CHICAGO – Roosevelt fended off a late rally from Upper Iowa to emerge with a 73-67 win over the Peacocks on Wednesday evening in its home opener at the Goodman Center.
Jayla Turchin led the way with 22 points for the Lakers (2-3), and also paced the team with eight rebounds, six assists and six steals on the evening. The senior was particularly important in the key 10-0 run that gave Roosevelt the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
After the Lakers fell behind 54-53, Turchin set up Luka Malinka for a 3-pointer to restore Roosevelt's advantage. Turchin then picked up a steal on Upper Iowa's next possession and grabbed an offensive rebound before sinking a pair of free throws. Another steal led to a fastbreak layup for Turchin, and Lexie Sinclair closed out the 2:44 stretch with a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a nine-point edge.
Sinclair finished with 15 points, knocking down 3 of 7 from behind the arc, and Malinka clawed her way into double figures with 10 points as well.
It was a tight game through the first quarter with neither team gaining much of an advantage, but Roosevelt did lead 19-15 after the first 10 minutes. The Lakers shot 3 of 21 from the field in the second quarter to allow the Peacocks to take a three-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.
The Upper Iowa lead was stretched to seven in the third quarter, but Roosevelt closed the frame on a 7-0 run over the final 81 seconds to regain the lead. Turchin collected her own miss and hit a layup then Malinka rebounded an Upper Iowa miss and Turchin assisted Sinclair on a 3. Sinclair then beat the buzzer with a layup after Turchin stole the ball with four seconds left and threw the ball ahead to the guard.
Roosevelt scored 21 points off 19 Peacocks turnovers and scored 16 points in transition against Upper Iowa. The Lakers also held a 39-25 edge on the glass, turning 17 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points.
UP NEXT: The Lakers have a week to prepare for their first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup of the season, a home date against Lake Superior State on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Goodman Center. Roosevelt beat Lake Superior State last season at the Goodman Center in the only matchup between the two teams.
