GAME NINETEEN
RICE AUDITORIUM || WAYNE, NEB.
FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 2015 || 8:00 PM 
VS WAYNE STATE: LIVE STATS || LIVE VIDEO 

GAME TWENTY
SIOUX FALLS ARENA || SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
SATURDAY JANUARY 24, 2015 || 6:00 PM
VS #6 AUGUSTANA: LIVE STATS || LIVE VIDEO 
WEEKLY NOTES

UPPER IOWA || WAYNE STATE || AUGUSTANA || NORTHERN SUN 
THIS WEEKEND IN MEN'S BASKETBALL
 
The Peacocks (11-7, 7-5 NSIC) just finished a 3-1 homestand and will look to continue that momentum on the road when they play Wayne State on Friday, Jan. 23 and #6 Augustana on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Wildcats are 3-15 to start the year and 0-12 in conference, winning just once since November. The Vikings are 17-1 overall and 11-1 in NSIC play, having won 10 straight coming into this weekend. The lone loss on the year for Augustana was against #20 Minnesota State, 81-67, in Mankato, Minn.

KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
 
1     REBOUNDING FROM A LOSS: The Peacocks have responded well following a loss this season, having dropped back-to-back games just once all year. In the game after a loss, UIU is 5-1, including wins over Sioux Falls, Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State by more than 10 points. 

2     BALANCING ACT: Upper Iowa has seven players averaging eight points per game or better far this season, including three in double figures. Through 18 games, the Peacocks have had seven different players lead the team in scoring for a single game (Roth, Hay, Lang, Lenhart, Weeber, Pagel, Hughes). Bo Pagel and Jordan Hay share the lead for the most double digit scoring efforts this year with 12, followed by Grant Lang with 10 and Josh Weeber and Jace Hanna with nine each.
 
3     HANDS UP: UIU has held opponents to less than 50% shooting this season in 13 of its 18 games, resulting in a 10-3 record for the Peacocks. Even more impressive though is Upper Iowa's 9-0 record when shooting a higher percentage than its opponent. 

4     RIVALRY RENEWED: The Peacocks have a 7-8 all-time record against Wayne State, which is one of the most competitive NSIC rivalries that UIU plays in. To make things more interesting, former Upper Iowa head coach Brian Dolan now holds the same position at Wayne State. Dolan was at the helm for UIU from 2006-2013, spaning seven years and during which he compiled a 67-127 record. 

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THE SERIES...

VS WAYNE STATE: (7-8) - Despite the overall losing record in the series, UIU has won five of the last six games against the Wilcats. Upper Iowa swept Wayne State last season with the Peacocks winning by 20 in Wayne, Neb., before beating the Wildcats by 11 in Fayette. 

VS AUGUSTANA: (5-11) - Although it appears the Vikings have a firm hold on the all-time series against the Peacocks, the record in the Northern Sun Conference play is 5-5. The Peacocks have won the last two games against Augustana, including a 104-100 overtime thriller last year in Dorman Gymansium.

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ABOUT THE OPPONENTS... 

WAYNE STATE: The Wildcats are 3-15 this season and 0-12 in conference games. Wayne State has lost seven in a row and fourteen of its last fifteen games. The lone win since November came in an out of conference game against Mt. Marty on Dec.18. Senior Patrick Kurth leads the Wildcats in scoring (13.1 points per game), rebounding (5.6 per game) and blocks (16). Freshman Trae Vandeburg is the only other Wildcat averaging double digits in scoring at 11.3 points per game.

AUGUSTANA: The #6 Vikings are the top ranked team in the NSIC, and have started the year 17-1 overall and 11-1 in the NSIC. Augustana is perfect at home this season (9-0), with its lone loss coming against Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. The Vikings are have four players who average scoring in double figures, led by NSIC scoring leader junior Daniel Jansen (20 points per game). Juniors Casey Schilling (17.9 ppg) and Alex Ritcher (15.8 ppg) also rank in the top 10 in the NSIC for scoring. Redshirt freshman Jordan Spencer wraps up the top scorers for Augustana at 11.1 points per game.