GAME TWENTY-NINEVS MINOT STATEDORMAN GYMNASIUMWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015 || 7:00 PM LIVE STATS || LIVE VIDEO
WEEKLY NOTES
UPPER IOWA || MINOT STATE || NORTHERN SUN || NSIC Tournament Central
THIS WEEKEND IN MEN'S BASKETBALL The Peacocks (16-12, 12-10 NSIC) finished the regular season in the fourth spot in the Northern Sun South Division and seventh overall in the conference, earning a first round home game for the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament home game against Minot State. The Beavers were 14-14 during the regular season and 9-13 in conference games, finishing fifth in the NSIC North Division and tenth overall.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER 1 NSIC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Peacocks have a 3-4 overall record in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament, but have been 3-2 over the last two seasons. One of those wins was against Minot State in Dorman Gym during the 2012-13 season. UIU defeated the Beavers 86-72 that night in Fayette, setting up a 73-55 win over St. Cloud in St. Cloud, Minn., in the next game and eventually a berth into the NCAA Central Region Championship.
2 BOOST OFF THE BENCH: Upper Iowa ranks third in the NSIC in scoring at 83.5 points, with over 44% of those points coming from off the bench. The Peacocks outscored their opponents this weekend 90-41 in bench scoring, including a +28 scoring difference in their 92-86 win over Wayne State. This weekend helped stretch the Peacocks bench scoring margin for the season to nearly 300 points, 1030-696, averaging 36.8 bench points per game compared to 24.8 for their opponents.
3 SUPERB SOPHOMORES: UIU has gotten a late-season lift from a trio of sophomores. Luke Lenhart led the Peacocks with 23 points in their win over Wayne State, while Jimmy Roth poured in 20 points against the Wildcats. The duo averaged a team-high 18 points per game each over the weekend. The third of the sophomore musketeers was Josh Weeber, as he scored in double digits against both Wayne State and Augustana, averaging 10.5 points per game. 4 EARLIER THIS SEASON AGAINST MINOT STATE: For the third consecutive game, Upper Iowa surpassed the 100-point mark, albeit this time in double overtime as the Peacocks defeated the Beavers of Minot State 107-101.
Grant Lang scored a career-high 31 points to lead a quintet of Peacocks in double figures.
Bo Pagel was fouled and he converted on his second of two free throws, tying the game at 87-87. Minot had a shot at the buzzer, but missed as this game was meant for overtime. In the first OT, it was the Beavers' turn to keep this thriller from ending. Michael Pello hit a three pointer with 18 seconds left to tie the game for the fifteenth time, 95-95. Lang missed his deep three point attempt at the buzzer and the game headed for a second overtime.The second overtime, however, was all Peacocks. After the two teams traded points in their first two possessions, UIU went on a 7-0 run to take control of the game. Minot State made its first field goal attempt of the second OT, but then shot 0-for-6 in the final 4:10. Upper Iowa shot 8-of-12 from the free throw line throughout the overtimes, including 6-for-8 in the second OT, to ice the game after shooting just 13-of-24 during regulation.
THE SERIES...VS MINOT STATE: (5-0) - The Peacocks have won every meeting in the brief history with the Beavers, including three wins in Dorman Gymnasium. UIU also beat Minot State once in the MSU Dome in Minot, N.D., and once in Winona, Minn.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT... MINOT STATE: The Beavers are 14-14 this season, including a 9-13 mark in conference games. Midway through the season, Minot State found itself on the wrong end of a five-game skid, falling to 9-10. The Beavers bounced back to win five of the next seven games, only to drop the last two games of the season against St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth. Seniors Everett Robinson,
Thomas Korf and Lamont Prosser lead Minot State with 13.3, 11.9 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Junior guard Dominique McDonald isn't far behind for the Beavers, averaging 9.7 points per game.
