Box Score
 
FAYETTE, Iowa — Upper Iowa slipped past the Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team, 59-54 on Saturday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
 
SMSU (1-7, 0-3 NSIC) finished shooting 37.3 percent from the floor on 22 of 59 attempts, while UIU (2-7, 1-2 NSIC) shot 36.4 percent from the field on 20 of 55 shots.
 
Hope Bonlander led the Mustangs with a career-high 26 points on 11 of 20 attempts from field-goal range and added 4 of 7 from the charity stripe. Lauren Hedlund contributed eight points, while Sarah Buysse scored six.
 
Bonlander controlled the boards for SMSU, as she pulled down a team-high seven rebounds—four offensive—and Taylor Holicky added five.
 
Both teams fought for the lead during the first five minutes, as there were nine lead changes. Upper Iowa took control and built a small four-point lead with 3:54 left in the first quarter. The Peacocks would hold the lead down the first-half stretch and built their largest leads of the game at 6:47 and 3:05 in the first quarter leading both times by 10 points.
 
The Mustangs went on a 9-0 run half way through the second quarter to gain a one point lead with 1:26 to go in the half, but the Peacocks charged back with a 4-point run to close the half leading 43-40.

SMSU recorded just one turnover in the first half and finished shooting 14 of 37 from the field. Bonlander led the Mustangs with 13 points.
 
SMSU fought to cut the deficit in the second frame as they trailed by no more than six points the whole half and as few as one with 7:20 left in the half. The Mustangs struggled in the final frame as they turned the ball over five times and could not find the hoop to regain the lead.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will return home and host U-Mary on Friday starting at 6 p.m., before play Minot State on Saturday at 5 p.m.