Nov. 29, 2008
Final Stats
The Upper Iowa women's basketball team put 112 points on the board to win their first game of the Northern Sun Conference Holiday HoopsFest in overtime. The Peacocks raced out to a 48-31 halftime lead thanks to a balanced scoring attack that saw four players score between eight and thirteen points. The Beavers launched an impressive comeback over the final thirteen minutes to erase an eighteen-point deficit and tie the game at 96-96 with two three-pointers in the final 20 seconds. Upper Iowa sparked their offense and fueled by eight made free throws and a pair of three-pointers, the Peacocks outscored the Beavers 16-12 in the extra period. UIU improved to 3-1 on the season, while BSU dropped to 2-3.
The teams played evenly through the first nine minutes of the game as Upper Iowa led 19-18 after a pair of Bemidji State free throws. The Peacocks burst out to a seven-point lead just a minute and a half later thanks to a layup by Lyndsay Westgaard and two buckets by Andrea Downs. When the clock showed five minutes to play in the half, UIU had moved out to an eleven-point lead, 34-23. The Peacocks continued to push toward halftime and outscored the Beavers 10-4 in the final three minutes to claim a seventeen-point lead at intermission.
The Peacocks took their biggest lead of the game at the 14:32 mark in half number two, 67-46. However, UIU had foul trouble issues coming to the forefront. It took the Beavers only four and a half minutes to cut the margin in half thanks to a three-pointer, three layups and four made free throws. With Upper Iowa leading 71-61 and just under 10 minutes to play, Westgaard fouled out. Britney Iredale gave the Peacocks a 77-67 lead with 7:09 to play, but on Bemidji State's next possession, she committed her fourth and fifth fouls. Lena Lox was the third played to foul out for Upper Iowa; when the junior left the game, UIU led 81-74.
The Beavers cut the lead to just two points as the clock moved under three minutes. Upper Iowa stayed strong and actually pushed their advantage back out to six points, 96-90, with twenty seconds to play. Bemidji State completed their unlikely comeback with a pair of three pointers in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.
Melissa Fitz hit two three-pointers in the extra period and Andrea Downs added eight points thanks to a layup and six free throws.
Downs led the Peacocks with 41 points on the day. The junior lived at the free throw line making 20 of her 21 attempts. Downs' point total is second best all-time for UIU; only Christel Brown's 45 points in the 1985-86 season were more in a game. She broke the record for most free throws made (20) in a game and most free throws attempted (21) in a game. As a team, the Peacocks set new teams records for point in a game (112) and most free throws made (32).
Lana Otting finished with 17 points including 3-3 from behind the arc. Otting also handed out 7 assists. Lox scored 16 points including four three-pointers. Iredale scored 14 points, while Westgaard and Fitz (6 assists) each chipped in 9 points. Otting and Iredale led the UIU effort on the boards by pulling down 5.
UIU will return to the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. tomorrow afternoon. The Peacocks will face the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State at 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.
