Box Score Box Score

Records

Upper Iowa (4-8, 2-4 NSIC) || Winona State (11-2, 6-0 NSIC)

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Recap

Despite outscoring their hosts, 35-29, in the second half of Saturday's NSIC battle, the Upper Iowa Men's Basketball team had a start reminiscent of their last matchup with the Warriors. WSU controlled the first half shooting 54-percent from the floor en route to a 16-point lead at the break. The Peacocks mounted a late comeback, but it wasn't enough as the Warriors held on for a 78-68 victory at home.
 
Joey Woods led UIU with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal to his stat line, but the redshirt-senior was the only Peacock to finish in double-figures. Luke Lenhart had 9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, while Kierre Ogbonna, Bo Pagel and Jimmy Roth all added eight. The Peacocks shot just 32-percent from the floor in the game – their second-lowest output of the season.
 
Much like last month's matchup, WSU controlled the opening half thanks to strong shooting and even better defense. The Warriors jumped out to an early 16-4 lead as UIU shot just 34-percent and turned the ball over 7 times in the first half. WSU increased that lead to 20 points with just two minutes two play in the opening half before Lenhart hit back-to-back threes at the 1:26 and the :53 mark to cut the Warrior lead to 14 points. It didn't hold though as Gray added a WSU layup at the buzzer to ensure a 49-33 WSU lead at intermission.
 
The Peacocks had a much better start to the second half as Weeber and Roth combined for the first five points of the period. Yet the Warriors responded with an 11-0 run to extend their lead to 22 points five and a half minutes into the second period.
 
Lenhart and Jordan Hay combined for another five-point UIU spurt, before the Warriors sunk a pair of free throws. Hay cut the WSU lead to 15 points with a layup at the 7:07 mark, but the Warriors responded with a 7-2 run extinguishing any Peacock momentum.
 
Finally, the Peacocks found a little rhythm on offense as Woods and Pagel earned their own 6-0 run to cut the Warrior lead to 10 points, but it was too little, too late. The Warriors hit 22 of 26 total foul shots including 5 of their final 6 attempts. Their 84.6-percent clip from the charity stripe sealed the 10-point victory on their home court, 78-68.
 
Despite its more efficient second half, UIU never came within 10 points of WSU and the Warriors held a double-digit advantage in all but 4:29 of game time.
 
The Peacocks forced 16 Warrior turnovers, including 11 in the second half, but they couldn't find a way to stop Rily Bambenek who finished with a game-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The freshman guard connected on a career-best four 3-pointers while topping the 20-point plateau for the third time in the first 12 games of his WSU career. Bambenek scored 18 of his points in the opening half, as the Warriors built a 16-point halftime lead. Taylor Cameron, Corey Masbery and Isaiah Gray also reached double-figures as each scored an even ten points.

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UIU Standouts
 
Woods (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), Lenhart (9 points, 3 assists), Roth (8 points, 3 rebounds), Pagel (8 points, 3 steals), Ogbonna (8 points, 8 rebounds)

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Up Next

The Peacocks will take an extended break for the holiday season before picking the season back up in 2014. UIU will face the Golden Eagles of Minnesota Crookston on January 3rd in Crookston, Minnesota.