BOX SCORE

FAYETTE, Iowa - Southwest Minnesota State held Upper Iowa to 24 second half points but UIU's 10-point lead heading into the break was too much to overcome as the Peacocks held on for the 68-60 win over the Mustangs in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference women's basketball action on Friday. Alison Nagel scored 23 points on 8 of 17 shooting for the Mustangs in the losing effort. It was Nagel's second career 20+ point performance – both coming this season.

Whitney Kieffer's 23 points and Upper Iowa's 15 of 24 shooting in the first half were too much for Nagel and company as SMSU dropped its fourth consecutive game to UIU. SMSU drops to 2-6, 0-4 in the NSIC. The loss was SMSU's fourth straight to UIU.

Upper Iowa couldn't miss in the first half as the Peacocks hit their first 11 of 13 shots to open the game. They finished shooting 62.5 percent from the floor in the first half on 15 of 24 shooting, including a clean 4 of 4 from 3-point range. Whitney Kieffer, UIU's leading scorer (14.3 ppg), finished the first half with a game-high 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting. UIU became the first team versus SMSU to score 40+ points in the first half.

UIU's hot shooting came to an end as the Peacocks opened the second half shooting just 3 of 14 to allow SMSU to close the game within three but a 17-5 run pulled UIU out of arm's length. The defense tightened up in the second half for the Mustangs as they only allowed 28 points but the 10-point deficit couldn't be erased. UIU finished the second half shooting just 8 of 26 – 30.8 percent from the floor.

Upper Iowa turned the ball over 20 times and SMSU converted them into 21 points.

Bree Holleman knocked down her 119th career 3-pointer to move her into sixth place in school history. She finished 4 of 13 shooting from the floor, 1 of 6 from behind the arc.

SMSU will travel to take on Winona State tomorrow.