The Peacock men's basketball team capped off the 2017 calendar year on the wrong end of a 98-79 game in Crookston, Minn. on Sunday afternoon against the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston. It was a game of lost opportunity for Upper Iowa, as 23 possessions ended without the ball touching the rim. UM Crookston recorded 11 blocks and turned UIU over 12 more times en route to the convincing victory. With the loss, the Peacocks drop to 9-8 overall and 2-6 in the Northern Sun Conference. The Golden Eagles improve to 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the league with the win.

Senior Carson Parker led the Peacocks once again in scoring with a 17-point performance, tying Dennis Austin III for a team-best. Parker has now led the team in scoring 10 times this season, and has recorded his 52nd double-digit scoring game of his career, and 16th this season. Parker has tallied in double figures in 11 straight games. The New Hartford, Iowa native added five assists for a team-high as well.

Austin III connected on 6-10 from the floor and 5-7 from the free throw line, and his four steals defensively were a game-best. Freshman Joe Smoldt tallied 13 points on 5-10 from the floor including 3-6 from behind the arc. Munachiso Okonkwo added 10 points to round out the four Peacocks in double figures on Sunday, and his 7 rebounds were a team-high. Jareese Williams added nine points, and Mitch Eighme contributed with 8 off the bench for UIU.

Minnesota Crookston was hot all night from the floor on Sunday, and it started immediately. The home team jumped out with the game's first five points, and led 18-8 very early after a three-pointer from Harrison Cleary, who finished with a game-best 31 points. Trailing 26-16 with 9:16 to play until halftime, Upper Iowa went on a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to one, 30-29, with 5:11 to go. After a Williams three and an Okonkwo dunk gave UIU the lead, 34-33, the home team took over. That would be the last time Upper Iowa would hold a lead in the ballgame.

The Golden Eagles held a 45-42 lead at the intermission, and shot 16-30 from the field in the opening stanza. The home stayed hot in the second half, shooting 18-27 from the floor, and were especially hard to slow down from beyond the three-point line, connecting on 7-13 from distance. UM Crookston finished 12-22 from behind the arc for the game.

An 11-6 run in the early moments of the second half pushed the lead back out to 10 points for the Golden Eagles, and they continued to put pressure on the Peacocks. Upper Iowa had missed opportunities on the offensive side continued, and the Golden Eagles closed the game on a 14-6 run to take the victory, 98-79. Five players scored in double figures for the home team, as they shot 60% (34-57) from the field for the game.

The Peacocks will get back into the groove of the Northern Sun schedule as they return home to Dorman Gymnasium next weekend for a pair of key games in the NSIC South. Upper Iowa hosts the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls on Friday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. The team will then take on the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.