Box Score In their final game at the CCA Tip-Off Classic, the Peacocks men's basketball team battled to a tough 77-75 loss against No. 11 California Baptist. UIU rallied late with a couple clutch threes, but came up just short. The loss drops Upper Iowa to 0-3 to start the year, while California Baptist improved to 3-0.
The Peacocks fell behind 6-1 early, but back-to-back
Josh Weeber three pointers followed by a
Jimmy Roth trifecta gave UIU a 12-8 lead less than five minutes into the game. Cal Baptist's Gelaun Wheelwright led a charge for the Lancers over the next five minutes, racking up 11 points in a 20-8 run and gave CBU a 28-20 lead.
With three minutes left in the half, the Lancers knocked down a jumper to take an 11-point lead, their largest of the half. But Upper Iowa would go on to score 9 of the final 12 points of the first half, including a
Carson Parker three pointer at the buzzer, to cut the halftime deficit to five, 45-40.
The Peacocks took that momentum into the second half and scored the first eight points of the half to take a 48-45 lead. Parker carried his own momentum forward as he scored seven points in the first five minutes of the second half.
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Mitchell Eighme layup with 11:12 left gave the Peacocks a four-point lead, but the Lancers responded with a nine straight points as part of a 17-4 run to take a nine-point lead, 73-64, with 4:41 left in the game.
Weeber knocked down a three with 1:31 left, followed by a
Jernell Hughes trifecta to pull the Peacocks within two, 77-75. After CBU failed to get the ball in-bounds, Upper Iowa had one final chance to tie the game, but Weeber shot at the buzzer wouldn't drop.
Parker became the third Peacock in three games to lead the team in scoring, pouring in 18 points in the loss. Weeber added 13 including going 3-of-5 from deep and adding a team-high 9 rebounds, while Roth chipped in 11.
The Peacocks will return to exhibition play next as they head to Omaha, Nebraska on Friday, Nov. 6, to take on NCAA Division I foe Creighton. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m.
