Jan. 26, 2008

Box Score

The Upper Iowa men's basketball team welcomed the Wolves of Northern State to Dorman Gym on Saturday night. Northern State entered the game as the #7 team in the nation, while Upper Iowa took the court having won six of their last eight including five of their last six Northern Sun games. The Wolves offense clicked on all cylinders in the first half as they shot 72%, while their intensity on defense held the Peacocks to just 35% shooting. Upper Iowa went to the break trailing 47-29.

The Peacocks held a 9-8 advantage five minutes into the game, but the Wolves used a 9-0 run over the next two and a half minutes to claim a 17-9 lead. Northern State's next run came after the home team rallied to a three-point deficit, 21-18. The visitors only allowed UIU two points over the next seven minutes, while scoring twenty-one points themselves to lead 42-20. The teams headed to the locker rooms with Upper Iowa behind 47-29.

Upper Iowa rallied early in the second half and cut the margin to 14 points, 54-40, but Northern State weathered the Peacock push and regained their lead, 64-44, midway through the second half. The teams played evenly over the final ten minutes as the Wolves came away with the victory, 77-56.

With the win, Northern State Head Coach Don Meyer now has 880 career victories. He takes over sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list passing Dean Smith. Coach Meyer is second only to Bobby Knight in the history of college men's basketball.

Dan Bestul led the Peacocks in scoring with 10 points, while Neil Gross added 9 and Storm Schmitt chipped in 8.

Upper Iowa will host the #3 team in the land, Winona State, next Saturday night, Feb. 2, on Prochaska Court in Dorman Gym. Game time is set for 8 p.m.