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Records
Upper Iowa (4-5, 3-2 NSIC) || Sioux Falls (5-4, 1-4 NSIC)
Recap
If a 23-point outing last night wasn't good enough, junior guard
Whitney Kieffer outdid herself on Saturday. Against the visiting Cougars of Sioux Falls University, the Scales Mound, Illinois native connected on 14-of-24 field goals en route to a career-high 35 points as the Peacocks took down USF, 78-75, in NSIC action.
It took a frantic comeback, one that saw UIU erase a ten-point deficit in the final 8:59 of regulation, but the Peacocks earned their third NSIC victory of the season – all of which have come inside Dorman Gym.
Kieffer was red-hot from the beginning scoring 19 points in the first half, but for the first ten minutes everyone else was ice cold. The Cougars on the other hand hit their first three shots – the second of which was a three from the left wing.
Upper Iowa sandwiched a three from
Sam Thrapp in the middle of USF's run, but it didn't slow the Cougars down. The Peacocks were struggling to find the net and the Cougars were out and running. UIU started 1-for-6 from the floor as the visitors jumped out to an 11-3 lead.
Kieffer cut into the deficit with a drive to the hoop, drawing contact and finishing with her left hand. Her ensuing free throw cut the USF lead to five, 11-6, five minutes into the game. The Cougars netted two free throws before Kieffer found the net again, this time on a jumper.
That's when the Peacocks went cold. USF used the next two minutes to go on an 8-0 run. With her team down, 22-8, Thrapp slowed the bleeding with a three from the left wing. The Cougars had an answer though, as Sam Knecht converted a three-point play on the other end and midway through the first half, the Peacocks were feeling the effects of their slow start. UIU hit just four of their first 15 field goal attempts, while the Cougars hit 10-of-17 – a blazing 58-percent shooting clip. USF owned a 26-13 lead, but the Peacocks never quit.
UIU's defense forced back-to-back turnovers while Kieffer netted a pair of buckets and
Olivia Meier hit two free throws on the other end to cut the Cougar lead to seven points, 26-19, with nine minutes left before halftime. USF answered with another run – this time, hitting three straight field goals to take a 33-19 lead with 6:47 remaining before the break.
The back-and-forth battle continued over the next three minutes, but the teams struggled to hang on to the ball, each squad committing three turnovers in that span. Luckily for UIU,
Carly Pagel started to heat up. Kieffer converted a layup in traffic before Pagel drained back-to-back buckets and two free throws. The sophomore's spurt kept the Peacocks within striking distance, 38-31, with two minutes left in the half.
Despite four more points from Kieffer, the Cougars finished the period on a 7-4 run to take a ten-point lead into the break, 45-35. After a crippling start, the Peacocks finished the first half red-hot. They shot 57-percent from the floor in the final ten minutes of the opening period (8-for-14). Kieffer, who was still feeling the hot-hand from last night's 23-point outing, had one of her best starts of the year hitting 8 of her 13 shots for a game-high 19 points.
That momentum carried into the opening minutes of the second half as the Peacocks hit their first three field goal attempts to cut the Cougar lead to just four points, 45-41.
After USF answered with its own 6-0 run to go back up by ten, the Peacocks went right back to Kieffer. Thrapp dished out back-to-back assists, the first to Kieffer for a layup and the second to
Lindsay Carroll for an open three. Yet every time UIU cut into the deficit, USF responded.
The Cougars used the next four minutes to go on a 13-7 run to take a 64-53 lead with 9:40 left in regulation. Kieffer and
Laura TerHark hit back-to-back threes before Pagel added a bucket of her own. The Peacocks trailed by just five points, 66-63, when the defense came up with a big stop. Kieffer picked up a loose ball for her second steal of the game. She continued her impressive night with a fast-break jumper on the other end – the bucket pushed her total to 28 with 6:29 left in the game.
A minute later,
Emily Gustafson got in on the action with a left-handed layup before Kieffer hit the 30-point plateau with her 13th field goal of the game. Her layup pulled UIU within one, 68-67, with 4:47 left, but it was the Peacocks' next possession that pushed the home team out in front.
UIU capitalized on Kieffer's dominance inside as she drove to the hoop and found the net again. She was fouled in the process and the ensuing free throw gave her team a two-point lead, 70-68, with 3:09 left in regulation.
A three from USF's Laura Johnson – who led the Cougars with 19 points – should have slowed Upper Iowa's momentum. Johnson then followed that up with another layup before UIU responded with a layup from Thrapp. USF hit one more jumper before
Lauren Buck hit two big free throws to pull UIU within one, 75-74, with less than a minute to play.
With half a minute to play, USF missed their three-point attempt and an over-the-back call against the Cougars sent Kieffer to the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead. She drilled them both as UIU took a 76-75 lead with 30 seconds to play. The defense needed one final stop, and they got it.
Gustafson and Pagel double-teamed Johnson and forced a missed shot. Thrapp was sent to the line one final time. Her two free throws sealed the win for UIU, 78-75.
Kieffer had 16 points in the second half, but it was the UIU defense that really stepped up big. After shooting 51-percent in the first half, the Peacocks held the Cougars to a 33-percent clip in the second stanza.
Stat of the Game
Kieffer has four thirty-point games in her career at UIU. One came in her freshman year, two in her sophomore season and then again on Saturday afternoon against the Cougars.
UIU Standouts
Kieffer (35 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists), Pagel (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist), Thrapp (10 points, 5 assists), Gustafson (2 points, team-high 10 rebounds).
Sounding Off
Head Coach Carol Russell After the Win…
Overall Thoughts on the Game… "I thought we started slow, but once we really got into the game we started playing our style. I think our team chemistry really showed tonight – we found some lethal combinations tonight."
On Whitney's Career Night… "Whitney Kieffer played like Whitney Kieffer. She poured it on when we needed her to. But I still think everyone contributed tonight – it was a true team win. When we were down ten – for most of the second half – the team really stuck together and they never gave up hope. That's what it takes to win games like this – you have to stick together."
On the Tempo of the Game… "I felt like half way through the second half, they looked a little tired so we wanted to go up-tempo. We were handling the ball a little better at that point so it was reducing our unforced turnovers – that was the difference for us."
On the Other UIU Standouts… "Emily Gustafson had a couple great rebounds for us and really set the tone defensively for us, especially down the stretch. I couldn't be happier for her – we need her to play like that all the time."
On Facing WSU Next Saturday… "We have finals this week, so it's good that we don't play until Saturday. They team will get a couple days off to focus on academics, take care of their bodies and get healthy. We're real comfortable with Winona – we both know each other very well. It's going to be another grind-out game."
Up Next
Upper Iowa will take their two-game win streak on the road as they take on the Warriors of Winona State in the last game of 2013. The Peacocks and Warriors will square off next Saturday night in Minnesota. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
