The Peacock men's basketball team came up on the wrong end of a three-point game for the second time in the last three contests on Saturday night in Dorman Gymnasium. Upper Iowa led early against the University of Minnesota Duluth, but a key 8-0 before halftime game the Bulldogs momentum. UMD never trailed in the second half, and outlasted UIU after a three-pointer at the buzzer came up short from senior Carson Parker. With the loss, the Peacocks drop to 10-11 overall and 3-9 in the Northern Sun Conference. UMD improves to 7-9 on the season and 4-7 in league play with the victory.

Upper Iowa, a team that usually has eight players in the scoring column each night, got the majority of their points from three players on Saturday. Parker led the way with 21 points on 7-17 shooting, and the senior had to work for his points. Dennis Austin III scored 17 points for the game on 5-20 from the field, and was contested most of the night inside. Joe Smoldt, who was held scoreless in the first half, scored all of his 14 in the second half on 5-15 from the floor including 4-9 from the three-point line. Parker, Austin, and Munachiso Okonkwo all tied with eight rebounds apiece to lead the team.

For the Peacocks, the challenge came from the field. On Friday, UIU shot a season-best 58.8% from the floor. It was a different story on Saturday night. The Bulldog defense limited Upper Iowa to 38.5% shooting from the floor (25-65). It was the third-worst shooting performance of the season for the Peacocks, and the worst against an NSIC opponent in 2017-18. UIU converted 8-21 from behind the arc, and 11-13 from the charity stripe. The home team did outscore their guests 30-24 in points in the paint, but it was a physical game all night long.

Upper Iowa got out to a six-point lead early in the game, 13-7, behind Austin III and Mitch Eighme, who came off the bench. The Waterloo, Iowa product tallied 24 points for the weekend, including another eight on Saturday. Minnesota Duluth put together a run to get back in it, and the teams went back and forth the majority of the remainder of the period. However, at the three-minute mark of the first half, with the game tied at 28-28, the visitors went on a monstrous run to get momentum going into halftime. UMD's Brandon Myer, who finished with 27 points, hit a three, and that was followed by a layup and another triple to give the visitors an 8-0 run to close the half to lead 36-28 at the break. The Peacocks would fight to get back in the game in the second half, but the Bulldogs never trailed again.

The Peacocks trailed by as a many as 16 in the second half, falling behind 57-41 with 10:24 to play in the game. That's when the momentum turned. Smoldt started heating up from behind the arc with three triples in that span to get UIU back within three, 61-58, to close out a 17-4 run. But the Peacocks would never get closer than three the rest of the way. Trailing by three with 5:33 to go, the teams went back and forth. Upper Iowa could not close the gap, and the Bulldogs continued to get key baskets and stops at the rim to secure the victory.

UMD outscored UIU 16-12 in points in the paint in the second half, and two free throws at the end gave the Bulldogs a 72-69 lead with six seconds left. On the final possession, Parker's three from the top of the key was off line, and the visitors left Fayette with a three-point win. UIU tallied just eight bench points in the loss.

Upper Iowa will now head out on the road for the next two weekends, and will not return to Fayette until Feb. 2. UIU will head west to Sioux Falls, S.D. to take on the Vikings of Augustana University on Friday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. The team will then head to Wayne, Neb. to battle the Wildcats of Wayne State College on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. The team will head to Bismarck, N.D. on Jan. 26 to take on the Marauders of the University of Mary, and the road trip ends on Jan. 27 in Minot, N.D. against the Beavers of Minot State University.