Box Score
Box Score (HTML)
Records
Upper Iowa (1-1) || Wartburg (0-1)
Recap
The Peacocks scored 41 points in the second half to erase a nine-point margin at halftime and claim a non-conference win, 65-56, over Wartburg College in a match up of former Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes. UIU was led by junior
Whitney Kieffer, who scored 21 in the game. The Scales Mound, Ill. native hit a pair of free throws less than two minutes into the second half becoming the 11th player in program history and the second junior to earn membership into the 1,000-point club.
The Knights took control of the first half thanks to a 20-12 advantage over the final nine minutes of the first half. Wartburg forced the Peacocks into 11 first half turnovers and held the home team to just 32% (8-25) shooting from the floor, while converting on 43% (12-28) of their chances from the floor.
Kieffer, who scored 14 of her game-high 21 in the second half, came out of the halftime break and scored the first seven points for UIU. With two free throws at the 18:12 mark, the junior guard reached 1,000 points in her career joining recent UIU Hall of Fame inductee Walida (Hawkins) Hewitt as the only juniors to reach the lofty level at Upper Iowa.
Over the first five minutes of the second stanza, the Peacocks outscored their guests 15-4 taking a two-point lead, 39-37. The lead changed hands a few times before Upper Iowa took control on a three-pointer out of the hand of
Lindsay Carroll that put the home team up 48-44 lead with just over eight minutes to play.
UIU never surrendered the lead again and built it into double digits. The Peacocks largest lead of thirteen points, 63-50, came at the 3:33 mark when
Carly Pagel got free inside for a bucket in the paint.
The Peacocks used advantages of 32-20 in points in the paint and 12-4 in second chance points to secure the nine-point win, 65-56.
After their cool-shooting in the first half, Upper Iowa converted on 47% (15-32) of their opportunities from the floor and won the overall rebounding battle, 46-40.
UIU Standouts
Kieffer... 21 pts, 6 reb., 5 steals, 3 assists | Pagel... 8 pts, 3 reb. |
Sam Thrapp... 6 pts, 7 assists |
Emily Gustafson... 6 pts, 9 reb., 2 blocks |
Lindsay Carroll... 7 pts
Sounding Off
Head Coach Carol Russell following the win...
On the second half… "Once Whitney got her 1,000th point, we just relaxed a lot and played better basketball. I felt like we had more patience and that's what translated to better looks at the hoop. I was really happy that we were able to come back – I didn't like the hole that we dug for ourselves, but we were able to rally and get the win."
On Whitney's 1,000th Point… "I don't think she understands how quickly she achieved that milestone. She's such a humble kid that when I called the timeout and tried to draw attention to her, it just wasn't her thing. She just wants the team to win. She's been the catalyst for this team's improvement since day one, so we're really happy that she's able to get that accomplishment."
Other Standouts… "I think we shared the ball really well tonight and that speaks volumes about our guards.
Sam Thrapp took a big step tonight with her seven assists – that was huge. When she's working and distributing the ball well, then we tend to play better. I also thought
Emily Gustafson played well tonight. When other teammates make mistakes, she's in the middle cleaning it up. She doesn't show up in the points category, but she's getting rebounds and blocks. She's just going to get better."
Next Up
The Peacocks will stay in Fayette and host the #18 Flyers of Lewis University on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Dorman Gym.
