THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team gets their first chance to defend Dorman Memorial Gymnasium as they play a pair of home games against non-conference opponents. UIU plays its home opener against Rockhurst University on Friday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m., before welcoming Waldorf (Iowa) University on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m.
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and a webcast for the games will be available through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE and included with this story. The contest will also stream live on the new NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Search for "NSIC Network" to find the app on your relevant device. Locally, Friday's game will be aired as a delayed broadcast at 9 p.m. on KCRG-TV 9.2, while Saturday's game will be aired live on Eastern Iowa's CW 9.3.
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Upper Iowa will not be printing gameday programs this season. Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday programs at any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans both at our games and those at home watching the action. QR Codes will also be located around the facility to scan with your cell phone's camera that will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
LAST WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Peacocks have played to a 1-1 record on the young season after splitting their pair of contests in the Central Region Challenge in Jefferson City, Mo. UIU opened their 2021-22 campaign with an 85-72 win over the University of Arkansas at Monticello before falling 102-96 in a back-and-forth game against Southern Arkansas University. Upper Iowa also played an exhibition game against NCAA DI Bradley University, falling 83-53 in Peoria, Ill.
Against UAM, the Peacocks compiled a 32-point lead early in the fourth quarter before emptying the bench. Despite a strong 28-9 push from the Blossoms late, the Peacocks held on to win their season-opener. Jessica Musgrave (22 pts, 8 reb), Lydia Haack (14 pts, 6 ast), Brooke Evenson (10 pts, 11 reb), and Alaina Brenning (11 pts, 6 reb) all scored in double-figures.
Against SAU, Upper Iowa fell behind by ten early before going on a 9-0 run and cutting their deficit to just two before the end of the first quarter. There were 18 lead changes and 12 ties over the final three quarters as the teams went back and forth, and the Peacocks pushed ahead by six late in the third quarter. The Muleriders reclaimed the lead in the fourth thanks to a hot 4/8 (50%) mark from deep. SAU handed UIU the loss despite one of the best shooting performances in Upper Iowa history at 62.9% (39/62) and 20+ points from Musgrave (33), Haack (25), and Evenson (23).
Against Bradley, the Peacocks gained experience against the NCAA DI Mid-Major opponent while keeping the score close into the third quarter at 37-30. UIU out-rebounded Bradley 42-37, including a 14-8 advantage on the offensive glass, and both Musgrave (16) and Haack (13) continued their stretch of double-figure scoring.
MUST-SEE MUSGRAVE… Jessica Musgrave 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 in UIU's season-opening win. The Toledo, Iowa native upped her performance in game two, finishing with a game and career-high 33 points. She also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to secure her sixth career double-double, shot 11/18 (61.1%) from the floor and a perfect 11/11 from the charity stripe, snatched 2 steals, and dished out 4 assists. Through two games, Musgrave leads the NSIC in scoring at 27.5 points per game and is tied for fifth at 9.5 rebounds per contest. Her scoring average is the fifth-best mark amongst NCAA DII women's basketball players.
20-20-20 VISION… A trio of Peacocks surpassed the 20-point scoring threshold in UIU's game against Southern Arkansas. Jessica Musgrave led the way with a game and career-high 33 points. Lydia Haack finished with 25 points on 12/18 (66.7%) shooting, adding a game-high 6 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds in a game-high 38 minutes. Brooke Evenson scored a career-high 23 points while shooting 10/11 (90.1%) from the field and 3/4 (75%) behind the arc. This is the first time in recent Upper Iowa history that a trio of teammates has scored 20+ points in the same game. The 2014-15 squad came within a point or two on multiple occasions as the high-scoring trio of Lauren Buck, Lindsay Carroll, and Olivia Winkler all averaged double-figures.
UIU BY THE NUMBERS… Offensively, Upper Iowa ranks third in the NSIC in scoring at 90.5 points per game. UIU holds the second-best shooting percentage at 48.4%, the sixth-best three-point percentage at 31%, and the second-best free throw percentage at 78.3%. The Peacocks also rank third in rebounding at 47.5 per game, ranking second in defensive rebounds per game (32.5) and tying for second in offensive rebounds per game (15). Along with Musgrave's high marks in the conference, Lydia Haack ranks seventh in the NSIC with 19.5 points per game and is tied for second in assists per game with 6. Brooke Evenson ranks ninth in scoring at 19.5 PPG, ties for 11th with 7 rebounds per game, and ties for second in three-point percentage at 55.6% (5/9).
SCOUTING THE HAWKS... This will be the first game of the 2021-22 season for the Rockhurst University women's basketball team. The Hawks finished with an 8-12 record as they played an All-GLVC slate. Rockhurst was picked to finish second in the West Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the conference's 2021-22 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The GLVC is comprised of 15 teams across three divisions, and Rockhurst's 8-12 record was the 10th-best mark of the 2020-21 season. The Hawks are led by the All-GLVC sister duo of Daly and Keegan Sullivan. Daly was an All-GLVC Second Team honoree after averaging 14.8 points per game, while Keegan earned a spot on the GLVC's All-Freshmen Team after finishing with an 11.1 scoring average.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS... Waldorf University has played eight games already this season, compiling a 4-4 record. The Warriors were voted to finish seventh out of eight teams in the 2021-22 North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball Preseason Poll following a 1-19 (1-12 NSAA) record last season. Waldorf enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak, having compiled wins of 99-38 over Mount Mary College, 81-65 over Beloit College, and 74-60 over Mount Mercy University. In their last game against Mount Mercy (0-4), Tina Lair-VanMeter led the Warriors with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Kayela Willis (13 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb) and Sandra Christian (12 pts, 4/7 3PT FG) also scored in double-figures. Waldorf (Iowa) is scheduled to face the University of Sioux Falls on Nov. 18 before playing the Peacocks.
