Upper Iowa took a three-point lead into the locker room at halftime of their game this afternoon at the Applebee Classic in Marshall, Minn, but the Griffons of Missouri Western State University controlled the third quarter and maintained their advantage in the fourth quarter to secure an 89-80 win over UIU. With the loss, the Peacocks fall to 0-2 on the season, while MWSU is now 2-0.
Whitney Kieffer led the Peacocks with 29 points and broke the all-time scoring mark at Upper Iowa. UIU Hall of Famer Vicky (Ringeberg) Rarick (1995-99) held the record with 1,431 points and fellow Hall of Famer Walida (Hawkins) Hewitt (1993-97) was in second with 1,424. Entering the game tonight, Kieffer needed just 13 points to tie the all-time mark. The Scales Mound, Ill. native now has the record with 1,447 points at the outset of her senior campaign.
Carly Pagel added 20 points and continued her hot-shooting in the tournament; the center was 14 for 19 over the two days.
Aleesha Cleaver netted 11 points and
Karlee Grabau chipped in 8.
On the glass, UIU outrebounded their opponent 38-34 led by Kieffer's 8 boards. Pagel pulled down 7 and Grabau snared 6.
Turnovers once again proved to be a problem for the Peacocks as they coughed it up 24 times leading to 25 Griffon points. UIU's defense did force 20 MWSU turnovers and scored 23 points off of them to balance the category out.
Upper Iowa's biggest lead in the first half came with just over a minute to play in the second quarter when UIU went on an 8-0 run fueled by a pair of layups from Kieffer and scores by Cleaver and
Madi Meier.
In the third quarter, a Kieffer trifecta tied the score at 48-48 with 5:04 showing on the clock. The Griffons then took off on a 13-2 run over the next two and a half minutes to take a 61-50 lead. UIU slowed the momentum with a quick 7-2 run highlighted by six points from Pagel to pull back within six, 63-57, heading into the final quarter.
A pair of
Brooklyn Schamens' free throws capped off five straight Peacock points to cut the gap to five, 80-75, with just over three minutes to play and a two more free throws from Kieffer with 1:49 to play slimmed the lead to three, 82-79, but UIU would get no closer. Missouri Western State closed the game out with a 7-1 run to earn the nine-point win, 89-80.
Upper Iowa will return to Dorman Gym this Tuesday, Nov. 17, for a non-conference game against the #2 Flyers of Lewis University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
