FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa women's basketball (11-9, 7-5 GLVC) led for 33:20 to get its third straight win, 60-54, and defeat Southwest Baptist (5-13, 2-10 GLVC) in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Peacocks were led by Ellie Foster with 17 points, six assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block.
Kendyl Lodermeier tallied her second-straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nine of her 10 rebounds came on the defensive glass. Bryar Duwe added 10 points, two assists and a steal.
Leading 44-42 entering the fourth quarter, Ava Privet got a quick steal and knocked down a transition 3-pointer 16 seconds in. Lodermeier added a layup to take a seven-point advantage. Later, Ellie Foster nailed a 3-pointer to take a six-point lead with 5:25 left.
The Bearcats stormed back with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 52-52. UIU responded with a 6-0 run of its own, starting with a Lodermeier layup off an Ellie Foster assist after a baseline drive. Sydnee Nelson found Josie Foster down the court for the fast-break layup to lead by four.
Duwe scored on the next possession, making it three straight scores to lead, 58-52, with two minutes left. The junior then added a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left, sealing the 60-54 victory.
With the Peacocks leading 7-6 in the first quarter, Magi Bjornson made a jumper in the paint, and Ellie Foster knocked down a step-back 3-pointer to lead, 12-6. The Bearcats closed the period on a 6-0 run, aided by six Peacock turnovers.
UIU maintained a one or two-possession lead throughout the second quarter after Ellie Foster knocked down another step-back jumper to start it. Ellie Foster, Josie Foster and Bryar Duwe each had four points in the second quarter as the Peacocks took a 26-24 lead into halftime.
Each team scored 18 points in the third quarter. After the Bearcats took a 32-30 lead, Nelson made sure it was short-lived with a 3-pointer after a Josie Foster offensive rebound. Later, Privet knocked down a 3-pointer, and Ellie Foster made a driving layup for a five-point lead. A 3-point play through contact from SBU's Kamiyah Hurd cut the lead to 44-42 entering the fourth quarter.
This marked Ellie Foster's 16th game this season scoring in double digits. The graduate tied her season-high in assists with six, previously against Lincoln (Mo.) on Dec. 4, 2025. Lodermeier picked up her 12th game in double digits, while recording her second career double-double. Duwe scored double digits for the second-straight game and the ninth time this season.
Privet finished with eight points, a rebound, an assist and a steal. Josie Foster had six points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist. She shot 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Nelson finished with three points, four rebounds and two assists. Amelia Valentino and Magi Bjonson each had two points and two rebounds.
Southwest Baptist was led by Eviyon Richardson with a game-high 20 points while shooting 7-of-9 (77.8%) from the field. That also marked a season-high for the junior. Hurd had 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
The Peacocks finished 20-of-56 (35.7%) from the field, 7-of-26 (26.9%) from three and 13-15 (86.7%) from the charity stripe. That's the team's third-best free-throw percentage in a game this season. SBU was 21-of-63 (33.3%) from the field, 3-of-16 (18.8%) from behind the arc and a perfect 9-of-9 (100%) at the free-throw line.
Despite losing the turnover battle 18-14, UIU still outscored SBU off turnovers, 16-11. The Peacocks also held a 10-0 advantage on fast breaks and a 14-5 advantage on second-chance points. UIU outrebounded the Bearcats, 43-36. This marked the team's fourth-best rebounding margin this season and the best in GLVC play.
The game featured three lead changes and seven ties. UIU led for 33:20 while SBU led for 2:43.
Upper Iowa returns to Dorman on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Drury (Mo.) (13-6, 10-2 GLVC). The Panthers won on Thursday against Lewis (Ill.) (12-7, 8-3 GLVC) and enter the game in second place in the GLVC standings.
