Nov. 20, 2009
Box Score
Upper Iowa took the court in Rolla, Missouri looking to post their first win of the season as they played in the Lady Miner Classic. The team lined up against the host Miners of Missouri S&T on Friday night and the storylines seemed familiar as the game unfolded. The Peacocks outscored their opponent in the second half for the third time this season and for the third time it wasn't quite enough. Upper Iowa has been outscored by an average of 11.6 points in the first half, while outscoring their opponents by an average of 6.3 points in the second. The slow starts have put UIU in an 0-3 hole in the early going. The Peacocks have suffered those losses by an average of 5.3 points.
Tonight, Upper Iowa lost to Missouri S&T despite a furious rally in the second half that saw the Peacocks cut the margin down to just two points with two minutes to play. The comeback fell short as the Lady Miners won their season opener to move to 1-0 with the 72-68 victory.
The Peacocks came out of the gate strong taking an 8-3 lead three minutes into the contest, but the Lady Miners began to climb back in and took the lead, 15-13, on a three-pointer at the 11:26 mark. UIU did not stumble at this point, in fact the visitors retook the lead and held it until the clock wound under four minutes. Over the final four minutes of the half, Missouri S&T took control with a 15-4 run and headed to the locker room with a 37-27 lead. Upper Iowa turned the ball over four times during the Lady Miner run.
The home team came out of the break and continued to pour it on pushing their lead to fifteen, 53-38, after nine minutes of play. With their backs against the wall, the Peacocks mounted a rally that saw the lead cut from fifteen to three points in just five minutes thanks to a UIU 12-0 run. UIU center Cassandra Deiters scored four points during the run; Heidi McKean and Lana Otting each added three. Upper Iowa's offense continued to click and a jumper by McKean at the 2:08 mark closed the gap to two, 60-58.
In the final two minutes of the game the teams combined for 22 points with MST getting the better of it, 12-10. The Lady Miners went 8-13 at the free throw line in the last two minutes to counteract the Peacocks' hot shooting. Two UIU three-pointers bordered a one-for-two trip from the line for the home team and gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, 70-68, with 12 seconds to play. The Lady Miners converted their final two free throws and the Peacocks missed their final two shots to go down in defeat.
The Peacock offense shot the ball very well; the team hit 49% of their shots from the field, while the Lady Miners shot 37% from the floor. Neither team shot the ball well from behind the arc and both teams struggled at the free throw line. UIU hit 13 of their 21 shots at the charity stripe, while MST converted 16 of their 27 opportunities. Perhaps the most glaring difference in the game was on the offensive glass. The Lady Miners snared 22 of their misses on the offensive glass, while the Peacocks managed to only grab 4 of their misses. Missouri S&T converted that rebounding difference into a 20-6 advantage in second chance points.
The Peacocks were led by the two transfers from Parkland College. Deiters continues to lead the team in both points and rebounds after collecting 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting and 8 rebounds. McKean added 16 points on 5 of 7 shooting and added 4 rebounds. Otting scored 15 and added 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Paige DeVine chipped in 14. Kenya Howard had a tough shooting night, but did pull down 7 rebounds, hand out 4 assists, and grab 4 steals.
The Lady Miners were led by former Peacock, Andrea Downs, who scored 20 points off the bench. Julie Meyer added 15 off the bench and starter Courtney Kemp netted 9. D'Naya Mims, Kemp, and Fareedah Washington led the assault on the glass with 10, 9, and 8 rebounds, respectively.
Upper Iowa will return to the court tomorrow afternoon for a game with the Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. and fans can follow all the action through the links below.
Live Coverage Links
1. Fans can watch a webcast online for a fee provided by B2 Networks.
2. Fans can follow the live stats provided by Missouri S&T Sports Information.
