Heartbreak Saturday struck the Peacock men's basketball inside Dorman Gymnasium in Fayette against their arch rivals. After leading the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University for 39:58.04, the visitors hit a tough contested two-pointer to take their first and only lead of the game with 1.6 seconds remaining. SMSU completed the comeback against Upper Iowa to steal a game on the road. UIU led by as many as 17 in the first half, and never trailed until the very end. With the loss, Upper Iowa drops to 9-10 on the season and 2-8 in the Northern Sun Conference. SMSU improves to 11-5 and 7-3 in league play with the win.
With 2:42 to play in the second half, the Peacocks led 82-76 after
Mitch Eighme put down a dunk. After a timeout was called by Southwest Minnesota State, the visitors came back with a jumper to get within four, 82-78. After a
Carson Parker missed three-point attempt from over 30 feet away that would have been a monstrous dagger, SMSU answered with a triple of their own with 1:35 left to get within one, 82-81. On the next offensive possession for the Peacocks,
Kam Rowan took the ball to the rim on the left side to push the lead back to three, 84-81, with 1:07 to go. Then the biggest play of the game took place.
On SMSU's next possession, a missed shot was closed out with a UIU rebound.
Joe Smoldt grabbed the board, but was stripped of the ball by Mustang guard Ryan Bruggeman, who then passed it out to the wing for a three-pointer from Michael Lee to tie the game at 84 with 48 seconds to play. Upper Iowa had the ball back in a tie game, but on their ensuing possession, Rowan's shot was unable to go down, and the Mustangs held for the final shot of the game. Bruggeman took it all the way down to 1.6 left with a jump shot from 15 feet away to win the game. UIU's final heave from Parker from half court hit the backboard and the side of the rim, and the visitors walked out with a win.
Parker headlined four Peacocks in double figures for the team on Saturday. The senior finished with 20 points on 7-14 shooting, and added six assists and a pair of rebounds as well. Rowan added 15 off the bench on 7-12 from the floor, while Smoldt chipped in 13.
Munachiso Okonkwo scored 11 points, and recorded a game-best nine rebounds. UIU shot 55% from the floor for the game (31-56), and 16-18 from the charity stripe.
It was Upper Iowa that got off the great start. The Peacocks led by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes, including a red-hot 24-9 start to the game. After a couple early ties, Smoldt hit back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead. Smoldt's 13 points in the first half led the game, and his free throws pushed the early lead to 15. SMSU slowly began to get back in the ballgame, and after trailing 31-14, their largest deficit of the night, closed the half to get within 9 at the break. The final 10 seconds were especially key in the period, as the Mustangs hit a three-pointer, and then immediately got a steal to half the final shot of the frame. Bruggeman hit Moen for a wide-open layup, and after a review, replay showed the ball got out of his hands before the clock hit all zeroes. The five points cut the deficit for SMSU from 14 to 9 points right before halftime.
The Peacocks hit 5-10 from behind the arc in the opening stanza, and that proved to be their kryptonite in the second half. On the other side, SMSU struggled from distance to start, and stormed out in the second half. UIU went just 1-9 in the final 20 minutes from downtown, while the Mustangs converted a remarkable 11-17 from distance in the second period. For the game, Southwest Minnesota State shot 52%, and 14-28 from the three-point line. UIU made eight more trips to the foul line, but it was not enough in the end.
The Mustangs immediately got within five points, 47-42, 1:30 into the half, and the teams continued to go back and forth to stretch the lead out and bring it back down. UIU would go back up by 9 points five different times, but SMSU never gave in. With 8:45 to play, UIU led 68-60, and with 6:04 to play, the lead was 75-68. At the 3:40 mark, Parker hit three consecutive free throws after he was fouled on a three-point shot, and pushed the lead back to four. The Eighme dunk set up the six point lead with 2:42 to play, and that set up the crazy finish.
Each of the last two games in Fayette between these two schools have been decided by two points. UIU won 77-75 in Dec. 2016, and would go on to top SMSU twice last season. The Mustangs completed the sweep of Upper Iowa on Saturday night, but the game was as well-played as possible. The instant classic will be remembered for awhile for fans watching.
Upper Iowa will stay at home next weekend, as they host a pair of NSIC North opponents. UIU hosts St. Cloud State on Friday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. before squaring off with Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.
