Box Score Box Score
Records
Upper Iowa (5-16, 4-13 NSIC) || Wayne State (22-2, 15-2 NSIC)
Recap
The Upper Iowa Women's Basketball team ran into a brick wall on Friday night called the Wildcat defense. Wayne State used a home-court advantage and a stifling defense to hold UIU to a season-low 20-percent shooting clip en route to a 56-29 victory inside Rice Auditorium.
Despite the atmosphere, the Peacocks got off to a good start thanks to a couple early buckets from
Whitney Kieffer,
Lauren Buck and
Carly Pagel. UIU led 8-4 less than five minutes into the game, but WSC responded quickly. It took just over a minute for the Wildcats to tie the game at 8-all after two quick layups.
The teams were tied again at the 9:22 mark after Kieffer connected on two free throws. Unfortunately for UIU, that's the last time the Peacocks held the lead. The home team scored the next four points to ensure a 16-12 lead at the 6:32 mark in the opening period, before UIU responded.
Sam Thrapp and Kieffer sandwiched a WSC free throw with a pair of layups.
Yet just as soon as the Peacocks pulled within one, the Wildcats responded with back-to-back buckets to go up by five, 21-16, with 2:54 left before halftime. The Peacocks struggled at the end of the first half as they missed their final four shots of the period and turned the ball over twice. WSC, on the other hand, added a bucket from Jordan Spencer to take a 23-16 lead at intermission.
Kieffer lead all scorers at the break with 8 points in the first half. She finished the opening period with a 50-percent shooting clip going 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, while chipping in four rebounds.
Despite Kieffer's hot hand, the second half proved to be all Wildcats. After WSC earned the first three-ball of the second stanza, Kieffer answered with back-to-back jumpers to keep UIU within striking distance, 26-20. Kieffer's next bucket came at the 14:35 mark, but the game was getting away from the visitors.
Wayne State outscored Upper Iowa 33-13 in the second half, mainly because of the Wildcat defense. UIU finished the game with a 20-percent shooting clip, but the Peacocks missed all of their 15 three-point attempts – a feat that hasn't happened since Dec. 12, 2012 against Augustana.
WSC improved to 22-2 overall this year and 9-1 at home with the 56-29 victory.
Stat of the Game
The Peacocks 13 points in the second half was the lowest of the season. The previous low of 21 points in the second stanza came on Dec. 21 of last year against Winona State.
UIU Standouts
Whitney Kieffer (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist),
Olivia Winkler (6 points, 1 rebound),
Lauren Buck (3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists),
Carly Pagel (2 points, 8 rebounds)
Up Next
The Peacocks will look to bounce back against Augustana on Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
