THE SHORT SCOOP… Upper Iowa defeated Augustana University 114-109 in overtime on Saturday afternoon. The game was a true back-and-forth battle that featured 16 ties and 14 lead changes. Jake Hilmer, Joe Smoldt, and Jareese Williams all surpassed 20 points on the day and combined for all but 40 of UIU's 114 points. The trio were three of six Peacocks who scored in double figures. With the win the Peacocks move to 5-5 overall, 3-3 in the NSIC while the Vikings fall to 5-5 on the season, 3-5 in conference play.
TURNING POINT… The Vikings opened up the second half on a 17-4 run to reclaim the lead 64-59 with 14:11 to play. The teams went toe-to-toe for the remainder of regulation. Upper Iowa was able to close the gap with three straight unanswered scores in the final 1:33, two of which came from Lucas Duax who also claimed possession for the Peacocks on a pivotal loose ball which led to Smoldt scoring the game-tying basket with just eight seconds to spare. Upper Iowa hunkered down on defense forcing AU's Matt Todd to miss the potential game-winning shot and keep the game tied at 96-96.
FREE BASKETBALL… The battle continued into overtime where things remained closely contested. After Augustana scored a pair of unanswered baskets, Hilmer sprung into action with six points of his own in a 1:08 second span to give UIU a 106-104 advantage with 1:10 to go in the extra period. The Vikings immediately stormed down the court drawing a foul and hitting a pair of free throws to tie the game at 106 all. On the ensuing possession, Smoldt rose above the competition connecting on a three-pointer well beyond the arc. The play sparked a 7-0 run clinching the victory for the Peacocks on a 114-109 final count.
HOW IT BEGAN… Upper Iowa used a 7-0 run to gain separation early on in the first half, Augustana followed with a 15-4 advantage of their own to reclaim the lead 24-19 with 11:14 on the clock. Friday night's hot hands remained toasty to begin the game as Upper Iowa connected on 12 of their 21 attempts (57.1%) from deep in the first half including a trio of trifectas from Williams, Smoldt and Hilmer as well as a pair of treyballs Jackson Joens. The shooting spree helped fuel a 20-7 run that gave the Peacocks a 47-39 advantage with 3:44 to go in the half. Dylan Jones had six points during the stretch including two emphatic slam dunks that helped shift the momentum back towards Upper Iowa. UIU held the eight-point advantage for the remainder of the period leading 55-47 at the break. Upper Iowa outrebounded Augustana 19-17 in the first frame and dished out 15 assists in the first half compared to just six from AU.
STATS OF THE GAME…Â
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Upper Iowa went 17-34 (50%) from downtown compared to a 10-30 (33.3%) mark made by Augustana.
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The two teams came to 16 ties and exchanged 14 lead changes.
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UIU had six double-digit scorers: Smoldt (26), Hilmer (24), Williams (24), Jones (13), Duax (13), and Joens with a season-high (12).
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME…Â
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Smoldt… 26 pts on a 50/57/100 clip, five assists, and four rebounds
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Hilmer… 24 pts, hit 8-13 (61.5%) of his field-goal attempts, season-high nine assists, four rebounds
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Williams… 24 pts on a 7-14 rate from the floor included a 5-11 (45.5%) mark from deep, six rebounds
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Jones… 13 pts, matched career-highs with eight rebounds and two steals, two assists
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Duax… 13 pts, six rebounds, three assists
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Joens… season-high 12 pts on a 4-7 (57.1%) rate from three-point land, four rebounds, two assists
UP NEXT… Upper Iowa will head north to face Concordia University, St. Paul on Feb. 5-6.
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