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GAME FIVE || Saturday, December 1, 2012 || 6:00 PM
Winona, Minnesota || MCCown Gymnasium (3,300)
This Week in Upper Iowa Men’s Basketball... The Peacocks will begin their NSIC conference schedule this Saturday as they head north to take on the Warriors of Winona State. WSU, a preseason favorite to earn the top spot in the NSIC, has won three games in a row and sits at 6-1 this year, while ranking in the top-10 in the central region of the NABC coaches poll.
The Series... Despite taking one out of the previous four matchups with the Warriors, WSU has controlled this series between these two schools for some time now. The Warriors own a 14-1 record against UIU dating back to the 2005-06 season. The Peacocks last defeated WSU at home in 2011, 80-64, thanks to stifiling defense and hot shooting. Tucker Wentzien led UIU in scoring with 18 points in that game and he collected six rebounds and three blocks.
UIU Falls to .500 After Bearcat Classic... After starting the season with back-to-back wins, the Peacocks lost a pair of seven-point decisions to Northwest Missouri State (59-52) and Central Missouri (72-67) at the Bearcat Basketball Classic in Maryville, MO this past weekend. UIU came up just short against the then-ranked No. 22 Bearcats, despite a breakout 18 points from Tucker Wentzien. A day later, UIU dug itself into an early 28-8 hole against the Mules of Central Missouri and could never recover, ultimately falling, 74-67. Wentzien, as well as, Grant Lang led the Peacocks in scoring with 16 points apiece.
Peacocks Start 2012 Strong... UIU started this season exactly the way they wanted to - with two wins. The Peacocks claimed a 68-60 victory over visiting William Jewel College and the Cardinals' legendary coach Larry Holley, thanks to a strong performance from senior wing Sam Elgin. The Center Point, Iowa native had team-highs in points (15), rebounds (8) and assists (3). Elgin then backed that up with a 16-point performance in a 70-67 victory over Truman State in Kirksville, Missouri. The Peacocks will look to get back to their winning ways this weekend against WSU.
Leading the Warriors... Clayton Vette (19.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 52% FG) || Zander Culver (10.6 ppg, 1.7 apg, 43% 3FG) || Xavier Humphrey (10.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 2.9 rpg, 33% 3FG) || Kellen Taylor (8.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 64% FG)
Scout Team... The Warriors lone loss this year came at the hands of # 3 Metro State, 84-72, on November 16th. WSU shot 52% from the floor, but allowed two twenty-point scorers on defense. The Warriors also turned the ball over 23 times in that game. WSU last defeated Ferris State by 13 points thanks to a team-high 11 points from Zander Culver. 6-foot-9 senior center Clayton Vette has led the team in scoring four times and rebounding five times. Caleb Palkert leads WSU with 10 blocks this year.
Peacocks Ranked in the NSIC... Wentzien and Elgin have once again solidified themselves as scoring threats for UIU this year. While Elgin led the Peacocks in scoring over the first two games (15 and 16 points, respectively), Wentzien has since found his rythym. The Solon, Iowa native ranks 16th in the conference with his 13.3 ppg. Elgin is also ranked in the top-20, but in rebounding (16th) with 6.3 rpg and defensive rebounding (12th) with 5.5 defensive boards per game.
Six Seniors Leave Their Legacy... Wentzien, Elgin, Jake Hughes, Cedric Collins, Michael Lafrenz and Jake Shonka all enter their final year in the Peacock blue. Together, this group averaged 44.1 points per game, or nearly 70 percent of the team’s total points last season. This year, the group averages 36.6 ppg or 57 percent of the offensive production. These six seniors will again be counted on this weekend to lead the Peacocks against a tough NSIC-South opponent, but as seniors, they have the experience to deal with the WSU pressure.
Remembering the Twenty-First Century Upset... After defeating Upper Iowa in the 2010 NSIC-opener, the Warriors were upset in Fayette in late February of 2011. Click here to see that game recap.
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... With UIU's non-conference schedule in the books, the Peacocks will prepare for five-straight NSIC contests, including this weekend's matchup with WSU. After taking on the Warriors, UIU will then face Concordia-St. Paul on December 7th before facing Minnesota State a day later. Both of those matches will begin at 8 PM. Click here to view the full scheudle and you can hear all of the action of those matches by clicking here.
Tune In... Don't forget to click on the live option links above to follow all the of the Peacock action live! Also, keep in mind that the live video link is being supplied by WSU and will include the Warriors' audio broadcast. You can hear the game from a Peacock standpoint by clicking here.
