FAYETTE, Iowa - The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team captures their first conference win of the 2017-18 season under head coach Amanda Johnson as they defeated the Upper Iowa Peacocks 67-59 on Friday night.
 
The Bears are now 3-3 in their last six meetings against the Peacocks and this was the second straight matchup where the game was decided by eight points. Last season, the Bears were on the losing end of a 51-43 decision, as CSP shot only 30.6% from the floor and 15.2% from three. This year, the Bears were on the victorious end of the eight point game, winning 67-59, while shooting a more impressive 41.3% from the floor and 45.5% from behind the arc. 
 
Junior Anna Schmitt led the offense for the Bears, scoring 25 points, while also collecting three steals and four rebounds. She shot 43.8% from the field, 50.0% from three, and a perfect 100% from the free-throw line. This is Schmitt's sixth game scoring over 24 points and eighth consecutive game scoring in double figures. She also moves up another spot in the Concordia record book, becoming the 18^th highest career scorer in women's basketball history.

Junior guard Kayla Miller was the next highest scorer for CSP, scoring a season-high 13 points. Freshman Ellie Gess continued her consistent scoring streak, making it five straight games in double figures for the Bears, scoring 11 points, while shooting an impressive 50.0% from the floor, 75.0% from three, and 100% from the line.  
 
As a team, the Peacocks shot a little bit better from the floor and from behind the arc than the Bears, but CSP shut down the Upper Iowa starters, only allowing them to score 17 of their 59 total points. Concordia also forced 22 turnovers, reaping a season-high 13 steals. The Golden Bears also went back to their solid free-throw shooting, going 19-23 from the line.
 
The game started with three straight minutes of scoreless play, before Gess got the Bears on the board first with a three pointer. The Peacocks then answered with seven straight points, eventually leading 13-9 after the first quarter of play. The Bears opened up the second quarter with the first five points to take the lead 14-13. The lead changed back and forth until the Bears took the lead again with a little over eight minutes left in the half and then never gave it up after that. As the first half winded down, Gess hit two free-throws to help the Bears lead by 12 (36-24) at the half.
 
CSP started the second half strong as well, as they immediately went on a 7-2 run to lead by 17. Upper Iowa kept chipping away and cut the lead down to seven with forty seconds left in the third quarter before Schmitt hit two free-throws to increase the lead to nine heading into the final quarter. The Peacocks scored the first five of the fourth quarter to get the game within four, but the Bears held strong, never once giving up the lead, eventually winning 67-59.
 
Upper Iowa was led by graduate student Angelica De Paulo, who scored a team-high 22 points coming off the bench. Joining her in double digits was teammate Natalie Dinius, who scored 11, also off the bench.  
 
The Bears continue their road trip as they take on the Winona State Warriors on Saturday, December 9^th at 4 p.m. If you are unable to make it down to Winona, follow along at cspbears.com/watch.