The Upper Iowa men's basketball team hits the road this weekend in search of their first conference win of the season. The Peacocks will head to Minnesota for a pair of games starting things off with a 7:30pm tip off against Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, followed by an 8pm game against Minnesota State on Saturday.
The Peacocks are coming off a winless weekend at home against NSIC opponents to bring their losing skid to three games. Upper Iowa had a tough time getting their offense going against a tough Wayne State defense on Friday night. The Wildcats were able to hold the Peacocks to just 56 points while putting up 83 of their own on the other end of the floor.
Saturday's game against Augustana saw the Peacock offense return to form thanks to big nights from
Jareese Williams and
Kyle Haber. Williams recorded his second game of the season with 25 or more points and tied his season high with six three-pointers. Haber scored a career high 18 points against the Vikings and added on 9 boards and 7 steals. Despite the strong efforts from Haber and Williams, the Vikings proved to be too much for the Peacocks to handle as Augustana topped the Peacocks 91-76.
The bright spot for UIU's offense this season continues to be the strength of the three-point shooters. Following the game against Augustana, the Peacocks have recorded four games where they have reached knocked down 10 or more three-pointers. Prior to this season, the last time Upper Iowa hit 15 or more shots from beyond the arc was December of 2016, they have already accomplished that feat three times this season.
Upper Iowa's rebounding this season is a stark contrast to the success of UIU's three-point offense. The Peacocks currently rank towards the bottom of the NSIC in both offensive and defensive rebounds this season. Through the first eight games, the Peacocks are averaging 31.3 boards per game and pulling in more rebounds than their opponents in just one game this season.
Scouting the Opponents…
Concordia-St. Paul… The Golden Bears have posted a 4-4 record this season and are looking for their first NSIC win, going 0-3 in conference play in the early stages of the season. CSP has one of the highest scoring offenses in the NSIC, averaging 87.75 points per game. However, on the other end of the floor the Golden Bears defense ranks at the bottom of the conference, allowing the most points per game to their opposition.
Minnesota State… The Mavericks are looking to extend their three-game win streak and improve on their 6-2 record. Minnesota State features three players who are averaging at least 15 points per game Carlos Anderson (16.9), Kevin Kreiger (15.1), and Cameron Kirksey (15.0) are driving the Maverick offense. In addition to being a threat on the offensive side of the ball, Kreiger is one of the NSIC's top rebounders averaging 9.3 boards per game.
The Series…
Vs. The Golden Bears… In the 24 all-time meetings between these two sides, the Peacocks hold a slight advantage, posting a 15-14 record against the Golden Bears. UIU has come out on top in the last five matchups against CSP and have taken eight of the last ten.
Vs. The Mavericks… The Peacocks have had limited success when going up against Minnesota State, going 4-21 against the Mavericks. Last season, Minnesota State took both games from Upper Iowa including a nail-biting 83-86 victory in Fayette. However, the Peacocks got the best of the Mavericks during the 2016-17 season, taking both games during the regular season as well as earning the victory over Minnesota State in the NSIC tournament.
Live stats and webcasting for both of the Peacocks' games this weekend will be available at
http://uiupeacocks.com/live.
