The Peacock men's basketball team got a much-needed win on Friday night inside Dorman Gymnasium in Fayette. Upper Iowa earned their first Northern Sun Conference win of the season after taking down the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul, 85-75. Five different Peacocks tallied double figures in the game, and it was led by Munachiso Okonkwo's 19 points and 8 rebounds. With the win, Upper Iowa improves to 7-5 overall and 1-3 in the NSIC, while the loss drops to CSP to 1-8 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Upper Iowa never trailed on Friday, and held a lead as large as 23 points. However, the visitors never gave in, and continued to fight back to get it as close as four points in the second half. The first half was the big difference in the game, as UIU jumped out to a 46-28 lead at the intermission. The Peacocks started the game hot with a 15-6 lead thanks to three pointers from newcomers Joe Smoldt and Quentin Blaue, and continued to put pressure on their guests. UIU's second unit then came into the game, and with a switch to the starting lineup, the matchups felt better for Head Coach Brooks McKowen.

Okonkwo and Smoldt were put in the starting five for the first time this season, and for the first time in their careers, and they did not disappoint. Kam Rowan and Mitch Eighme came off the bench for the home team in the switch, and provided valuable leadership for the second unit. Rowan tallied 12 points on 3-7 shooting and made all six shots at the free throw line as well. Rowan added six key points in a three-minute span in the first half to help build up a 13-point lead, 32-19, with 7:58 to play. UIU then pushed the lead to 18 points on two occassions when Okonkwo hit a jumper in the paint twice to close the half. Upper Iowa shot 63% from the floor in the opening half (20-32) including 4-8 from behind the arc.

Even with the big lead, Upper Iowa knows no one is safe in the NSIC. The visitors slowly started to chip away at the deficit in the second half. Concordia-St. Paul would outscore UIU 47-39 in the second half, but the Peacocks would have just enough to preserve the win. CSP shot 41% from the floor in the half (17-37), while UIU only made nine field goals the entire final 20 minutes (9-30). The key for the Peacocks in the second half was free throws. UIU made 19 trips to the foul line in the second stanza, and converted 17 of them in clutch situations.

CSP was methodical in their comeback, as they only trimmed off two points in the first 10 minutes of the period. It was an 18-point halftime lead that was still a 16-point advantage with 10:07 to play, 68-52. However, at the moment, the visitors started to go on a big run. CSP used a 12-0 run in a four-minute span to get within four points at 68-64 with 6:15 to play. Of the final 17 points in the game for the Peacocks, 14 came at the foul line, and that started at the 6-minute mark. The ran began with Dennis Austin III at the foul line, with Carson Parker, Rowan, and Smoldt each hitting big free throws as well. Smoldt added a three-pointer at the 4:44 mark as well to secure the win.

Each team tallied 42 points in the paint on Friday night, but Concordia-St. Paul held a big advantage in bench points. UIU's starters came through in the game, including Okonkwo's 19 points on 9-12 from the floor including three dunks, to go along with 8 rebounds. Parker and Smoldt each recorded 16 points, with Parker adding 7 rebounds and 7 assists as well. Smoldt hit 4 three-pointers in 8 tries for the night to lead the game in that department. Rowan added 12 off the bench, while Blaue tallied 11 in the starting role on 3-5 shooting from distance. Okonkwo's two blocks were a game high as well.

The Peacocks will return to Prochaska Court on Saturday evening as they host the red-hot Mavericks of Minnesota State University (6-2, 3-0 NSIC). The game will tip off at 6 p.m., and can be seen on UIU TV online or in eastern Iowa on KCRG TV 9.2.