GAME TWO || Wednesday, November 14, 2012 || 7:30 PM
Kirksville, Missouri || Pershing Arena
William Jewel College at Upper Iowa University
UIU Game Notes | TSU Game Notes | NSIC Release
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This Week in Upper Iowa Men's Basketball... the Peacocks hit the road for the first time in 2012 as they head south to take on the Truman State Bulldogs in Kirksville, Missouri. UIU and TSU squared off last year at Dorman Gym in Fayette with the Peacocks emerging victorious in a 75-68 game. Despite a tied ballgame at halftime, UIU scored 43 points in the second half en route to a 75-68 non-conference victory. Tucker Wentzien led the Peacocks in scoring with 17 points, while collecting a team-high 8 rebounds. EJ Hicks and Mike Carlson both scored in double figures for TSU.
The Series... Last season was the first matchup between the teams in six years. Previously, TSU earned back-to-back victories in 2004 and 2005.
Strong Second Half Propels UIU Past WJC In Season-Opener... Despite some early mistakes and missed shots, nothing could stop the Upper Iowa men’s basketball team from opening their 97th season on the hardwood with a victory. That was bad news for the visiting William Jewel Cardinals and their legendary coach Larry Holley. The Peacocks trailed by eight at halftime after shooting just 31 percent from the floor in the first period. But UIU bounced back with a resounding 43 points in the second half as they earned the 68-60 victory in non-conference play this past Sunday. Senior wing Sam Elgin led the way for the Peacocks in scoring in both the first and second periods. The Center Point, Iowa native had team-highs in points (15), rebounds (8) and assists (3). The Peacocks sent Holley, who has been selected to five Hall of Fames over his 34 years of service to the WJC program, and the Cardinals to their second straight loss this year.
Players To Watch... Peacock center Tucker Wentzien did not start off the regular season the way he wanted to. He shot just 2-of-9 from the floor, recording just four rebounds and one assist over 26 minutes of play. Look for the 6-foot-8 senior to get back on track in this week’s showdown with TSU. If Wentzien was cold last weekend, then Sam Elgin was on fire. The 6-6 senior from Center Point, Iowa led the Peacocks in three offensive categories and has played well in the past against the Bulldogs. Elgin had 12 points, 4 assists and a steal in last season’s showdown with TSU. Defensively, watch for Jake Hughes and David Smith to try to slow down Bulldog guard EJ Hicks, who torched UIU for 17 points last year.
Leading the Bulldogs... Junior Mike Carlson averaged just over ten points per game last year, but has since heated up, earning the MIAA conference Player of the Week award for last week's performance. The 6-foot-9 foward scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting despite a 83-78 loss to William Penn. EJ Hicks and Cory Myers also totaled double-digits with 13 and 10 points for the Bulldogs, respectively. Marek Bush collected a team-high 10 rebounds for TSU.
Seven Seniors Leave Their Legacy... Tucker Wentzien, Jake Hughes, Sam Elgin, Joey Woods, Cedric Collins, Michael Lafrenz and Jake Shonka enter their final year in the Peacock blue. Together, this group averaged 52.5 points per game, or 75 percent of the team’s total points last season and started this season off with a victory. Combined, the seniors had 46 of the 68 points in UIU's season-opening victory over the Cardinals. These seven seniors will again be counted on all season long as the Peacocks compete in a very strong NSIC-South conference.
Preseason Poll... The Peacocks were picked by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference to finish twelfth in the sixteen-team league's preseason poll released in mid-October. Winona State was selected as the 2012-13 NSIC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ overall favorite and in the NSIC-South Division poll. They received 219 points and ten first place votes. Defending NSIC/Sanford Health Men’s Basketball Tournament Champions of Southwest Minnesota State came in second with 209 points and four first place votes. Minnesota State was third with 185; St. Cloud State was fourth with 174 and MSU Moorhead fifth with 170 points and a first place vote. Augustana was sixth with 155 points and a first place vote. MSU Moorhead was the coaches pick in the NSIC North Division as they amassed 46 points and five first place votes. NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 15 with a first place vote receiving 15 points, second place 14, third place 13, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players.Click here to view the release.
Up Next... UIU' non-conference road schedule will continue after the TSU game on Wednesday night. The Peacocks will finish out their non-conference schedule as part of the Northwest Missouri State Classic. UIU will face Northwest Missouri State University and the University if Central Missouri on November 24th and 25th. Click here to view the full scheudle.
Tune In... Don't forget to click on the live option links above to follow all the of the Peacock action live!
