This Week in Men’s Basketball...

The Peacocks close out a four-game road stretch this weekend by making one of their shortest roadtrips of the season.  UIU opens the pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games by visiting the R/A Facility in Marshall, Minn. on Friday to matchup with the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State.  Then on Saturday, UIU closes out the road stretch by lining up against the #12-ranked Minnesota State University Mavericks inside the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minnesota.  Friday’s tip is slated for 8 p.m. while Saturday’s game starts at 6 p.m.

Scouting the Mustangs

The Mustangs enter Friday’s game with a 8-9 record overall which include a 5-8 mark in the NSIC which currently puts them in a four-way tie for eighth place in the NSIC standings.  SMSU won both games last weekend at home against Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State which snapped a four-game losing streak.

Sophomore guard Jordan Miller leads the Mustangs with 15.2 points per game while senior forward Scott Roehl averages just a tenth of a point less per game at 15.1.  Roehl is shooting 52.2% from the floor this season while averaging 9.4 rebounds per game.

SMSU ranks as the third-best scoring defense in the conference by allowing opponents to score just 67.4 points per game.  The Mustangs also rank second in field goal percentage defense (allowing opponents to shoot just 40.9% from the field) and leads the NSIC in rebounding offense with 38.1 rebounds per game.

Scouting the Mavericks

The NSIC leading Mavericks of Minnesota State enter Friday’s matchup with Winona State with a 15-2 overall record which includes a 11-2 mark in NSIC games.  The Mavericks have won eight of their last nine games, losing only to U-Mary in that stretch, 84-69 in Bismarck, ND.

Minnesota State boasts the most potent scoring offense in the league by scoring 84.2 points per game and is led offensively by senior Jefferson Mason’s 19.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Mason is shooting 59.8% from the floor this season and is ranked fourth among all NSIC scorers.  Senior’s Marcus Hill (16.2 ppg) and Cameron Hodges (10.4 ppg) also average double-figures for the Mavericks.

MSU also ranks second in the NSIC in steals by taking the ball away from their opponent 7.76 times per game and have recorded the least amount of turnovers in the league by averaging just 10.9 per game.

Series History

Since transitioning to NCAA Division II before the 2005-06 season, the Peacocks are 2-8 when playing Southwest Minnesota State and 0-7 when competing against Minnesota State.

The Last Meeting

The matchups this weekend mark the second time this season that Upper Iowa has met Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State.

Dan Bestul nailed a last second three-pointer to lift the Peacocks over the Mustangs on December 18.  The night before, UIU dropped a contest with Minnesota State inside Dorman Gym, 87-72.

Live Stats and Web Cast

Live stats and a free webcast will be available for this weekend’s games.  Visit upperiowaathletics.com for further details.

Looking Ahead

The Peacocks return home next weekend as they start a three-game home stretch against three teams in the top six of the NSIC standings.

Upper Iowa welcomes St. Cloud State to Dorman Gym in Fayette on Friday before hosting Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday.  Tipoff for both matchups is set for 8 p.m.