Janey Botkins (left) and Victoria Hazard

Posted: Feb 20, 2018

WBB Preview: Storm travel to Coe for IIAC Tournament

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The sixth-seeded Simpson women's basketball team travels to face the third-seeded Coe Kohawks in the first round of the Iowa Conference Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at Kohawk Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

The game will be video streamed on CoeAthletics.com courtesy of the Coe Sports Information Department.

The Storm (13-12, 7-9) look to change their fortunes after losing 5 of 6 to close the regular season. Included in that streak was an 87-59 loss to Coe just four days earlier, the regular season finale at Cowles Fieldhouse on Saturday. Coe won the first meeting 71-56 on Jan 10 in Cedar Rapids.

The Kohawks (14-11, 11-5) won 10 of 12 to close the season, a streak that began with the first win over Simpson. Coe began the season just 4-9 before rattling off eight wins in a row.

The winner of Tuesday's game advances to play second-seeded Luther on Thursday, Feb. 22 in Decorah. Fourth-seeded Loras hosts fifth-seeded Buena Vista in the other first round matchup. The winner of that game will play top-seeded Wartburg. For more, visit the IIAC Tournament Homepage.

GAME #26

at Coe (14-11)
Tuesday, Feb. 20 — 7 p.m.
Kohawk Arena — Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Live Video/Live Stats

SIMPSON IN THE IIAC TOURNAMENT

Simpson is making its 18th appearance in the IIAC Tournament. The Storm made the tournament for 17 straight seasons before missing out in 2017.
Simpson is 26-10 all-time in the tournament, taking home the championship seven times.
Simpson is 7-3 in first-round games and 3-3 against Coe.
Simpson's last win in the IIAC Tournament came in the 2013 championship game. Since then, the Storm have lost three in a row.

STORM QUICK HITS

Simpson and 31st-year head coach Brian Niemuth finished the regular season 13-12, ensuring at least a .500 record after finishing 9-16 a year ago. Prior to that, the Storm had a winning record for 19 straight seasons.
The Storm played much better at home during the regular season, going 8-4 compared to just 3-6 on the road. Simpson will be looking for its first road win since Jan. 17 at Central.
The Storm rank in the top-10 nationally in field goal percentage (9th, 45.7) and 3-point percentage (7th, 38.0). Noreen Morrow is 12th in the country in field goal percentage (57.3) and Janey Botkins is fourth in the 3-point percentage (46.2).
Simpson is third in the IIAC in scoring (74.7) and fifth in points allowed (69.2)
Simpson is led by Morrow, who leads the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). Earlier this season, she became the 11th player in school history to score 1,000 career points and she ranks seventh all-time in rebounds.
Sharp-shooter Janey Botkins is the team's deep threat, hitting 54 3-pointers during the season. She already has 102 for her career, just the fifth player in school history to reach the century mark.
The guard tandem of Claire Johnson and Victoria Hazard has accounted for 173 assists this season. Hazard leads the team with 87 assists and Johnson has 85. No other pair of teammates in the IIAC has accounted for more than 76 apiece.

ABOUT THE KOHAWKS

Coe and first-year head coach Kayla Waskow started the season just 4-9 but rallied to win 10 of 12 to close the season and earn the No. 3 seed in the IIAC Tournament.
The Kohawks went 11-5 inside Kohawk Arena in 2017-18 and have won 5 of their last 6 at home.
Coe ranks seventh in the IIAC in scoring (68.5) and second in points allowed (64.6). The Kohawks are the top free throw shooting team in the nation, hitting 79.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Senior guard Aleena Hobbs scored 24 points in Saturday's win over Simpson to become the program's career scoring leader with 1,600 points. She passed current head coach Kayla Waskow for the record.
Guard Jenna Lehman is the team's leading scorer, averaging 18.1 ppg, good for second-most in the IIAC.

SERIES NOTES

Simpson and Coe meet for the 56th time in a series that dates back to the 1977-78 season.
Simpson leads the all-time series 43-13, but Coe has had the upper hand of late, winning 3 of the last 4.
Coe swept the regular season series, winning 71-56 in Cedar Rapids on Jan. 10 and 87-59 in Indianola last Saturday.