The Peacock men's basketball team fell at the hands of the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls on Friday night in Dorman Gymnasium. Upper Iowa trailed by eight at halftime, and despite a valiant comeback attempt, found themselves at the wrong end of a 77-72 game. Rebounding was a big factor in the game as USF won that category 38-26, including 14 offensive boards. The Cougars shot 49% from the floor en route to their second-consecutive win over Upper Iowa. With the loss, UIU drops to 9-9 overall and 2-7 in the Northern Sun Conference, and USF improves to 10-4 and 6-3 in the league with the win.

In the first game between the teams, Sioux Falls' Trevon Evans scored 31 points to lead the Cougars to an 11-point win over UIU. On Friday night, Evans was at it again, as he led the way with a game-high 28. UIU's Kam Rowan led the team with 21 points on 9-16 from the floor, including 3-4 from behind the arc. Rowan's five assists were a team-best as well. Munachiso Okonkwo tallied 16 points on 7-10 from the field, and added six rebounds. Quentin Blaue led the squad in rebounding with seven, tying a game-high.

USF got off to a hot start in the game, holding as much as a 15-point lead in the first half. The visitors led 27-12 with 7:46 to play in the opening frame, and the Peacocks had to chip away to try to get back in the game before intermission. Upper Iowa got within eight points, 39-31, at the half, after closing the period on a 19-12 run. The home team led 20-14 in points in the paint, 12-4 in points of turnovers, and 7-0 in fast break points in the first 20 minutes.

The second half began with a Dennis Austin III layup for UIU to get within six points, but the team would go back and forth with the Cougars the rest of the way, as they could not cut the deficit to less than five the rest of the way. Both teams shot well for the game, as the Peacocks finished 30-60 from the floor, including a 17-29 performance in the second half. The teams shot nearly identically from behind the arc, as UIU converted 8-17 and USF hit on 8-18 from distance for the night.

Both squads had issues with turnovers, as the Peacocks gave it away 15 times and the Cougars ended 19 possessions with miscues. Upper Iowa outscored Sioux Falls 44-32 in points in the paint, and held a commanding 30-12 lead in bench points. The bulk of the points for USF came from three players, with Drew Guebbert scoring 17 and Justin Taylor adding 11 to go with Evans' 28.

Upper Iowa will get back on the floor on Saturday evening as they host the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University in Dorman Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be aired live in eastern Iowa on KCRG 9.2.