The Upper Iowa men’s basketball was in Springfield, Missouri tonight for their season opener with the Panthers of Drury. The Panthers came into the game as the first team outside of the latest Top 25 poll.
The home team used a ten-minute stretch in the middle of the first half to separate themselves from the Peacocks; Drury used an 18-6 run after the teams were tied at 11-11 five minutes into the game. The Panthers kept their distance into the halftime break, 44-30, and then pulled away in the second half en route to an 88-69 victory.
The teams both hit 18 free throws on the night, while Upper Iowa hit one more three-pointer on the night (7 to 6). The difference on offense came in the 10 additional field goals made by the home team.
The Peacocks shot 42.3% from the floor, but turned the ball over 27 times on the night.
Matt Lesan had a great opening night to his senior season. The guard from Solon, Iowa scored 28 points on 9 of 14 shooting. Lesan hit 5 of his 8 deep ball attempts and added 5 more at the charity stripe. Tucker Wentzien chipped in 11 points. Nine additional UIU players put marks on the scoreboard, but none scored more than five.
On the glass, Alex Kramer pulled down 8 boards, while Dan Bestul snared 5 rebounds and Mark Lafrenz added 4. Jake Hughes handed out 5 of UIU’s 14 assists in the game.
Drury’s night was highlighted by four double-figure scorers led by Dennon Mitchell’s and Alex Hall’s matching 23 points. The Panther defense tallied 14 steals on the night to hold down Upper Iowa’s offense.
The Peacocks’ next game will come at home in Dorman Gym next Saturday, Nov. 20. Upper Iowa will host the Hawks of Quincy on Prochaska Court with tipoff set for 3 p.m.
