The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team started their 2021-22 campaign with a win over the University of Arkansas at Monticello in their first of two games as part of the Central Region Challenge. The Peacocks improve to a 1-0 record on the season while the Blossoms fall to 0-1.

After a back-and-forth start to the game saw the teams tied at 15, UIU fell behind18-15, but responded with a 7-0 run that featured five points from Lydia Haack. Haack extended her scoring stretch to eight points for UIU after hitting a three-pointer to push their run to 10-2 and build a 25-20 lead. The Peacocks took a 25-21 advantage into the second quarter.
 
Alaina Brenning opened the second period with two quick jumpers to get on the board and put the Peacocks ahead 29-21. After the Blossoms pulled within eight, 33-25, the Peacocks went on another 7-0 run that featured buckets from Brenning and Brooke Evenson, and an and-one converted by Jessica Musgrave.
 
After a UAM layup made it 43-29, the Peacocks scored eight straight thanks to triples from Evenson and Callista Rochon-Baker that sandwiched a Haack layup to put UIU up 51-29. Upper Iowa took a 53-30 lead into the halftime break after getting 18 points on 7-11 (.636) shooting (2-2 from three) and 7 rebounds from Musgrave and 14 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals from Haack.
 
UIU opened the third quarter with a 6-0 stretch to go up 59-30. After allowing 21 points in the opening period, the Peacocks conceded just 19 points combined over the second and third quarters to take a 72-40 lead into the final period of play.
 
The teams traded four straight buckets in the fourth quarter before a miss from UAM as UIU maintained their 32-point advantage at 76-44. The Peacocks brought in a quartet of substitutes at the 8:27 mark, and the Blossoms cut into the UIU lead with a 4-0 run on free throws over the next 1:33. Mia Huberty ended a 2:18 stretch between made field goals in the game, but another UAM run of 6-2 saw UIU's lead cut to 80-54 before a timeout with 5:00 on the clock. 
 
Arkansas-Monticello kept their comeback going with a 9-0 run to make it an 80-63 game with 1:58 to play, but Brenning knocked down a big three-pointer for the Peacocks on the ensuing possession to push their lead back to 20. The Blossoms kept their foot on the gas and compiled another 9-0 run to cut their deficit to 83-72 before taking a timeout with 31 seconds left to play. Mia Huberty capped off the game with a put-back layup before the final horn as the Peacocks clinched an 85-72 win in their first game of the season.

STATS OF THE GAME… 

• UIU was +27 on the boards, and grabbed 13 more offensive rebounds than UAM led to a 17-4 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Peacocks shot 30-72 (.417) from the floor through three quarters.
• Upper Iowa started hot from deep, shooting 6-13 (.462) through the first half.
• UAM shot 4-7 (.571) from three in the first quarter and 2-3 (.667) in the fourth, but they were held to 0-10 shooting in the second and third quarters.
• UIU held the Blossoms to just 19 combined points in the middle two quarters, but UAH scored 21 in the first and outscored UIU 32-13 in the fourth.
• Arkansas-Monticello went 20-30 (.667) from the free throw line, while Upper Iowa was 5-9 (.556) from the charity stripe.

PEACOCKS OF THE GAME… 

• Jessica Musgrave scored 11 of the first 13 UIU points and finished with 18 in the first half while also adding 7 rebounds (four offensive). The 2019-20 NSIC Freshman of the Year made a triumphant return to the court after missing all but the first two games last season, finishing with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist in 20 minutes while shooting 9-14 (.643) from the floor and 2-2 from three.
• Lydia Haack had 14 points on 6-10 (.600) shooting at the half while also adding 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. The 2020-21 NSIC All-Freshman Team honoree finished with 14 points, a game-high 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
• Brooke Evenson notched a double-double off the bench with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. She shot 2-5 (.400) from three and added two assists and a steal.
• Alaina Brenning dropped in 11 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists.
• Mia Huberty scored 8 points on 4-8 (.500) shooting while grabbing 9 rebounds (6 offensive) and adding 3 assists.

UP NEXT… The Peacocks are set to play Southern Arkansas University on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. in the Central Region Tournament.