THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK MEN'S BASKETBALL… Upper Iowa returns to Dorman Memorial Gymnasium for a pair of non-conference matchups against Winona State University. The Peacocks will face off against the Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 16 and Sunday, Jan. 17. Both games tip off at 2 p.m. Live stats, radio coverage, and a webcast are available through the links above or at UIUPeacocks.com/Live. Digital gameday programs can be accessed at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The games will also stream live on the NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV and broadcast live on KCRG-TV 9.2 on Saturday and 9.3 on Sunday. The Peacocks were initially set to take on Southwest Minnesota State University this weekend but the series was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

COUGARS CLAW PAST PEACOCKS… Upper Iowa dropped a pair of NSIC contests against the University of Sioux Falls over the weekend. On Friday night, the Peacocks posted their lowest field goal percentage since December 2015 as Sioux Falls' NSIC third-best defense held UIU to a 16-55 (29.1%) rate from the floor including a 5-30 (20%) mark from downtown. The Cougars' effort on the defensive end held UIU to 19 first-half points and allowed USF to lead wire-to-wire. The Peacocks coughed up a season-high 17 turnovers in the loss but forced 20 on the other end. 

On Saturday, Upper Iowa returned to form scoring 76 points on the night, the highest total USF has allowed all year. The Peacocks were lights out from downtown connecting on 15-27 (55.6%) of their attempts from long range. UIU began the night on a 9-3 advantage and scored eight unanswered points to end the first frame tied at 39 all. The second half remained closely contested as neither team led by more than two baskets until the final 2:05 where a 15-5 advantage put the Cougars ahead 81-73. USF never looked back claiming the victory by an 87-76 final count. 

A SHOOTER IS WORTH A THOUSAND POINTS… Jareese Williams earned himself a spot on the NSIC Top Performers List after surpassing the 1,000 point milestone over the weekend. Williams' 27 points between the two games give him 1,011 career points and the 28th spot on UIU's all-time scoring list. The redshirt senior also went a perfect 11/11 from the free throw line, and came down with seven boards during the series. Williams is UIU's second-leading scorer this season with 16.3 points per game and the Peacocks' leading rebounder at 6.0 boards per night.

LEADING THE MUSTER… Lucas Duax led the Peacocks again with 37 points on a 10-18 (55.6%) rate from the floor against the Cougars. His 24 points and five made three-pointers on Saturday are personal bests and also marked the first time that the redshirt sophomore has surpassed 20 points in a single-game. Duax added 10 boards and four steals to his already impressive weekend totals. The Dubuque, Iowa native's 18.3 points and 1.8 steals per game are the league's seventh-best averages. 
After a one-game cold streak in which he went 0-11 from the field, Joe Smoldt bounced back in a big way scoring 20 points Saturday via a 6-9 (66.7%) mark from beyond the arc. Smoldt's 3.3 three-point makes per night ranks third in the NSIC. Jake Hilmer was a bright spot in Friday's dismal performance. The sophomore provided 17 points and a 4-6 (66.7%) rate from deep. Hilmer followed up on Saturday night scoring nine points and dishing out seven assists. Hilmer's 5.8 assists per game and 23 total are NSIC-highs while his 2.3 assist-to-turnover margin sits in fourth place.

HISTORY WITH WINONA… The Warriors lead the all-time series 19-7 heading into the two team's 27th and 28th meetings. UIU has won two out of the last three matchups and five out of the last 11 games. Winona State won the most recent encounter 85-80 in overtime. The Peacocks and Warriors battled their way to a 66 all draw at the end of regulation. Winona State edged out UIU in the extra period out scoring Upper Iowa 19-14. Hilmer led the Peacocks with 20 points on a 4-5 (80%) rate from downtown that evening. Earlier in the 2019-20 season, Upper Iowa beat WSU 84-79 on Prochaska Court. The game was closely contested as neither team led by more than 10 points, WSU and UIU exchanged runs until Upper Iowa held the final advantage and came out on top. Hilmer, Smoldt, and Williams combined for 48 points on an 18-36 (50%) rate from the floor that night. Winona State finished the 2019-20 season with a 18-12 record, 14-8 against NSIC opponents and one spot behind UIU at third place in the NSIC South.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS… WSU is currently 0-1 on the year after dropping their lone game of the season 81-59 to the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs have now beaten the Warriors in Winona State's last two games as WSU fell 82-76 to UMD in last season's NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Quarterfinals. The Warriors have had five games cancelled due to COVID-related issues. Kevion Taylor returns to Winona to lead the offense. Taylor surpassed the 1,000 point milestone against the Peacocks last winter. The senior was top ten in the NSIC in scoring and rebounding averaging 19.2 points and 7.3 boards per contest on his way to an All-NSIC First Team selection. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native led WSU with 23 points in the team's season-opener. Alec Rosner, Devin Whitelow, and Andrea Lo Biondo also return to the starting lineup. The trio combined for 24.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per night during last year's campaign. As a team, the Warriors ranked in the top five in NSIC last season for points allowed at 71.7 per game, opponent three-point field percentage at 33.8%, turnover margin at +3.73, assist-to turnover ratio at 1.53, and free throw percentage at 75.5%. WSU held a +3.9 scoring margin over their opponents but also had a -4.0 margin on the glass.