THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK MEN'S BASKETBALL…
The Peacocks will take their 3-0 start down to St. Joseph, Mo. this weekend to play in the 26th Annual Hillyard Tip-Off Classic. It is the third consecutive season UIU will play in the tournament. Upper Iowa will match up with the No.1 Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State University on Friday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. before squaring off with the host Griffons of Missouri Western State University on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. Both opponents reside in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).



***Note: There will be a live video webcast for both games this weekend. However, the viewing is pay per view. There will be a fee to access the games this weekend.***
 

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PEACOCK STORYLINES...

PERFECT START… Upper Iowa got their season started on a high note last weekend out west at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif. The Peacocks won three close games, beginning with a 92-88 win over California State-San Bernardino, thanks to a 26-point night from Carson Parker, and a career-best 25 points from Dennis Austin III. UIU then earned a hard-fought, three-point victory over Palm Beach Atlantic, with freshman Joe Smoldt and Parker each tallying 18 points. Upper Iowa finished the sweep with a 60-55 win over Humboldt State, and Munachiso Okonkwo earned his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. UIU is 3-0 for the first time in its NCAA Division II history.

CAPTAIN CARSON… Senior Carson Parker has been a leader since he set foot on campus four years ago. The Peacock point guard leads the team in scoring (18.0 PPG), assists (7.0 APG), and rebounding (6.0 RPG), and is inching closer to a milestone. Parker has scored 54 points this season, and is now just 13 points away from the 27th member of the 1,000-point club at Upper Iowa. Parker also recorded 10 assists on Saturday against PBU, and became the first player since 2004 to accomplish that feat.

"DENNIS" THE MENACE… Dennis Austin III has been a menace for opposing defenses through the first three games. He put together a career night in the season opener against CSU-San Bernardino, with 25 points on an extremely efficient 7-8 shooting from the field. He also earned his way to the free throw line 15 times, converting 11 of those. The redshirt junior is shooting 65% from the floor this season (13-20) and has already made 22 trips to the foul line.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE "JOE"… Freshman Joe Smoldt is off to a great start to his career through the first three games in California. Off the bench, Smoldt is averaging 12.0 points per game, including back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts. The Reinbeck, Iowa native tallied 18 points against PBU and backed it up with a game-high 13 points on the final day against HSU. Smoldt is shooting 45.0% from behind the arc, and is tied for the team lead with junior transfer Quentin Blaue with nine trifectas made on the season.

2,017 IN 2017… The Peacock men's basketball program, which is in its 102nd season, will play its 2,017th game ever on Friday against Northwest Missouri State, and it takes place on Nov. 10, 2017. The program has won 915 games in its history.
 

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THE SERIES…

vs. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE… The Peacocks are playing the Bearcats for the seventh consecutive season, and are looking for their second-ever win over NMSU. UIU trails the series 8-1, but will look for revenge from last year's overtime loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats topped the Peacocks in overtime, 79-74, on their way to a national championship. The first game ever between the teams dates back to the 1940-41 season. Upper Iowa's lone win in the series was an upset of then-No. 14 NMSU in Oct. 2015, 76-72.

vs. MISSOURI WESTERN STATE… This will be the fifth straight season where the Peacocks and Griffons do battle, with UIU coming out victorious each of the last three years. Upper Iowa topped Missouri Western 77-68 last season after scoring 50 second-half points. UIU now leads the all-time series with MWSU 3-2.