CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball team defeated the Upper Iowa Peacocks 74-65 Fri., Jan. 29 at Lysaker Gymnasium. The win ensured that the Golden Eagles stayed tied for second in the NSIC North one game behind Northern State. UMC came up with some big plays in the second half including two crucial steals and transition lay-ups from Alexa Thielman (Sr., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Sciences) to close out the third quarter. 
UMC improved to 14-5 (11-4 NSIC) with Friday's win. They are still tied with Minnesota State University Moorhead and St. Cloud State University for second.
 
Despite only two players making threes for the Golden Eagles, they were able to put 74 points on the board. Katrina Nordick (Sr., F, Perham, Minn./Applied Studies) led the team in scoring and rebounding with 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Thielman, Alison Hughes (Fr., G, Janesville, Wis./Early Childhood Education), and Emily Gruber (So., F/C, Monticello, Minn./Communication) were also in double figures for the Golden Eagles. Thielman had 16 points and eight boards, while Hughes had 14 and five assists. Gruber rounded things out with 13 points and five rebounds.
 
Whitney Kieffer did most of the damage for Upper Iowa. She had 23 points on 50 percent shooting. Aleesha Cleaver and Carly Pagel each added 12 for the Peacocks.
 
The Peacocks made things tough on the Golden Eagles defensively, pressuring UMC with a full-court press for most of the game.  
 
Nordick got the scoring going in the first quarter with a layup, but Upper Iowa came out on top 16-15.
 
UMC did not have their best first half of the year and found themselves down 36-34 at the break. A tough half of shooting was their downfall as they made only 10 of 29 shots.
 
A run late in the third quarter spurred by two Thielman steals and layups gave the Golden Eagles the lead 59-52.
 
They carried that momentum into the fourth and ultimately it was a 10-0 run that brought the score to 61-52.
 
The Peacocks never threatened in the fourth quarter and UMC came away with a 74-65 win.
 
The Golden Eagles take on NSIC South leader Winona State, currently ranked No. 10 in the nation, tomorrow evening at 4 p.,.. The game will be played at Lysaker Gymnasium as the Golden Eagles continue their push for the number one spot in the conference tourney.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.