KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The home cooking is just what the Truman Women's Basketball team needed as they thrashed Upper Iowa 77-51 in their debut in Pershing Arena on Sunday. Hannah Belanger led the Bulldogs with 24 points on four made three-pointers.

Upper Iowa (1-5) went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs for the first five minutes of action and took their only lead at 10-9 on a pair of free throws from Lexie Lodermeier.

Belanger's first triple of the game leapfrogged the Bulldogs back in front and would spark an 11-3 burst to end the quarter with Truman ahead 20-13.

Truman (3-4) racketed up the defense to start the second and held the Peacocks to just one point for the first six minutes of the quarter while taking a 31-14 lead. The Bulldogs held Upper Iowa to 1-of-13 shooting in the quarter and four points and was up 40-17 at the break.

Upper Iowa got as close as 15 at 59-44 with 6:40 left to play but the majority of Truman starters returned to restore order.

Belanger was 10-of-16 from the field and 4-of-9 from distance for her 24 points to go with six assists. Maddie Re added 10 and Ellie Weltha scored eight with 12 rebounds. Nine of the 12 players that saw action got in the score column for Truman.

Mia Huberty led Upper Iowa with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Truman will host a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games this week. The Bulldogs will welcome Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. and Maryville University on Saturday at 1 p.m.