THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team gets their first taste of Northern Sun Conference action this season as they welcome Winona State University before a test against Truman State University on the road. UIU plays its NSIC opener against the Warriors on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 5:30 p.m. in Fayette, Iowa, before battling the Bulldogs in Kirksville, Mo. on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and a webcast for the games will be available through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE and included with this story. Tuesday's contest will also stream live on the new NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Search for "NSIC Network" to find the app on your relevant device. Locally, Tuesday's game will be aired as a delayed broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on KCRG-TV 9.2. Sunday's matchup will be broadcast by Truman State on the GLVC Sports Network. Links to the Bulldog-produced live stats and webcast can also be found at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE.

DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program for Tuesday's home contest at any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans both at our games and those at home watching the action. QR Codes will also be located around the facility to scan with your cell phone's camera that will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
 
24 FOR NO. 23… Jessica Musgrave continues to pace the Peacocks in scoring with an NSIC-best 24 points per game. She is tied for the fifth-best scoring average amongst NCAA DII women's basketball players. Musgrave has led Upper Iowa in scoring in each game this season. She is one of three Peacocks averaging double-digit points, joining Lydia Haack (17.0, 8th in the NSIC) and Brooke Evenson (12.7) on a UIU offense that ranks third in the NSIC at 81.7 points per game.
 
ALL A-BOARD… Upper Iowa has been crashing the glass and ranks fourth in the NSIC at 44 rebounds per game. UIU's 14 offensive rebounds per game rank second behind Augustana's 16.5. Jessica Musgrave leads the way for UIU with the conference's fifth-best mark at 8.3 rebounds per game. She is one of four Peacocks averaging at least five boards per game, including Brooke Evenson (6.7), Lydia Haack (5.7), and Lexie Lodermeier (5). Alaina Brenning is not far behind at 4.7 rebounds per contest.
 
TIME TO DIME… The Peacocks have been passing the ball well and average 15 assists per game on the year to tie for fifth in the conference. Point guard Lydia Haack banks the most dimes with 5.3 per game, ranking third in the NSIC. Jessica Musgrave averages 3.3 assists, the 15th-best mark in the conference.
 
WEATHERING THE WARRIORS... Winona State will bring a 2-0 record to Fayette. After winning a pair of exhibition games to start the season, the Warriors won a pair of games at the Quincy Tournament last weekend, beating McKendree University 70-46 on 11/19 and Quincy University 66-50 on 11/20. The Warriors shot 47.6% from the floor over the weekend, and leading scorer Emma Fee led the way with a 71.4% clip that tops the NSIC. Fee (15.5) is one of four WSU players averaging double figures. Taylor Hustad (10 ppg) has the high-water mark with 18 points against McKendree, and Riley Caitlin is a threat from deep as she leads WSU with a 5/11 (45.5%) clip from behind the arc.
 
UIU V. WSU… Winona State was picked to finish 10th in the 2021-22 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, four spots ahead of UIU. The Warriors hold a 28-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Peacocks. Last season, the Warriors came to Fayette for the last two games of the season and claimed wins of 77-61 and 92-80, respectively. A decisive second quarter put WSU ahead in game one despite the teams staying even in the second half, and UIU was unable to complete a comeback after going down 35-17 despite cutting their deficit to just one at 51-50 in the third quarter.
 
BATTLING THE BULLDOGS... Truman State has compiled a 2-2 record this season. The Bulldogs dropped their first two contests against the University of Wisconsin - Parkside and Ursuline College by scores of 78-66 and 87-77, respectively, but they swept their most recent weekend of play against a pair of NSIC teams, beating Minot State University 77-69 on 11/19 and Southwest Minnesota State University 73-62 on 11/20. Truman State opened the season tied for 23rd in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II Poll after winning their division, finishing as the runners-up in the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship, and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Midwest regional tournament last season. Ellie Weltha (21.8) and Hannah Belanger (18.5) lead a quartet of Bulldogs averaging double-digit points per game. Belanger notched the team's high-water mark with 28 in their first game of the year, while Weltha has topped the 20-point mark in three of four games this season. TSU is scheduled to play twice before facing UIU.