Box ScoreThe Drake University women's basketball team was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. On Sunday in Des Moines, the Bulldogs showed why they are thought so highly of as they controlled the match up with the Peacocks picking up a 112-63 win in their only exhibition game of the preseason. Upper Iowa closed out their preseason contests with a 1-1 mark in exhibitions.
Junior guard
Aleesha Cleaver led the Peacocks in the game with 27 points on 9 of 20 shooting including 5 triples in 11 tries. Cleaver added 7 rebounds and a pair of steals. Senior forward
Lauren Buck registered a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds with 4 assists. The pair combined to convert on 15 of their 34 shot attempts (44.1%), while the rest of UIU's shooters struggled from the field hitting only 6 of the remaining 35 attempts (17.1%).
The Division I Bulldogs owned huge advantages in three categories including points in the paint (56-14), points off turnovers (34-3) and fast break points (25-5).
Upper Iowa will kick off their season at the Al Kaly Shrine Classic at Colorado State University-Pueblo. The Peacocks will face Western State Colorado University on Friday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. UIU will return to the court on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 5 p.m. to face the host ThunderWolves of CSU-Pueblo.
