a series that dates back to the 1976-77 season … Simpson leads the all-time series 52-32 but Wartburg has won five straight games … Wartburg secured two wins last season, beating Simpson 76-60 on Dec. 3 in Indianola and 80-62 in Waverly on Jan. 28 … the Storm are 28-16 against the Knights in Cowles Fieldhouse.

SCOUTING OUT THE OPPONENTS
Coe — Led by first-year head coach Kayla Waskow, the Kohawks enter Wednesday's game looking to get back on a winning streak due to a loss against second-ranked Wartburg on Saturday. Coe has lost three of the last five games, falling to Mount Mercy 70-60 on Dec. 19, No. 17 Gustavus Adolphus 79-45 on Dec. 22, and No. 2 Wartburg 85-75 on Jan. 6. Coe's last victory came before the new year against Monmouth, winning 72-49 on Dec. 30. The Kohawks are led by 5-10 senior guard Jenna Lehman, who ranks second in the conference in scoring with 17.2 ppg.

Wartburg — Led by 11th-year head coach Bob Amsberry, the Knights enter Wednesday's game against Luther looking to stay undefeated this season. Last time out, Wartburg defeated Coe 85-75 on Jan. 6, making it their eighth game winning by double digits this season. Wartburg currently ranks No. 2 (d3hoops.com) and No. 6 (WBCA) in the nation. The Knights are ranked in the nation's top-25 in assists per game (15th, 18.1), free throw percentage (16th, 75.4), field goal percentage (22nd, 44.7), and 3-point percentage (23rd, 36.0). Senior forward Miranda Murphy is ranked 10th in scoring (12.9 ppg) in the league and is 23rd in 3-point percentage (44.8) in the nation.

WATCH THE STORM IN HD
Storm video streaming has gone high-definition! A new addition in the spring of 2017, Storm basketball fans can experience all home games in HD for the first time this season. Veteran broadcaster Todd Guessford calls all of the action, including pre-game and post-game shows with coach and player interviews.

ON THE AIR
Back again this season, Simpson's Saturday Iowa Conference basketball games can be heard on KNIA 1320 AM/95.3 FM and online at KNIAKRLS.com. You can also download the KNIA app on iTunes and Google's Play Store. Andrew Swadner will have the call with Rick Wilson providing the color commentary.