Bekka Pierson went 7-for-12 from the field, Haley Martin tied her season-high 10 rebounds and Caylin Rufus chipped in eight points off the bench but McKendree University forced 30 turnovers and used a massive third quarter to capture a 74-47 victory over the Upper Iowa women's basketball team on Wednesday evening. The Bearcats improved to 2-1 overall while Upper Iowa falls to 0-3. 

Pierson scored 11 of her 17 points in the first half thanks to 5-for-5 shooting from the field and 1-for-1 at the line. The junior put the Peacocks on the board with 7:05 left in the first and sparked a late quarter rally that aided UIU in taking an 11-all tie into the second quarter. The 5-0 run was capped off by Rufus' first basket of the night as time expired.

Pierson and Martin opened the second period by scoring back-to-back field goals to give Upper Iowa their biggest lead of the night, 15-11, with 8:19 left in the half. After missing a pair of layups, McKendree's defense found their stride and stole away three consecutive UIU possessions. The Bearcats added three more steals in their 11-2 run but Pierson pulled UIU back within three, 22-19, with 2:44 to go. Upper Iowa managed to shoot 50.0% from the field but trailed 29-25 at the halfway point. 

The Peacocks struggled to generate offense in the 3rd quarter as they were held to 1-for-7 shooting while McKendree made a blistering 63.2% of shot attempts to score 31 points. Natalie Dinius converted UIU's lone field goal of the frame and the Peacocks went 6-for-8 at the line. 

Upper Iowa was able to turn things around in the final leg to shoot 46.2% backed by six points from both Pierson and Rufus. The Peacock's 14 points were matched by the Bearcats who celebrated a 74-47 win in their home opener.  

The Peacocks outrebounded their opponents (37-35) for the second time this season but gave up a season-high 30 turnovers, which led to 33 points off the giveaways. After converting a season-high 11 3-pointers in last year's matchup, Upper Iowa was held scoreless beyond the arc in Wednesday night's game. 

UIU Stat Leaders
Bekka Pierson - 17 points, 7-12 FG, 5 rebounds
Caylin Rufus - 8 points, 4-5 FG, 1 rebound, 1 block
Natalie Dinius - 8 points, 3-5 FG, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Haley Martin - 10 rebounds, 2 points, 1 assist

Upper Iowa hits the floor of Prochaska Court for the first time this season when the Emmaus Bible College Eagles come to town for a Saturday afternoon matchup. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m.