Dec. 28, 2009
Box Score
The Peacock women's basketball team got back on the court tonight in Fayette after a fifteen day break between games. The last time Upper Iowa was on the floor they lost a heartbreaker to Bemidji State on a last second put back by the Beavers. Lewis and Upper Iowa played a very close ball game as each team took leads and then rallied in the contest. In the end, UIU got a bucket with four and a half seconds on the clock to pick up the 73-71 win. The win was Upper Iowa's first in ten tries this year, while Lewis fell to 6-5 on the season.
Upper Iowa and Lewis were tied at 13-13 six and a half minutes into the action, but back-to-back baskets by UIU's Paige DeVine gave the Peacocks a four-point advantage midway through the first half. The visitors quickly recovered and did not let the Peacocks get away as they used a 13-3 run to claim a 26-20 lead with four and a half minutes to play. Upper Iowa found their stride again as they closed out the half outscoring the Flyers 10-4. Lewis thought they had a two-point lead heading into the break, but Lana Otting hit a driving lay up at the horn to tie the game at 30-30.
Kenya Howard led the Peacocks in the first half with 11 points, while DeVine chipped in 6. The Peacocks won the rebounding war in the first half 24-16 led by Howard's 6 boards.
Lewis was led by Kelly Dianis' 10 points. Jenny Turpel gave the Flyers 5 points and 5 rebounds and became the program's newest member of the 1,000 point club.
The Flyers came out of halftime with a purpose and slowly moved out to a nine point lead, 49-40, thanks to four three-pointers over the first eight minutes. Upper Iowa regained their composure and fought back in front of the home crowd. The Peacocks rallied over the next six minutes and took their first lead of the second half on a Howard lay up, 57-56, with 6:29 to play. The 17-7 run was fueled by eight points from Howard.
After the teams exchanged scoring possessions, Otting hit a three-pointer to give UIU a 62-61 lead, but Lewis' Kady Currin nailed a trifecta to give the guests the advantage once again. Howard hit another pair of inside buckets to give the Peacocks a slim 66-65 lead with just over three minutes to play. The Flyers took a 67-66 lead with an inside hoop, but an Otting three-pointer from the corner gave the home team a two-point lead, 69-67. Lewis tied the game at the free throw line with 1:18 to play.
Otting gave UIU a one-point lead at the charity stripe and then Howard added one of her own for a 71-69 Peacock lead. Lewis tied the game, 71-71, with a pair at the line. Howard took the ball for the Peacocks with 16 seconds to play and went coast to coast to hit the running jumper and give the home team a two-point lead with just 4.5 seconds on the clock. For Howard, the bucket gave her 30 points on the night. Lewis cruised down the floor quickly, but could not get a final shot off before the final horn.
Three Peacocks finished the game in double-figures and were led by Howard's 30 point, 11 rebound performance. Otting netted 17 points, while DeVine added 12. UIU shot an impressive 50.9% (29-57) from the field compared to the Flyers' 37.7% (23-61) clip from the floor.
The Flyers got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Jenny Turpel, while Kelly Dianis chipped in 15 points.
UIU will open the 2010 calendar year on Jan. 2 with they visit Bismarck, North Dakota to battle NSIC-foe U-Mary. The Marauders and Peacocks will tipoff at 6:00 p.m.
