March 1, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Buena Vista University senior guard Katie Maguire (Treynor, Iowa/Treynor) has been named the 2005-06 IIAC women’s basketball Most Valuable Player and Simpson College head coach Brian Niemuth has been named the 2005-06 IIAC women’s basketball Coach of the Year.

Maguire, a four-time All-Conference selection, is the third straight individual to win back-to-back Iowa Conference MVP honors (Wartburg’s Holly Mohs in 2001 and 2002, Buena Vista’s Amy Meggers in 2003 and 2004). Maguire led the Conference in four statistical categories and ranked in the top-10 of seven categories. In 27 games, she averaged a Conference-high 20.3 points, 6.63 assists, 2.70 three-point field goals per game and shot a Conference-best 86.7 percent (156-of-180) from the free throw line. She ranked second in the Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.60), third in steals per game (2.63) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (39.9 percent, 73-of-183).

Maguire led the Beavers in scoring 18 times and has ranked among the national leaders in scoring, assists, free throw percentage, and three-point shooting (percentage and 3-pt FGM/game) throughout the season.

In 16 Conference games, Maguire ranked first in scoring (22.4 points/game), assists (6.75/game), free throw percentage (89.2 percent) and three-point field goals made (3.06). She was second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.59), third in three-point field goal percentage (46.2 percent) and sixth in steals (2.13/game). She shot 45.3 percent from the floor, which ranked 15th in IIAC-play.

Niemuth led Simpson to its sixth Conference title, fifth since 1998. The Storm won their second straight Conference Tournament, third overall, and played in the Championship game for the sixth time in the seven year history of the Tournament. They enter their sixth NCAA Tournament with a 23-4 overall record and finished with a 15-1 Conference record. Simpson is currently ranked 17th in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top-25, its highest ranking of the season, and 18th in the d3hoops.com Top-25. Niemuth was also named IIAC Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

The IIAC also announced today the 2005-06 women’s basketball All-Conference Team. The 15-member Team includes five repeat All-Conference performers including MVP Maguire, a four-time All-Conference selection. Conference Champion Simpson and runner-up Luther each had three All-Conference performers including two First Team members. Buena Vista, Coe and Loras each had two All-Conference selections.

The complete 2005-06 IIAC All-Conference women’s basketball Team is here.

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