GAME THIRTEEN
JANUARY 2, 2015 || 8:00 PM 
ALEX NEMZEK HALL || MOORHEAD, MINN.
AT #19 MSU MOORHEAD: LIVE STATS || LIVE VIDEO 

GAME FOURTEEN
JANUARY 3, 2015 || 6:00 PM
WACHS ARENA || ABERDEEN, S.D.
VS NORTHERN STATE: LIVE STATS || LIVE VIDEO 
WEEKLY NOTES

UPPER IOWA || UIU STATS || MSU MOORHEAD || NORTHERN STATE || NORTHERN SUN 
THIS WEEKEND IN MEN'S BASKETBALL
 
The Peacocks (8-4, 4-2 NSIC) return to action following the holiday break with a pair of road NSIC matchups, starting with the #19 Dragons of Minnesota State Moorhead on Friday night, followed by a battle with the Northern State Wolves. The Dragons are 14-1 to start the year, including a 5-1 record in conference and a perfect 6-0 at home. The Wolves are 10-2 overall and 4-2 in NSIC play, but lost to MSU Moorhead in their last game to end a five-game winning streak.
 
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
 
1     CHARITABLE OPPONENTS: The Peacocks are ranked in the top 15 of Division II at getting to the free throw line and converting. UIU is 9th in the country with 324 free throw attempts and 15th in free throws made with 225 made. 

2     SPREADING THE LOVE:  Upper Iowa has six players averaging nine points per game so far this season, including four in double figures. Through 12 games, the Peacocks have had seven different players lead the team in scoring for a single game (Roth, Hay, Lang, Lenhart, Weeber, Pagel, Hughes). Jace Hanna has the most double digit efforts this year with nine, followed by Josh Weeber and Jordan Hay with seven each.
 
3     PROTECTING THE BALL:  Upper Iowa has been among the best in country thus far at not committing turnovers, giving the ball away just 11 times per game, 19th in the country. But the Peacocks have also been good at taking the ball away, tops in the conference in steals (8.8/game), and 24th in the country and 1st in the NSIC in turnover margin (4.7/game).

4     OWNING FROM DEEP: The Peacocks have held opponents to just a 31.2 shooting percentage from beyond the three point arc, which ranks 33rd in the country and first in the conference. Offensively, UIU ranks 9th in the country in three point field goal attempts and 11th in three pointers made, both of which are second in the conference behind Minnesota State Moorhead. 

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THE SERIES...

VS MINNESOTA STATE MOORHEAD: (7-4, since 2007) - The Peacocks stole one in overtime in Moorhead last season, but the Dragons got the last laugh with a postseason win in the NSIC Tournament. 

VS NORTHERN STATE: (2-8, since 2007) - The Wolves have won 8 of 10 matchups, but the series is tied at 2-2 over the last four seasons.   

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ABOUT THE OPPONENTS... 

MSU MOORHEAD: The Dragons are an NSIC best 14-1 this season, with the lone loss coming on the road at Minnesota Duluth. In that game, MSUM shot just 3-of-22 from beyond the arc, which marks the season low for three point field goals made (3) and three point shooting percentage (13.6). The Dragons lead the conference offensively in scoring at 85.1 points per game, while checking in second defensively, allowing just 64.5 points per game to their opponents. Senior guard Jordana Riewer leads MSU Moorhead with 16.4 ppg, while sophomore guard Aaron Lien is averaging 13.0 ppg. Juniors Isaac Sevlie and Tyler Vaughn round out the double digit scorers for the Dragons at 10.3 and 10.0 ppg, respectively.

NORTHERN STATE: The Wolves are 10-2 this season overall and 4-2 in conference play. Northern State started the year with five straight victories before falling to MSU Moorhead on Nov. 29. NSU then rattled off five more consecutive wins before running into the Dragons again on Dec. 20, suffering their second loss of the season. The Wolves are led by senior guard Seth Banchad (13.6 ppg), followed closely by junior guard Skye Warwick (11.4 ppg) and sophomore guard Darin Peterka (11.2 ppg).