Box Score Records

Upper Iowa (7-10, 5-6 NSIC) || Sioux Falls (7-8, 4-7 NSIC)

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Recap

Thanks to a three-pointer from Josh Weeber, the Upper Iowa Men's Basketball team held a 70-65 lead over Sioux Falls with 4:54 remaining in regulation in the Stewart Center. Unfortunately, the Peacocks couldn't sustain that momentum. The Cougars scored six straight times en route to a 85-78 victory at home in Northern Sun action.

Weeber started the night on fire as he hit the Peacocks' first two bucket, both threes, in the opening minute. The freshmen, who is known for his scoring ability, led UIU with a team-high 19 points, but his hot hand didn't last. Weeber finished 6-of-14 from the floor and, as a unit, the Peacocks shot just 31-percent from the field in the game. Thirteen treys kept UIU in the game with four of those coming from freshman Jimmy Roth. Roth finished with 15 points, just two shy of his career-high, connecting on four of his ten field goal attempts. Joey Woods added 13 points and four steals, but the Peacocks couldn't pull off the win or the series sweep over USF. 

The Peacocks came charging out of the gates thanks to Weeber's back-to-back trifectas. UIU extended its lead to seven points five minutes in after a pair of free throws from Roth. Another freebie from the charity stripe – this one from Jordan Hay – gave UIU its largest lead of the first half with 13:25 to play in the period.  
 
USF cut into the lead and quickly pulled ahead thanks to the Cougars' scoring duo of Bryan Kielpinski and Mahlon Jones. Kielpinski was lethal in the paint as a dunk and a layup on back-to-back possessions gave the home team a 17-16 lead at the 9:36 mark in the first half. Kielpinski finished the night with a game-high19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while Jones had 17 – 13 of which came in the second half.

Three free throws from Woods tied the game a minute later at 21-all as UIU went on another run. The Peacocks scored five straight before USF's Derek Brown answered with a three. Jace Hanna added a pair of free throws, but Brown hit from long-range again. UIU wouldn't get the lead back until the 3:40 mark as Weeber hit back-to-back threes. Grant Lang added a jumper to give UIU a 33-28 lead at the two and a half minute mark.

USF's Alex Robey drilled a three with 36 seconds left before break, but Roth ensured a four-point lead for UIU at the half as he answered with his own bucket from beyond the arc. The Peacocks shot just 27-percent in the first half, but held a 37-33 lead at intermission thanks to 50-percent shooting from deep. UIU hit 6-of-12 long balls to stay out in front of the home team.
 
Weeber had 13 points to lead all scorers at the break, but USF clamped down on the 6-foot-5 big man in the second half.
 
After the Cougars hit a couple of shots to start the period, the Peacocks went back to their bread-and-butter. Luke Lenhart and Hay combined for back-to-back layups before Weeber hit another three. This one gave his team a 45-41 lead less than five minutes into the second half. Yet that's when the Peacocks went cold – ice cold.
 
UIU was held scoreless for the next two minutes as USF went on a 10-0 run. Bo Pagel stopped the bleeding with a three-point play after Hay found him with a nice pass. Roth then hit another trey, tying the game at 51-51 with 12:26 to play.
 
It wasn't until Roth hit another long ball that UIU started to pull ahead. Roth began and ended a 9-1 run for UIU with two threes, but USF exchanged blow for blow. The Cougars used a 6-0 run to keep pace with the high-flying Peacocks, but another three – this one from Hanna – ensured a four-point lead for UIU, 65-61, with 6:34 left in regulation.

A minute and a half later and after the teams exchanged buckets, Weeber hit his final three of the game. His trifecta gave UIU a 70-65 lead with 4:54 to play, but the home team found another response.

USF's Jordan Stotts – who scored a career-high 34 points against UIU back in December – scored eight straight points to give the Cougars a 73-70 lead. Mack Johnson added a jumper before Stotts hit yet another free throw attempt.

UIU, now trailing by six with a minute left, turned to Woods who automatically drove to the hoop and earned a layup in traffic. The redshirt-senior scored the Peacocks' eight points, but it wasn't enough. USF hit their final nine free throws and held on for the six-point victory, 84-78.
 

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Stat of the Game
 
Despite taking a four-point lead into halftime, UIU made just eight shots in the first half shooting 29-percent from the floor (8-of-29). The Peacocks made only 35-percent of their shots in the second half.

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UIU Standouts

Josh Weeber (19 points, 6 rebounds,1 steal), Jimmy Roth (15 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal), Joey Woods (13 points, 3 assists, 4 steals), Jace Hanna (7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block), Grant Lang (7 points, 2 assists).

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Up Next

The Peacocks will now head east to Marshall, Minnesota to face the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State tomorrow night at 7 p.m. UIU is just 2-11 against SMSU over the past seven seasons.