FAYETTE, Iowa - The Peacock women's basketball team (8-7, 4-3 GLVC) could not overcome a 32.1% shooting day and fell to Lewis (Ill.) (8-7, 4-2 GLVC) on Saturday afternoon. Graduate Ellie Foster recorded her second-highest point total of the season with 20 in the 65-53 loss.
Tied 8-8 in the first half, the Flyers took advantage of two Peacock turnovers for back-to-back buckets. A few plays later, Yahaira Bueno knocked down a 3-pointer to cap off the 7-0 run. Lewis maintained that lead to take a 17-11 advantage into the first-quarter break.
The Flyers extended their lead to 32-17 at halftime, holding the Peacocks to 2-of-12 (16.7%) from the field while shooting 6-of-12 (50%) themselves. After Bryar Duwe hit a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, Lewis responded with an 8-0 run., and later extended it to 15-1. Lindsey Davis made a driving layup in the closing seconds of the half for UIU's second field goal.
The Peacocks found themselves down 18, 42-24, in the second half, but battled back. 3-pointers by Foster and Duwe, along with a pair of free throws by Kenzie Deaton, got the lead down to 10 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Foster drained back-to-back 3-pointers with four minutes to go to cut the Lewis lead to five. That would be the lowest that the lead would be cut down to, as Ally Cesarini hit a step-back jumper for her 20th point of the game and a seven-point lead. The Flyers held UIU to two field goals the rest of the game to get the 12-point win.
Foster's 20-point game also featured a season-high eight rebounds. She also blocked a shot. Kendyl Lodermeier was the second-leading scorer for UIU with 10 points and seven rebounds. Six of her 10 points came from the charity stripe.
Duwe totaled eight points, two assists and a steal. Ava Privet had seven points, five rebounds, two steals and a block.
Cesarini finished with a season-high 25 points for Lewis. Mallory Ramage had 20 points, and Kree Nunnally had 10. Gavi Hoover was the game's leader in rebounds with nine.
Lewis outscored UIU 18-7 off turnovers, 44-12 in the paint, 10-0 on fast breaks and 14-13 on second-chance points. The Peacocks outscored Lewis 24-3 behind the arc. 62 of Lewis' 65 points came from its starting five.
The Flyers finished 24-of-57 (42.1%) from the field, 1-of-15 (6.7%) on 3-pointers and 16-of-26 (61.5%) from the free-throw line. The Peacocks shot 17-of-53 (32.1%) from the field, 8-of-27 (29.6%) behind the arc and 11-of-13 (84.6%) from the charity stripe. The Peacocks shot 7-of-25 (28%) in the first half and 10-of-28 (35.7%) in the second half. This was UIU's fourth-lowest shooting percentage in a game this season.
The Peacocks continue their four-game home GLVC stretch on Thursday, Jan. 15 vs. Quincy (Ill.) (7-7, 4-3 GLVC) at 5 p.m. The Hawks enter the contest on a three-game winning streak. Truman State (Mo.) (8-7, 5-2 GLVC) comes into Dorman on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m.
