THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team returns to action this week after missing two games this past weekend due to COVID-19 protocols and welcomes three teams to Fayette for a busy week of basketball in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The Peacocks play Waldorf University on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. before a pair of contests against NSIC North squads. UIU faces St. Cloud State University on Friday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. before matching up with the University of Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats and webcasts for each game 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, all three games will be aired live on KCRG-TV 9.2.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM… Fans can access an interactive and digital gameday program for each 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 TIME PEACOCK HOOPS WAS IN ACTION… The Peacocks tipped off the new year with a battle against Winona State University on Jan. 2. Upper Iowa held slim leads at the end of the first half, the end of the third quarter, and with three and a half minutes to play, but Winona State rallied to score nine of the final 10 points to come from behind and steal a 61-55 decision. Jessica Musgrave (14), Brooke Evenson (12), Lydia Haack (10), and Katie Tornstrom (10) all scored in double-digits, but WSU's duo of Emily Kieck (26) and Caitlin Riley (16) combined for 69% of the home team's points and propelled the Warriors to a win.
 
TOP 10 TALENTS… A trio of Peacocks crack the top 10 in the NSIC in a handful of categories. Haack leads Upper Iowa and ranks 10th in the conference with 14.2 points per game while playing the fifth-most minutes per game in the NSIC (33.5). The point guard also paces the Peacocks with 4.0 assists per game, the seventh-best mark in the conference. Haack ranks 11th in both field goal percentage (.440) and steals per game (1.8). Musgrave leads UIU with 7.2 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in the NSIC. Musgrave also averages the fifth-most offensive rebounds (3.0) and is tied for 12th in the NSIC with 13.7 points per game. Evenson knocks down the sixth-most three-pointers in the conference, averaging 2.2 triples per contest.
 
FEARSOME FOURSOME… A quartet of Peacocks are posting double-digit scoring averages. Haack (14.2), Musgrave (13.7), Evenson (10.9), and Tornstrom (10.2) account for 75.6% of UIU's points per game. The foursome also accounts for 43.7% (214) of Upper Iowa's rebounds, 47.6% (74) of UIU's assists, and 66.6% (52) of the team's steals.
 
WELCOMING WALDORF... Waldorf University has compiled a 6-7 record (0-1 NSAA) this season. The Warriors were voted to finish seventh out of eight teams in the 2021-22 North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball Preseason Poll following a 1-19 (1-12 NSAA) record last season. Tina Lair-VanMeter leads the Warriors with 14 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting a team-high 53.6%. The senior ranks fifth in the NSAA in scoring, first in rebounding, and second in field percentage. Lizzie Garza (9.1), Sandra Christian (7.5), Kinsey Tweedy (7.2), Lindsay Field (7.0), and Kayela Willis (6.8) contribute to a balanced scoring attack that averages 65.2 points per game. The Warriors outscore their opponents by 0.5 points overall and alternate big wins and losses with just two games being decided by single-digits and six games with margins of 20-plus points.
 
HOSTING THE HUSKIES... St. Cloud State holds a conference-best 11-2 (9-1 NSIC) record. The Huskies are led by Tori Wortz, who was named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week. Wortz averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in the Huskies wins over Concordia-St. Paul and (RV) Minnesota State. Wortz is averaging 13.9 points and 3.6 rebounds to lead the balanced SCSU attack. Brehna Evans is averaging 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, while Nikki Kilboten is scoring 12.3 points and grabbing a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. As a team, the Huskies average 63.9 points per game and are locking opponents up on defense allowing just 54.4 points a game.
 
UIU V. SCSU… St. Cloud State holds a 14-1 advantage over Upper Iowa in the all-time series. UIU opened last season with a 75-71 overtime win against the reigning NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Champions in St. Cloud, Minn. on Jan. 2, 2021. Haack led UIU with 30 points in her first intercollegiate contest, while Musgrave notched 23 points and 10 rebounds. SCSU claimed a 66-50 win the next day on Jan. 3, 2021, in the most recent meeting between the teams.
 
BRINGING IN THE BULLDOGS… Minnesota Duluth is second in the conference standings with a 10-4 (8-2 NSIC record). UMD will open the weekend at Winona State before coming to UIU. The Bulldogs are led by Brooke Olson, who is scoring 18.4 points per game and pulling down a team-high 5.6 rebounds a contest as well. Olson, 6-2 forward, dropped 29 points on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in early November and has posted 20-plus points in six games. Sarah Grow and Maesyn Thiesen are both averaging 8.7 and 8.1 points and shooting above 46% from the field. As a team, Minnesota Duluth is averaging 65.9 points per game, while holding their opponents to just 56.7 points per game.
 
UIU V. UMD… Upper Iowa is looking for their first win in 14 tries as Minnesota Duluth is 13-0 in the all-time series. The teams last matched up twice in February 2020 when the Bulldogs secured a 67-57 win in Fayette on Feb. 1 and an 81-54 win in Duluth, Minn. on Feb. 26. In the most recent matchup, Evenson led UIU with 16 points on 6-7 shooting, including 4-5 from three-point range. Musgrave added nine points, five rebounds, and four assists.