Upper Iowa, ranked No. 16 and No. 18 in the latest national polls, improved to 16-2 overall and 10-2 in the Northern Sun Conference with a 94-85 victory over the No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The win marked the Peacocks' fourth straight, their third over a NCAA Division II Top-25 team, and their second over a NCAA Division II Top-10 team. UIU is now 8-0 at home this season, while the loss was the Bulldogs first loss of the season as they move to 16-1 overall and 9-1 in the conference.
 
Five Peacocks scored in double figures led by Jake Hilmer's impressive 27 points on 9-15 shooting and Joe Smoldt's 17 fueled by five three-pointers. Hilmer (6) and Smoldt (7) did more than just score as they combined for 13 assists in the game. Lucas Duax posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds with three blocks, while Nick Reid scored 12 and pulled down five boards and Cade Moritz added 10 points and three rebounds off the bench. Connor Duax added nine points off the bench on 3-3 shooting with two long-range makes.
 
Charlie Katona led the previously-undefeated Bulldogs with 20 points and six rebounds. Drew Blair and Austin Andrews each scored 17 points, while Jack Middleton (16) and Joshua Brown (15) combined for 31 points.
 
Minnesota Duluth got all of their scoring from their five starters, while Upper Iowa scored 22 off the bench.
 
Upper Iowa's defense forced the Bulldogs into 16 turnovers, while only giving the ball away 10 times. The positive swing in giveaways translated into a 23-7 advantage in points off turnovers for the home team.
 
The Peacocks, leading 13-12 seven minutes into the game, used a 17-5 run over a four-and-a-half-minute span to push out to a 30-17 advantage. The run saw the home team convert 5-7 from the field and 6-6 at the free throw line. Moritz (6) and Reid (5) paced the outburst with a combined 11 points.  
 
After UMD clawed back and cut the gap to eight, 32-24, UIU scored a quick seven points fueled by a pair of three-pointers by Connor Duax. The quick burst gave Upper Iowa a 39-24 lead.
 
The Bulldogs launched a 13-2 run while holding the Peacocks without a field goal for two minutes. The quick UMD run pulled the visitors within four, 41-37, but Upper Iowa closed the half by outscoring their guests 6-2 in the final minute on a three-pointer from Smoldt and three free throws by Hilmer for a 47-39 lead at the break.

Minnesota Duluth kept taking runs at Upper Iowa in the second half, but the Peacocks always had an answer. The answer that brought the huge home crowd to their feet was back-to-back three-pointers by Smoldt to push the home team's advantage out to 11 points, 75-64. UIU took the largest lead in the game with just over two minutes to play after a layup by Lucas Duax and a three-pointer from Reid to move Upper Iowa out to an 89-75 lead. The Peacocks made five free throws down the stretch to secure the 94-85 victory.
 
Upper Iowa will face Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead on the road next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21-22. The Peacocks will return to Prochaska Court in two weeks to face Minot State University and the University of Mary on Jan. 28-29.