It was another close game out west in Anaheim, Calif. for the Peacock men's basketball team on Saturday, and Upper Iowa was up for the challenge. The Peacocks trailed throughout the majority of the first half, but then outscored the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic University 49-40 in the second half to earn a hard-fought, 79-76 victory. UIU made key stops down the stretch defensively, and held on to start their season 2-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Palm Beach Atlantic falls to 0-2 at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in the Golden State.

Upper Iowa shot just 32.3% (10-31) in the first half, including 4-11 from behind the arc. The Peacocks trailed by as many as 11 points in the period, and fell behind by nine at two different occassions. Palm Beach Atlantic converted 40% (12-30) of their shots to take a 36-30 lead into halftime. UIU held a lead on the boards, 23-18, including a 7-4 lead in offensive rebounds, but could not convert second chances into points and trailed by six at the break.

In the second half, the Peacocks opened the half on a 12-5 run to grab a one-point lead. The lead would change hands seven times in the final 20 minutes, and the game would be tied on six different occassions. Trailing 44-42, Upper Iowa went on a 10-minute stretch of their best basketball of the game, as they would outscore the Sailfish 25-14 to take their largest lead at 67-58. However, Palm Beach Atlantic would come back themselves with a 13-3 run to reclaim the lead 71-70. With 3:50 left, the final stretch would go back and forth.

Trailing by two, 74-72, Dennis Austin III, who had another solid game to start his season, connected on a layup inside to tie the game. Palm Beach Atlantic game back with a pair of free throws to reclaim the lead, and then UIU went back inside. Munachiso Okonkwo was fouled inside, and with Mitch Eighme on the bench, the sophomore post went to the foul line, and connected on 1-of-2 to get UIU within one, 76-75. Okonkwo would get a key block on the next possession, and UIU had the ball with a chance at the lead.

After a missed shot by Carson Parker, UIU needed a stop with under a minute left, and trailing by a point. That stop was made by freshman Joe Smoldt, who had a great day in just his second career game, when he got a steal and converted it into a fast-break layup to give the Peacocks a 77-76 lead. The next defensive possession was huge as well, with Kam Rowan got a steal and flipped the ball ahead to Parker who was fouled with 11 seconds left. Parker, who led the team in scoring once again, connected on both foul shots to push the lead to 79-76. UIU held on once again defensively, and walked away with another hard-fought win.

The win is a good sign for Upper Iowa, as they have won back-to-back games to open the season, both by four points or less. UIU is now 11-2 in games decided by five points or less going back to the start of the 2016-17 season. This year's group has new faces and a younger roster in years past, and are learning how to win in key situations.

Individually, Parker and Smoldt led the way with 18 points apiece. Parker connected on 6-13 from the field, and went 5-6 at the free throw line. The senior has pushed his career total to 977 career points, and is just 23 away from becoming the 27th member of the 1,000-point club. Smoldt, who scored over 2,300 points in high school at Gladbrook-Reinbeck, went 7-13 from the floor, including 4-9 from behind the arc off the bench. Austin III added 11 more points, and is now shooting shooting 11-of-15 from the floor through the first two games. Blaue added three key trifectas for his nine points, while Okonkwo added eight off the bench. The Owerri, Nigeria product also grabbed a team-best eight rebounds in the game.

Upper Iowa will wrap up their California trip on Sunday, Nov. 5 with a matchup against the Jacks of Humboldt State University. The final game of the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim will get started at 5:30 p.m. central time.