LIVE OPTIONS
LIVE STATS || LIVE WEBCAST || KCRG TV-9.2 || NSICSCORES.COM
WEEKLY RELEASES
UPPER IOWA || SIOUX FALLS || SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE || NORTHERN SUN
This Week in Peacock Basketball… Upper Iowa will continue their current four-game home stand this Friday and Saturday when they host the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University in a pair of Northern Sun Conference affairs. The Peacocks will celebrate Western Night on Friday against the Cougars and then kick off the holiday season with Ugly Sweater Night against the Mustangs on Saturday.
Mental Health Awareness… The Peacock Athletics Department has designated Friday's home games as Mental Health Awareness games to bring information to the campus and community. Mental health is a growing concern on campuses nationwide and within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). To help bring awareness, NSIC Student Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) created short public service announcements on mental health awareness. The Upper Iowa University SAAC public service announcement will play in the lobby along with posted mental health statistics prior to the games on Friday.
Putting the Cougars Under the Scope… Sioux Falls is just outside the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, receiving 49 votes, the most among teams not in the top 25. The Cougars are undefeated on the young season with a 7-0 record. USF played in Florida last weekend earning wins against the Panthers of Florida Tech University, 66-43 and the Eagles of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 63-51. USF opened their NSIC campaign prior to the trip to the Sunshine State with a matchup against Southwest Minnesota State. The Cougars dominated the contest leading all the way to a 74-42 victory at home in Sioux Falls, S.D. Taylor Varsho, the reigning NSIC South Division Player of the Week, leads USF's offense averaging 19 points per game. Sam Knecht will also play a major role in Sioux Falls' success this year; she is scoring 12.3 points and pulling down 7.4 rebounds per game.
A Closer Look at the Mustangs... After falling to Sioux Falls on Tuesday, SMSU traveled west to Denver, Colorado for the Holiday Inn Denver Creek Classic. The Mustangs dropped a 75-53 decision to the ThunderWolves of Colorado State University-Pueblo prior to picking up their first win of the season, 78-71, over the Roadrunners of Metropolitan State University of Denver. Southwest Minnesota State (1-5, 0-1 NSIC) will start their weekend at Winona State University on Friday night. Annesaa Rosch and Hope Bonlander set career-high in points against MSU Denver. Rosch scored 28 points and Bondlander cashed in 21 points as the pair combined for 63% of the team's points in their victory.
Leading the Peacocks… Seniors
Whitney Kieffer and
Aleesha Cleaver are leading Upper Iowa through the first seven games of the season. The pair of guards are averaging 13.6 and 13.4 points per game, respectively, which rank 15th and 16th in the Northern Sun. On the boards, the Peacocks are getting 5.6 rebounds per game from Kieffer and 5.3 boards a contest from
Carly Pagel. Cleaver is also getting other people into the scoring column with 2.7 assists per game. As a team, the Peacocks have shot 39.4% from the floor including a 32.3% (42-130) clip from the three point line. Upper Iowa has attempted 14 more free throws than their opponents, but have converted five less on the year. Turnovers have been the team's Achilles heel averaging 20 per game, but UIU only gave the ball away 13.5 times per game in their two home games last week.
