The Upper Iowa women's basketball team dropped a defensive battle against the University of Minnesota Duluth in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The Peacocks held UMD to 10 points below their season average, but UIU was held to a season-low scoring output in the 55-42 decision. Upper Iowa falls to 4-12 (1-9 NSIC) with the loss, while Minnesota Duluth maintains their spot as the second-ranked team in the NSIC with a 12-4 (10-2 NSIC) record.

Katie Tornstrom led the way for UIU with 13 points on 5-9 (55.6%) shooting and 1-2 (50%) from behind the arc. Tornstrom added two rebounds and was 2-2 from the free throw line, doing her damage in just 18 minutes of action. Brooke Evenson tallied nine points thanks to three threes while shooting 3-10 (30%) from the floor and 3-7 (42.9%) from deep. Evenson also added seven rebounds, one assist, and a game-high three steals. Jessica Musgrave finished with eight points, six boards, and one steal while shooting 2-7 (28.6%) from the floor and 4-6 (66.7%) from the stripe. LexieLodermeier notched a team-high nine rebounds and matched a game-high with three assists. The Peacocks' leading scorer, Lydia Haack, was held in check, finishing with five points, four rebounds, and three assists, shooting 1-12 (8.3%) from the floor.

Brooke Olson, the 2019-20 NSIC Player of the Year and 2021-22 Preseason NSIC North Division Player of the Year, led the Bulldogs with game-highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds. However, the Peacocks held Olson to just 6-20 (30%) shooting and 0-6 from three-point range, her worst shooting performance of the season. Maesyn Thiesen finished with 12 points, including 10 in the second half. Sarah Grow notched eight points on 3-11 (27.3%) shooting, adding nine rebounds and three blocks. Madelyn Granica tallied eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal.

After UIU went up by three early at 5-2, the Peacocks and Bulldogs played a back-and-forth game that saw the visitors holding a 10-9 advantage with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. UMD finished the quarter on a 6-0 run and went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter, going ahead 22-9. After a timeout, the Peacocks turned the tide as Tornstrom got deep position and put in a layup on an assist from Evenson, kick-starting a 15-2 Upper Iowa run. Evenson capped off the stretch with a three-pointer to tie the score at 24 with 2:21 to play in the half. UMD responded with a 5-0 spurt, and a UIU free throw saw the half end with the Peacocks facing a 29-25 deficit.

Tornstrom scored the first four points of the second half to tie the score at 29, but Minnesota Duluth closed the third frame on a 12-1 run to carry a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter, 41-30. The teams combined for just 17 points in the frame as Upper Iowa shot just 1-15 (6.7%), and UMD had their worst-shooting quarter with a 4-17 (23.5%) clip. The Bulldogs also knocked down their only two threes in the period, going 2-6 (33.3%) from distance. Evenson knocked down a triple to open the fourth quarter, but Minnesota Duluth's Brooke Olson scored all six of her second-half points in the final frame as UMD held on to win 55-42.

Each team struggled to shoot from the floor in the defensive game as UMD shot 21-60 (35%) overall and UIU was 14-of-56 (25%). The Peacocks were more accurate from long range as they hit 4-11 (36.4%) compared to just 2-16 (12.5%) by the Bulldogs. Minnesota Duluth converted 11-12 (91.7%) from the charity stripe, while Upper Iowa shot 10-13 (76.9%) from the line. Despite the shooting woes, the Bulldogs were plus-20 inside, finishing with a 34-14 advantage in paint points, thanks in part to a season-high 11 blocks. Upper Iowa committed just 12 turnovers, but they forced just six Minnesota Duluth turnovers as UMD finished with a 9-4 margin in points off turnovers.

Up next, the Peacocks head north for a pair of matchups with NSIC North opponents. UIU plays Northern State University on Friday, Jan. 21, in Aberdeen, S.D. at 5:30 p.m. before playing Minnesota State University Moorhead on Saturday, Jan. 22, in Moorhead, Minn. at 3:30 p.m.