The Peacocks improved to 2-4 on the season with a 65-55 win over the Dolphins of the Universidad Sagrado Corazon late Friday night. Upper Iowa controlled the first quarter, but needed a big third quarter to secure the win. The Dolphins outscored UIU by six in the final quarter, but the Peacocks had built a large enough lead to hold on for the win.
Natalie Dinius scored 14 points with three three-pointers, while
Haley Martin netted 11 thanks to 9 made free throws and
Casey Miles added 10 fueled by 7 free throws. In total, the Peacocks only scored 37 of their points from the floor in the game. UIU converted 28 of their 40 free throw attempts.
Upper Iowa won the rebounding battle 46-45 led by Martin's 9 boards. Dinius and
Savannah Domeyer each pulled down 6 rebounds.
Both teams came out scoring and put 8 points apiece on the scoreboard in the first three minutes, but UIU closed out the opening frame on a 9-2 run fueled by 7 points off turnovers for the Peacocks.
In the second quarter, the Dolphins cut the margin to four points on three occasions; the last of which came on a three-point play by Anyi Hodge with under 30 seconds to play in the half. UIU got the lead back to six, 33-27, on a pair of free throws from Miles.
Sagrado Corazon scored the first six points of the third quarter and tied the score at 33-33 after just one and a half minutes into the frame. The game was still tight midway through the quarter with UIU holding a 39-38 lead. Upper Iowa closed the quarter out on a 14-0 run fueled by 8 made free throws. The UIU defense forced 6 Dolphin turnovers during the run.
A lay-up by Hodge with two and a half minutes to play slimmed the margin to 61-52, but UIU made their final four free throws to secure the win 65-55.
Both teams struggled to keep possession in the game combining for 46 turnovers. The Peacocks scored 17 points off the Dolphins 20 turnovers, while Sagrado Corazon scored 14 points off Upper Iowa's 26 giveaways.
Hodge posted a double-double for the Dolphins with 36 points and 13 rebounds.
The Peacocks will wrap up their time in Puerto Rico on Saturday with a game at 4 p.m. CT against the Gallitos of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras.
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