THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS…  Upper Iowa tips off the season and New Year in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After a long preseason, the Peacocks will open the 2020-21 campaign with two games this weekend against the Huskies of St. Cloud State University. The Huskies will host the Peacocks in Halenbeck Hall, but due to Minnesota's current guidelines no fans will be allowed at the game. Peacock fans can watch a webcast or view live stats of the game produced by St. Cloud State through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
NSIC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... The Peacocks were selected 8th in the NSIC South in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, while the Huskies earned the votes for 2nd in the NSIC North. The University of Minnesota Duluth was the unanimous choice in the north, while Minnesota State University, Mankato was selected at the top of the south division in the preseason poll. 
 
CHECKING THE REARVIEW ON 2019-20... Upper Iowa returns five of their top seven scorers from a season ago for Nate Oakland, UIU's second-year head coach. Upper Iowa went 3-26 overall and 2-20 in the Northern Sun last season with wins over Concordia University-St. Paul and the University of Minnesota Crookston at home in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.
 
NSIC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR... Sophomore Jessica Musgrave led the Peacocks in scoring and rebounding with 14.7 points and 6.7 boards per game in her first year on the way to earning NSIC Fresh-man of the Year honors and the lead spot on the All-NSIC Freshman Team. Musgrave is back as UIU's Player to Watch this season after starting all 29 games last year and averaging a team-high 27 minutes. The Toledo, Iowa-native led the team in nearly every major category including points (426), scoring average (14.7), field goal percentage (.412), 3-pt field goal percentage (.409), rebounds (193) and steals (27); she also ranked second on the team with 38 assists and added 8 blocks.
 
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROSTER... Musgrave is joined by senior Natalie Dinius, who has tallied 740 points for the Peacocks over her first three years. Sophomores Brooke Evenson and Lexie Lodermeier will also be a big part of UIU's plans this season. Mixing in with the returners is a solid group of newcomers including some talented freshmen and transfers including Katie Tornstrom, who averaged 6.9 points and grabbed 2.1 rebounds per game for Minnesota State University, Moorhead last season and freshman Lydia Haack, who will take the reins of the offense as UIU's point guard.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES… St. Cloud State flew under the radar for most of 2019-20. The team quietly went on a 10-game win streak before earning the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Championship for the first time since the 2008-09 season. This year, the Huskies will once again be led by head coach Lori Fish, who was named a finalist for the 2020 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year award after leading St. Cloud State to its best overall (23-7) and NSIC (16-6) record since taking over the program in 2008-09. The Huskies also return four of five starters from the well-rounded 2019-20 team, including Second Team All-NSIC and All-Tournament Team honorees Tori Wortz and Nikki Kilboten, as well as juniors Brehna Evans and Katrina Theis, who all averaged 10.0+ points per game at the end of 2019-20.