Storm clinch conference title, Niemuth earns 300th league win

PELLA, Iowa – Kate Nielsen scored a career-high 25 points and the Simpson women's basketball team clinched its fifth-straight Iowa Conference championship with an 81-63 win against Central on Wednesday.

With only one game remaining on the schedule, the Storm (19-5, 12-3 Iowa Conference) lead second-place Coe by one game, guaranteeing at least a share of the 11^th conference title in program history and ensuring a first-round bye in the Iowa Conference Tournament. Simpson and Coe have split the regular season crown each of the last two seasons.

Nielsen went 7 of 9 from the field, pulled down nine boards and hit 11 of 12 free throws as Simpson put together a near-record performance from the charity stripe. The Storm went 37-for-42 from the line as a team, the second-most made free throws in program history and most since setting the record with 39 against Upper Iowa in 2001.

Ali Sokol and Jamie Elbert added 11 points apiece.

The win gives 25^th-year head coach Brian Niemuth his 300^th Iowa Conference victory, becoming the first coach in league history to reach the mark. He became the conference's all-time winningest coach when he earned his 294^th against Wartburg on Jan. 21 and is now 476-191 overall and 300-119 in league play.

Sarah Paulson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds to pace the Dutch (6-18, 1-14), who didn't have a single player reach double figures.

Simpson trailed early in the contest, but an 18-4 run midway through the first half gave the Storm a 34-16 lead with 4:50 left in the period. Central couldn't get closer than 11 the rest of the way and Simpson led by as many as 20 in the second half.

The Storm will host Loras (14-10, 9-6) in the final game of the season Saturday, Feb. 18 at Cowles Fieldhouse. A win would give Simpson the outright conference title and home-court advantage throughout the Iowa Conference Tournament.