The Upper Iowa men's basketball team returns to action this weekend with a pair of NSIC games in Dorman Gym. The Peacocks will open the weekend against the Northern State Wolves on Friday at 7:30pm followed by a matchup against the Dragons of MSU Moorhead on Saturday at 5:30pm.

Last Week in Peacock Basketball… The Peacocks are coming off a dramatic NSIC win in overtime on Sunday to get back to .500 both overall (6-6) and against NSIC opponents (3-3). Upper Iowa battled back against the Winona State Warriors to force overtime thanks in part to strong performances from Joe Smoldt and Jareese Williams. Once in overtime, both Kyle Haber and Smoldt recorded seven points to break the deadlock and lift the Peacocks over the Warriors 82-76.

Sunday's Standouts… In Sunday's win against the Warriors, the Peacocks had a number of standout performances. Smoldt recorded his third 20-point performance of the year and tied his career high 26 points. Senior forward Munachiso Okonkwo got it done on both ends of the floor, recording his second double-double of the season. In addition to his 10 points and 10 rebounds, Okonkwo also had a steal and three blocks highlighted by a massive denial in the final minute of overtime. Strong efforts from Haber and Williams helped power the Peacocks offense in the late stages of the game. Haber recorded 16 points after halftime and Williams recorded 15 over the same stretch.

Building Momentum… Upper Iowa is beginning to establish a bit of momentum heading into 2019. The Peacocks have won three of their last four with the lone lost in that stretching coming at the hands of #15 Missouri Southern State. The three wins for the Peacocks have all been against conference opponents, including a win at Minnesota State and handing the Mavericks their only conference loss of the season.

About the Opponents…

Northern State University Wolves… The Wolves are coming off a run for the national title last season but fell just short, losing to Ferris in the National Championship 71-69. NSU has found success again this year, starting the season with a 9-3 record and sit atop the NSIC North with a 5-1 conference record. The Wolves are led by red shirt senior Ian Smith in multiple categories including points per game (13.1), rebounds per game (6.4), and assists per game (6.2). NSU features three other players who are averaging double digits this season Parker Fox (11.1), Justin Decker (10.7), and Bo Fries (10.0).

MSU Moorhead Dragons… The Dragons are the owners of a 9-5 record this season and currently sit third in the NSIC North with a 3-3 conference record. MSU Moorhead features the top offense in the NSIC averaging 88 points per game and shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Lead by Gavin Baumgartner (16.4), the Dragons feature three other players who are averaging double digits this season including Addison Park (14.7), Travaun Coad (13.6), and Johnny Beeniga (10.6).

The Series…

Northern State… The Wolves have gotten the best of the Peacocks since UIU made the jump to DII, posting a 10-3 record against Upper Iowa. Last season, the Wolves came to Dorman and topped the Peacocks 93-80 despite a 25-point performance from Joe Smoldt. The last time UIU claimed a victory against the Wolves was during the 2015-16 season when the Peacocks beat NSU 89-81 in Fayette.

MSU Moorhead… The all-time series between these two sides is knotted up at eight wins apiece. The Peacocks came out on top last season, beating the Dragons 91-78 in Fayette. The last time MSU Moorhead was able to walk away from Dorman with a win was the 2015-16 season when the Dragons were ranked #3 in the nation.

Both games this weekend can be viewed at uiupeacocks.com/live on a live webcast with live stats available as well as on the NSIC channel through Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple and Android tvs. Locally, both games against Northern State and MSU Moorhead will be aired on KCRG-TV 9.3.