Upper Iowa dropped a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contest to Augustana University on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 74-48. The Vikings used efficient shooting and tough defense to jump out to an early lead and cruise to a 26-point victory. Augustana improved to 5-2 (1-2 NSIC) with the win, while Upper Iowa dropped to 0-8 (0-3 NSIC).
Augustana shot 15.0 percent better than the Peacocks thanks to 27-made baskets in 58 attempts compared to just 18 buckets in UIU's 57 tries. The Vikings' stout defense put a lot of pressure on the Peacocks to win the turnover battle 20-8, but Upper Iowa managed to outbound its opponents 40-36 including an 8-4 advantage in offensive boards.
TURNING POINT… Augustana controlled the game early with a lot of pressure on both sides of the ball. The two teams shared a brief tie at 2-2 before the Vikings scored the next 15 points to capture a 17-2 advantage in the first seven minutes. Upper Iowa was never able to recover from the scoring drought as the Peacocks trailed by double-digits the rest of the way.
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME…
- Jessica Musgrave tallied 18 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field (8-16), hauled in five rebounds, and led the team with a pair of steals
- Natalie Dinius knocked down four triples and added a pair of free throws for a season-high 14 points
- Erica Armstrong pulled down a game-high seven rebounds, while Lexie Lodermeier added six
STATS OF THE GAME...
- Augustana translated UIU's 20 turnovers into 22 points while Upper Iowa only scored seven points off the the Vikings' eight giveaways
- Upper Iowa outrebounded Augustana 40-36 including an 8-4 advantage in offensive boards
UP NEXT... Upper Iowa returns back to Fayette for a three-game homestand. The Peacocks will face Concordia University, St. Paul and Minnesota State University-Mankato in NSIC action on Dec. 13-14, and then will welcome North Central University of Minnesota for the final non-conference matchup of the season on Monday.
