The Upper Iowa men's basketball team defeated St. Cloud State University 110-106 in a closely-contested overtime victory. The win marks UIU's second consecutive triple-digit scoring performance. Sunday's game was also the first contest that included an extra period since the Peacocks defeated Bemidji State University in double-overtime nearly a year ago in January 2020. UIU put on a balancing scoring attack with six players in double figures. Jareese Williams led the Peacocks offense with 26 points, after a combined 38 points scored this week, Williams sits just 16 points away from the 1,000 point milestone.
The Peacocks used a 9-0 run to go ahead 25-14 with 10:47 to go in the first half, an 11-point advantage they maintained at the break. UIU held the lead wire-to-wire in the first frame. Upper Iowa jumped out to its largest lead with 13:39 to play when a three-point play from Joe Smoldt made the game 69-53. The Peacocks led by 14 late in the game as Jake Hilmer sank a pair of free throws to put UIU up 80-67 with 6:59 on the clock.
TURNING POINT...
Following Hilmer's makes from the charity stripe, the Huskies sprinted out on an 11-2 run that put them within two possessions with 5:22 remaining in regulation. Matthew Willert's pair of trifectas helped cut the Peacock lead down to 83-78. St. Cloud was able to get the game within one score after Anthony Roberts converted from beyond the arc with 1:36 to go, making it a 92-89 game. The three-ball sparked a 9-3 Husky run that tied the game at 95 all at the end of regulation. UIU was ahead 94-90 with 13 seconds to spare before a free throw and a pair of layups from Caleb Donaldsen matched by a free throw from Hilmer tied the game. Donaldsen's game-tying layup came with just 1.6 seconds on the clock. After a five-second violation on the inbound attempt, the Peacock defense stopped Anthony Roberts from hitting the game-winner thus forcing overtime.
OVERTIME...
The extra period began with the two teams trading a pair of baskets before UIU went ahead two scores with 1:40 remaining. An emphatic slam dunk from Dylan Jones put the Peacocks ahead 103-99. Upper Iowa carried the advantage to the finish resulting in the 110-106 victory. Seniors Williams and Smoldt, went 3-4 and 2-2, respectively, from the free throw line in the final minute to help secure the win.
STATS OF THE GAME…
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Upper Iowa outshot St. Cloud from all three levels: 21-42 (50%) to 15-35 (48.1%) from the field, 11-26 (42.3%) to 8-22 (36.4%) from deep, and 23-27 (85.2%) to 22-29 (75.9%) from the free throw line.
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The Peacocks outscored the Huskies 36-14 on the fast break.
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UIU had six double-digit scorers: Williams (26), Lucas Duax (19), Smoldt (18), Hilmer (16), Jones (12), and Baden Noennig (10).
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME…
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Williams led UIU with 26 points on a 8-15 (53.3%) rate from the floor and came down with a career-high 10 rebounds.
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Hilmer dished out nine assists and went 8-9 (88.9%) from the charity stripe in addition to scoring 16.
UP NEXT… Upper Iowa will head west where they will face off against the University of Sioux Falls on Jan. 8-9.
