The Upper Iowa men's basketball team couldn't overcome a 17-point halftime deficit and fell to the Bemidji State Beavers on Saturday evening in Bemidji, Minn.  The game marks the Peacocks (12-13, 8-8 NSIC) fourth straight loss to the Beavers (10-10, 7-9 NSIC), and the third straight weekend split.
 
It was a tale of two halves for the UIU, as Upper Iowa shot 33.3% (8-24) in the opening 20 minutes, but then shot a red-hot 60.7% in the second half. Jernell Hughes led Upper Iowa in scoring for the third time in four games and scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half. Carson Parker added 12 second half points and finished the game with 14 to go with a team-high seven rebounds.
 
After the first half started 9-9, the Beavers found their range from behind the arc. Bemidji State knocked down nine first half 3-pointers, including three triples in a 13-2 run to stretch late to push their halftime lead to 17, 45-28.
 
The Beavers went on an 11-4 run to extend their lead to a game-high 24 points just three minutes into the second half. Over the final 17 minutes, Upper Iowa outscored Bemidji State by 14 points. Three times with a little more than three minutes less, UIU cut the lead down to single digits, but the Peacocks couldn't complete the comeback.
 
Along with Hughes and Parker, Jimmy Roth chipped in 12 for his 17th game in double figures this year and Josh Weeber scored 10 for his sixth straight game with 10 or more points.
 
The Peacocks will return home next weekend, Feb. 5-6, for a pair of games against NSIC North Division opponents, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State.