Pagel led the team with her 20 point average and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Kieffer added 17 points a contest. Lauren Buck scored 12.5 and grabbed 8 rebounds per game. The team honored their lone senior, Sam Thrapp, after Saturday’s game; the Davenport, Iowa product averaged 11.5 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds per game.
Upper Iowa nearly pulled off a big upset on Friday night but foul trouble sparked a Viking rally as Augustana escaped Fayette with a 97-93 victory. Peacock leaders Sam Thrapp and Whitney Kieffer both had to sit major minutes in the second half of Friday night’s game. The team had a seven point lead when the pair sat, but Augie took advantage and took a lead in the final minutes. On Saturday, the #11 Wildcats of Wayne State used their shutdown defense to hold the Peacocks off the scoreboard for the first eight minutes while building a double-digit lead. WSC won the game 78-56 despite a second big game from Carly Pagel, who scored 20 points for the second straight night. For the weekend, UIU shot 43.9% for the field while averaging 74.5 points.
Upper Iowa will travel to Minot, N.D. for their first round game in the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament. The seventh-seeded Peacocks will look to upset the second-seeded Beavers of Minot State on Wednesday night with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
