LIVE OPTIONS
FRI - @ Minnesota State (6 p.m.) - Video | Stats
SAT - @ Concordia-St. Paul (4 p.m.) - Video | Stats
WEEKLY NOTES
Upper Iowa | Minnesota State | Concordia- St. Paul | Northern Sun
THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK BASKETBALL... Upper Iowa will head to southern Minnesota this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Conference games against the #13 Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato and the #21 Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7. UIU will enter the weekend with a 1-0 mark in NSIC games after a home victory over the Warriors of Winona State University last Saturday, while Minnesota State is also 1-0 in the conference after defeating Concordia-St. Paul a week ago.
DEFENDING DORMAN... Upper Iowa combined balanced scoring with pressure defense to defend Dorman Gym against Winona State. The Peacocks held their opponent under 60 points for the second time this season and saw four players score in double figures to post the 66-58 victory. The Peacock defense took control early and held the Warriors to just two points through the first seven minutes of the game. In fact, WSU's 2-1 lead was the only time in the game that the visitors led. To stop a Warrior rally, the Peacocks calmly stepped to the free throw line over the final three and a half minutes and preserved their lead thanks to 12-14 shooting.
MAVERICK STAMPEDE... Minnesota State opened conference play with a convincing 87-63 win over Concordia-St. Paul. The Mavericks would net nine three pointers in the opening half to take the momentum into intermission. MSU connected on 46% of its shots from the field and 43% from behind the arc in the contest while holding the Gold Bears to 33% from the field and 13% from behind the arc. The Mavericks were led by senior Ali Wilkinson (Blue Mounds, Wis.) who tallied 16 points and hauled in six rebounds. Rachel Hansen led the Golden Bears with 15 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
KIE WHITNESS... Junior
Whitney Kieffer is averaging 15.8 points (16th NSIC) per game through Upper Iowa's first five contests and is adding 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 steals (65th NCAA/4th NSIC) and 2.4 assists per game for the Peacocks. The Scales Mound, Ill. native climbed to ninth on the all-time scoring list at UIU with 1,050 points (61 games) and is now just three points shy of Rochelle Atkins (1,053 - 1985-89). The all-time leader in points is Hall of Famer Vicky (Ringenberg) Rarick (1995-99) with 1,431.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE... Junior forward
Lauren Buck is averaging a double-double this season with 10.6 points and 10 rebounds (36th NCAA/4th NSIC) per game. The Anamosa, Iowa native is shooting 50% (18-36) from the floor and 83% (15-18) at the free throw line.
A THRAPP-LE A DAY... Senior
Sam Thrapp has been the right medicine for the Peacock offense this season. The senior point guard is averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 assists per game and is coming off an 18-point game versus Winona State.
COMEBACK KID... Sophomore
Carly Pagel is back in the starting lineup after an injury ended her NSIC Freshman of the Year campaign a game early last year. The Sumner, Iowa product is averaging 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
