The Peacocks took to the floor for the final time this season tonight in Fayette. Upper Iowa welcomed the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth for the NSIC tilt. UMD used several runs to get away from UIU each time the home team rallied from a deficit. The visitors took advantage of advantages on the glass and at the free throw line to post a 66-48 victory.

 

Midway through the first half, Minnesota Duluth held a 13-8 lead as both defenses took control of the early minutes. After the teams traded three-pointers, the UIU offense began to find their rhythm closing the gap to one, 20-19, on a Jen Herrick trey. The Bulldogs answered the home team’s rally with a 12-4 run over the final four and a half minutes to a take a 32-23 lead into the locker room.

 

Minnesota Duluth outrebounded Upper Iowa 20-11 in the first half including 8-1 on the offensive boards. The Peacocks only attempted two free throws in the half and made both of them while the Bulldogs sunk 14 of 16 at the charity stripe. Cassandra Deiters paced the Peacocks with six points and four rebounds.

 

The Bulldogs opened the second half doubling the Peacocks’ production, 14-7 over the first seven minutes to extend their lead to 16, 46-30. Over the next six minutes, Upper Iowa slowly chipped away at the margin and cut the deficit to 11, 51-40, on an Otting three-pointer from the corner. Once again, the visitors distanced themselves thanks to a 12-6 run that pushed their advantage to seventeen with two minutes to play. In the end, rebounding and free throws proved to be the difference as the Bulldogs claimed a 66-48 win.

 

Minnesota Duluth held a 38-30 advantage in rebounds and attempted 19 more free throws than Upper Iowa. 

 

Otting led UIU in scoring with 14 off the bench, while Jeri Jacobson added 13. Five Peacocks pulled down five rebounds including Otting, Jacobson, Herrick, Deiters and Heidi McKean. Otting also had a solid passing game as she dished out 8 assists on the night.

 

The Peacocks (1-25, 1-21 NSIC) honored their two seniors, Cassandra Deiters and Chelsea Arndt, following their final game in a UIU uniform. Deiters finished her two-year career with 489 points in 52 games; she also pulled down 230 rebounds. Arndt ended her four-year Peacock career with 196 points and 160 rebounds. Deiters is on track to graduate with her degree in Art, while Arndt graduated with her undergraduate degree in marketing this past fall.