The Peacock women's basketball team (1-0) got off to a great start in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday evening. Upper Iowa, picked 8th in the NSIC South Preseason Coaches' Poll, upset the host Huskies of St. Cloud State University (0-1), who were picked second in the NSIC North and came in as the reigning NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Champions. UIU trailed by as many as 12 points on several occasions in the game but rallied in the final quarter to take a six-point lead late and then earn a 75-71 win in overtime. Both teams had their fair share of turns at the charity stripe, but Upper Iowa took better advantage knocking down 21 of 25, while St. Cloud State only converted 16 of their 24 opportunities. 
 
Turning Point...
With 18 seconds to play in the third quarter, the Huskies knocked down a pair of free throws to extend their lead back to a dozen points, 57-45. That could have been enough to break Upper Iowa, but Alaina Brenning nailed a three-pointer before the horn in the quarter and gave UIU a spark heading to the bench between quarters. UIU came out of the huddle fired up and used the final quarter to exert their will defensively and held SCSU scoreless for nearly nine minutes. While the Peacock defense put a cap on the Husky basket, the offense began to scratch away at the lead. Freshman Lydia Haack knocked down a pair of jumpers including an and-one and sophomores Jessica Musgrave and Brooke Evenson each scored to knot the score at 57-57 with just over four minutes to play.
 
A layup by Haack and four straight free throws from Musgrave and Haack pushed UIU's lead to six, 63-57, with 1:45 on the clock. After opening the fourth quarter by missing their first 16 shots and turning the ball over four times, the Huskies championship-pedigree resurfaced. SCSU went on a fast 8-2 run to tie the score at 65-65 with 11 seconds to play. Each team turned the ball over in the final seconds to push the contest into overtime. 
 
The home team opened the extra period with a three-pointer, but Musgrave hit her lone trifecta of the game minutes later following a pair of free throws from Haack to put UIU back into the lead, 70-68. A jumper by SCSU's Tori Wirtz, who scored 18 points, pulled the teams even on the home team's ensuing possession. The teams exchanged missed jumpers over the final two minutes until the final half-minute when all the remaining scores came from the charity stripe. UIU converted five of six at the line in the final 26 seconds, while SCSU hit one of two to set the final score at 75-71 in favor of the visitors.
 
Inside the Numbers... 
The Peacocks took advantage of the 20 turnovers they forced to claim a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers. Upper Iowa also got out on the run more efficiently than their hosts; UIU registered an 11-4 advantage in fast break points.
 
Peacock Leaders...

• Haack led the Peacocks in scoring with 30 points marking the first UIU player to score at least 30 points since Blair Klostermann netted 34 points against Wayne State College on Jan. 21, 2017. The freshman converted nine of 16 shots from the field and added a perfect 12 of 12 at the free throw line.
• Musgrave recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. The sophomore hit eight field goals in 20 tries including one of two from behind the arc.
• Evenson added nine points and three rebounds, while transfer Katie Tornstrom chipped in 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

Husky Leaders...

• Brehna Evans scored a team-high 21 points for the Huskies and also dished out 6 assists.
• Tori Wortz posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Nikki Kilboten scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Notables...

• First win in 17 games all-time against St. Cloud State
• Broke 11-game losing streak dating back to last year
• Broke a 45-game slide on the road dating back to Jan. 7, 2017 when UIU won at Southwest Minnesota State University.
• Broke a 21-game skid of non-conference road games dating back to Nov. 22, 2012 when UIU won at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
• First OT win since a victory in extra time at Southwest Minnesota State on Jan. 18, 2014.

Quotables...
Head Coach Nate Oakland shared the following thoughts after the game.
 
"What an exciting win for our program! Our players competed for 45 minutes and stuck together to pull it out. We have a lot of respect for St. Cloud State, and we knew it would be a battle." 
 
"I was really proud of our defensive effort tonight. I felt like our team dug in and got some important stops against a very tough and talented team."
 
"Jess (Musgrave) was really tough tonight. She had an impact in all phases on the game. Our opponents will continue to make her earn it every night, and we will continue to lean on Jess in so many ways." 
 
"Lydia (Haack) had a great start to her college career. We ask her to do so much, but she has handled it every step of the way. She is very competitive and driven, and we are excited about her future here." 
 
Up Next…
The Peacocks and Huskies will line up against each other again on Sunday for the second game of the weekend double dip. Tip off is slated for 2 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn. Fans can follow along with live stats, an online audio broadcast or a webcast produced by SCSU through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.