Feb. 7, 2009
Final Stats
The Upper Iowa men's basketball team took the floor against the Wolves of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota for their latest Northern Sun Conference game. The Wolves are currently the #5 team in the region according to the latest NCAA poll. The Peacocks and Wolves played a tightly contested first half until the final minutes. The home team held a slim two-point lead with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors, the Wolves outscored the Peacocks 12-5 over the remainder of the half to take a nine-point lead into intermission. Upper Iowa stormed back in the second half taking a one-point lead with under eight minutes to play. The Peacocks and Wolves played a furious final few minutes that saw Northern State escape with the narrow victory, 68-64. After the defeat, Upper Iowa drops to 4-18 overall and 3-12 in the NSIC, while Northern State improves to 17-5 overall and 10-5 in conference games.
After opening the first half with seven points apiece, Northern State pulled away from Upper Iowa thanks to a short 7-2 run that saw the home team move ahead 14-9. The Peacocks were quick to react and outscored the Wolves 11-6 over the next five minutes. The UIU rally was fueled by scores by four Peacocks including a pair of buckets from Nick Kramer. Leading 22-20 with 7:06 to play in the opening half, Northern State closed out the remainder of the half by outscoring the Peacocks12-5. NSU would take a nine-point, 34-25, lead into the break.
In the second half, Upper Iowa stormed back thanks to opening the first eight minutes by outscoring Northern State 19-11. With 11:21 on the clock, the Peacocks had climbed back to within one point, 45-44. Upper Iowa's second half rally was led by Storm Schmitt's six points, Chris Sullivan's five and Nick Kramer's three points. An old-fashioned three point play by NSU's Kevin Ratzsch gave Northern State a four-point lead and interrupted the Peacock rally. The teams exchanged three-pointers as the clock neared the midway point of the second half. The Peacocks did not let the momentum turn as they took they first lead of the game with 7:48 to play. Upper Iowa led 54-53 thanks to a pair of point blank shots from Matt Lesan and Sullivan.
The lead would be short-lived as NSU's Robert Thomas converted on an old-fashioned three point play to reclaim the lead for the home team, 56-54. The Peacocks tied the game as the clock moved under five minutes to play when Schmitt hit a lay-up for his ninth and tenth points of the night. A pair of free throws by Ratzsch gave Northern State a two-point lead, 58-56, with 3:36 to play. After a UIU free throw cut the gap to one, the Wolves hit a jumper to push their lead to three with just under three minutes to play. Alex Kramer hit a big basket in the paint with 2:15 showing on the clock to cut the deficit to just one, 60-59. Thomas was able to drop another two free throws in and gave NSU their three-point lead back as the clock ticked under two minutes to play.
The Peacocks tied the game at 62-62 with 1:40 to play thanks to a three-point play from senior Nick Kramer, but Mitch Boeck answered right back for the Wolves with a three pointer that pushed NSU back on top 65-62. Backup point guard Martinez Martin made his first basket of the game count as his lay in pulled the Peacocks to within one, 65-64, with just over a minute to play. Derek Hoellein stepped to the free throw line for the Wolves and knocked in a pair to give the home team a 67-64 advantage with 30 seconds to play. After UIU missed a three to tie, the visitors were forced to foul and send the Wolves back to the charity stripe where they hit one free throw. A final three pointer from the Peacocks missed and Upper Iowa, despite an impressive showing, was defeated by Northern State 68-64.
For the game, both teams shot 43% from the floor, but NSU hit 80% of their free throws while UIU hit on only 63% of their opportunities at the line. The Peacocks did out rebound the Wolves 35-34 including a 10-7 advantage in offensive rebounds.
Lesan led UIU with 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Nick Kramer added 11 points, while Schmitt chipped in 10. Sullivan led the way for Upper Iowa on the boards with 8 while Dan Bestul grabbed 5 caroms. Bestul also handed out 5 assists.
The Peacocks will return to Dorman Gym next weekend for a pair of games with the Vikings of Augustana College on Friday, Feb. 13, and the Wildcats of Wayne State College on Saturday, Feb. 14. Both games are scheduled to tip at 8 p.m. following the women's games.
