Nielsen named IIAC Athlete of the Week for second time

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Simpson women's basketball player Kate Nielsen earned Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Female Athlete of the Week and Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for the period ending Sunday, Jan. 1, the conference office announced late Tuesday.

A junior forward from Urbandale, Iowa, Nielsen averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Storm went 2-0 at the D3hoops.com Classic on Dec. 29-30. Nielsen takes home the award for the second time this season, adding to her Dec. 11 honor.

She scored 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting in a 94-70 win over Eureka on Dec. 29, then posted a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double in a 79-66 win over then-No. 25 Thomas More. Against Thomas More, she went 7-of-17 from the floor, 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, and had five steals and four assists. 

The Storm (9-3, 2-1 Iowa Conference) are receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll. Simpson opens 2012 with a key matchup against last year's fellow IIAC co-champion Coe tonight in Cedar Rapids. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.