THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team takes on a pair of Northern Sun Conference foes this week as they match up against Minnesota State University, Mankato before competing against Concordia University, St. Paul. UIU meets the Mavericks in Mankato, Minn. on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. before returning to Fayette, Iowa, to grapple with the Golden Bears on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and webcasts for the games will be available through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/LIVE and included with this story. The contests 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, Saturday's game will be aired live on Eastern Iowa's CW 9.3.

DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program for Saturday'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.

LAST WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Peacocks fell 73-69 against Winona State University in their NSIC opener before losing 77-51 to Truman State University. Against WSU, UIU led for all but 20 seconds of the opening half, taking a 42-30 lead into halftime. The third quarter decided the game as the Warriors went on a 20-0 run to open the second half. Winona State ended the third period with a 61-50 lead, outscoring Upper Iowa 31-8 after scoring just 30 points over the first two quarters. The Peacocks cut their deficit to just one at 63-62 with a 12-2 start to the fourth quarter, but they could not reclaim the lead. After taking an early 10-9 lead against Truman State, another big run doomed the Peacocks. The Bulldogs ended the half on a 31-7 stretch that included a 20-4 advantage in the second quarter, and the Peacocks could not come back despite another 12-2 run to open the fourth frame.

ELK RIVER EQUATION... Upper Iowa's pair of guards from Elk River, Minn. took turns leading the team in scoring last week. Lydia Haack dropped in 22 points against the Warriors while adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds. The sophomore point guard averaged 15 points and 3.5 assists per game over the two contests. Mia Huberty averaged 10.5 points per game and scored a team-high 15 points at Truman State. The freshman set a new season-high thanks to 6/8 shooting from the floor, including 3/4 from behind the three-point line.

MANEUVERING AGAINST THE MAVERICKS... Minnesota State holds a record of 5-0 (1-0 NSIC) on the season. The Mavericks have won four games by double-digits and a fifth by nine points, outscoring their opponents by an average of 88.6 to 69 (+19.6 PPG). MSU played three games last week, beating Concordia-St. Paul 84-74, Texas A&M University – Kingsville 78-59, and St. Mary's University 81-72. The Mavericks allow the third-most points per game in the conference, but they lead the NSIC in scoring by an average of 12.3 points per game to give them the top margin as well. MSU's attack starts on the defensive end, where they force an NSIC-best 26.2 turnovers per game, good for an 11.2 turnover margin that nearly doubles the next best NSIC margin (Augustana, 6.7). MSU is led by this week's NSIC South Division Player of the Week, Joey Batt. The guard's 20.4 points per game rank second in the conference, and she averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals in three wins this past week. Four other Mavericks average between 10.3 and 12 points per game.

UIU VS. MSU… Minnesota State was picked to finish fourth in the 2021-22 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and third in the South Division. The Mavericks have won all 28 of their matchups against the Peacocks. In two games in Mankato, Minn. last season, the Mavericks handed the Peacocks their worst loss of the year in a 103-57 game on Feb. 12 before a 72-48 win on Feb. 13.

GRAPPLING WITH THE GOLDEN BEARS... Concordia, St. Paul has compiled a 4-1 (0-1 NSIC) record this season. The Golden Bears opened with wins over North Central University and Northern Michigan University by 97-65 and 62-46, respectively, before falling 84-74 against Minnesota State in their NSIC opener. Last weekend, CSP won close contests over Southeastern (Fla.) University (74-72) and University of the Sciences (58-55). Concordia, St. Paul averages 73 points per game, joining Upper Iowa in a three-way tie for third-best in the NSIC. The Golden Bears allow 64.4 points to opponents, good for an 8.6 scoring margin. Their defense forces the second-worst shooting percentage, allowing opponents to hit just 33.8% of their shots, and CSP secures those misses to record the conference's best rebounding average (45.6 per game). Four players average double-digit points, with Riley Wheatcraft's 14.6 PPG leading the way. Sydney Zgutowicz (9 pts, 8.4 reb) ranks fourth in the NSIC in rebounding, while Lindsey Becher leads the conference in blocks at 3.6 per game. CSP is scheduled to play Winona State before facing UIU.

UIU VS. CSP… Concordia, St. Paul was picked to finish ninth in the 2021-22 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and sixth in the South Division, two spots ahead of the Peacocks. The Golden Bears hold a 28-5 advantage in the all-time series against the Peacocks. CSP won 60-46 on Feb. 6 and 77-47 on Feb. 7 in Fayette last season. UIU's last win over CSP came on Dec. 13, 2019, as the Peacocks defended their home court with a 65-63 victory that saw the Golden Bears take a 15-0 lead before an 18-0 answer from Upper Iowa.