After thirteen lead changes in the first half, the Peacock men's basketball team took the lead into halftime, and never surrendered it against the Sioux Falls Cougars on Saturday night in Fayette. After claiming a hard-fought, two-point win in a thriller over Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, Upper Iowa held off a late Cougar rally to claim a 78-76 victory to sweep the first NSIC weekend of the season. With the win, Upper Iowa begins the conference season 2-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 season, and improves to 5-3 overall. With the loss, Sioux Falls drops to 4-6 and 1-2 in league play.

Josh Weeber led the way with 21 points on 7-11 shooting, including 4-8 from behind the arc. The senior posted his second 20-point effort of the season, and the ninth such game of his career. Luke Lenhart and Jordan Hay each tallied 13 points, with Lenhart connecting on 2-6 from the three-point line. Hay grabbed six rebounds and added two assists as well. Senior Jimmy Roth tallied just nine points, but grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Kam Rowan put together an 8-point, 8-rebound effort off the bench for the Peacocks.

Upper Iowa had to overcome themselves on Saturday night. UIU did not connect on a three-point field goal in the second half, and missed 20 free throws for the game. It was the first half all season the Peacocks did not hit from behind the arc, and the 24-44 performance from the charity stripe was the lowest percentage from the line all season. However, the Peacocks gained a halftime lead and never let it go to pick up the thrilling win.

The first half featured back-and-forth play by both teams. The largest lead for the visitors was two points, and UIU never gained more than a five-point lead in the first half. Weeber tallied 14 of his 21 points in the first half, including all four of his trifectas. The Dubuque, Iowa native scored seven of the final ten points of the half to put the Peacocks up 41-38 at the intermission. UIU is now 3-0 on the season when leading or tied at halftime.

Upper Iowa stretched out their lead in the second half, but Sioux Falls would not quit. After a pair of Jordan Hay free throws with 13:00 remaining, the home team led by double-digits for the first time, 53-42. Sioux Falls methodically fought back within five points with 4:36 remaining, and Upper Iowa need to use free throws to ice the game. After a Clint Thomas three-pointer put USF within 68-66, Upper Iowa used a Hay layup and a Weeber jumper to lead by four, 74-70. With 1:23 remaining, Lenhart went to the line and sunk two big free throws to extend the lead to six points. But USF was not done.

With 34 seconds remaining, Sioux Falls pulled within one after Roth fouled USF's Drew Guebert on a three-point attempt, and the leading scorer for the Cougars hit all three foul shots to get the visitors within 74-73. But four straight makes at the line by junior Carson Parker iced the game, and sent UIU to 2-0 in league play.

UIU finished 24-58 (41.4%) from the field, including 6-20 (30.0%) from behind the arc. The 24-44 (54.5%) from the charity stripe is a season-worst, but the defense totaled six steals and 42 rebounds to seal the win. Sioux Falls connected on 23-66 (34.8%) from the field, including 11-26 (42.3%) from distance. Guebbert led all Cougars with 22 points on 6-13 shooting, including 4-7 from the three-point line. Mack Johnson, who scored 39 points against the Peacocks on December 5, 2015 in Fayette, tallied 15 points on 5-13 shooting.

Up next for the Peacocks is a road trip to central Minnesota. Upper Iowa will take on the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears in St. Paul, Minn. next Friday, Dec. 9 before heading to Mankato, Minn. to battle the Minnesota State Mavericks on Saturday, Dec. 10. Both games will tip off at 8 p.m. UIU will return to Dorman Gymnasium in Fayette on Dec. 17 when they host Winona State at 6 p.m.