THIS WEEKEND IN MEN'S BASKETBALLÂ The Peacocks (16-16, 11-11 NSIC) return to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. for the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year. There, Upper Iowa will meet the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons, on Saturday, Feb. 27, the same team who has beaten the Peacocks at this stage of the conference tournament each of the last two seasons. The game will tipoff at 12 p.m. The winner will play the winner of the Minnesota State and U-Mary on Monday, Feb. 29 at 2:30 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.
NOTES FROM THE FIRST ROUND vs ST. CLOUD STATEIn a back-and-forth game that saw 20 lead changes and 13 ties, the Peacocks men's basketball team earned their most important win of the season on Wednesday night, defeating the St. Cloud State Huskies 87-80 in the opening round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament. The game was tied 73-73 with 3:23 remaining when the Peacocks went on a 9-2 run to propel UIU to the victory.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDERÂ 1 Â Â Â A CENTURY IN THE MAKING: Upper Iowa enters its 100th year of men's basketball with the start of the 2015-16 season and third year under the tutelage of
Brooks McKowen. The Fairbank, Iowa native was named the 18th head coach in Peacock men's basketball history prior to the 2013-14 season and holds a 49-43 record at UIU.
2 Â Â Â 1,000 POINT CLUB WATCH: The race for a couple of Peacock juniors to reach 1,000 career points is heating up as the end of the season nears.
Josh Weeber is just three points away from 1,000, while
Jimmy Roth is only five points away.
3 Â Â Â TOURNAMENT TIME: For the fourth consecutive year, Upper Iowa will head to the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals. UIU is 1-2 in those quarterfinal games, with the lone win coming in 2013 against the St. Cloud State Huskies. Upper Iowa has fallen the last two years in the quarterfinals to the Dragons.
4    THE FIRST TIME AROUND: On Jan. 2, the Upper Iowa men's basketball team ran into one of the hottest teams in NCAA Division II when they fell to the #3 Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons, 105-85, on Saturday night in Dorman Gym. The Peacocks rallied early in the second half and had MSUM on the ropes – cutting a 15-point halftime deficit down to two, 66-64, but UIU ran out of gas late and the Dragons pulled away for the win.
THE SERIESÂ vs MSU MOORHEAD: (11-7) - MSU Moorhead owns the overall series and the Dragons have taken the last four meetings between these two teams, including a pair of NSIC Tournament quarterfinal matchups.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTÂ MSU MOORHEAD: (#7, 28-4, 19-3 NSIC) - The Dragons have been ranked in the top 10 of the national polls all year long and come into the matchup off of a record-setting performance in the first round of the conference tournament. The Dragons beat Wayne State 109-83 and broke several records in the game, including the most points scored in an NSIC tournament game at 109 and the most combined points between the two teams at 192. Sophomore guard Tanner Kretchman set the tournament record with 13 assists and as a team, the Dragons tied the record for most three-point field goals made in a tournament game with 17.
