THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… The Upper Iowa University women's basketball team heads north to take on a pair of NSIC North foes after tangling with the top two teams in the division and Northern Sun Conference. The Peacocks play the Northern State University Wolves in Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday, Jan. 21, at 5:30 p.m. before making their way to Moorhead, Minn., to duel the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 3:30 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE OPTIONS… Live stats, audio, and webcasts for the games will be produced by the home teams and 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.

LAST WEEK IN PEACOCK WOMEN'S HOOPS… Upper Iowa posted its first winning week of the season, going 2-1 in their first home games of the year. The Peacocks opened the week with an intrastate win against Waldorf (Iowa) University, 79-38. UIU then welcomed the NSIC's top two teams in St. Cloud State University, ranked No. 25 in last week's D2SIDA Top 25 Poll, and the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Peacocks handed the NSIC-leading, No. 25 Huskies a 67-54 defeat, securing UIU's first conference win and winning streak of the season. The Peacock defense stayed strong against the Bulldogs, but UIU fell 55-42 against UMD to close the weekend.
 
HAVING THE HUSKIES' NUMBER… St. Cloud State has been one of the NSIC's top teams in recent years, but the Peacocks have had their number in two of the last three matchups. UIU upset the reigning 2019-20 NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Champions in overtime in the first game of the 2020-21 season, winning 75-71 in St. Cloud, Minn. on Jan. 2, 2021. Lydia Haack scored 30 points in her first collegiate contest, while Jessica Musgrave added 23 points and 10 rebounds. SCSU got revenge with a 66-50 win just one day later, but the Peacocks prevailed in the next matchup on Jan. 14, 2022. The No. 25 Huskies brought the NSIC's best record into Dorman, but Upper Iowa picked up its first conference win with a 13-point win over the visitors.
 
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE IN DORMAN… The Peacocks allowed an average of 49 points over their three-game homestand. UIU's opponents averaged 73.7 points per game entering the week, but the defense had allowed 62.5 PPG in the last five after conceding 78.7 PPG over the first nine. The 38 points allowed to Waldorf marked UIU's best scoring defense since allowing 36 points to Central College on Nov. 21, 2007. Against the NSIC's top two teams, UIU held No. 25 SCSU to nearly 10 points below their season average of 63.9 while holding Minnesota Duluth to almost 11 points fewer than their 65.9 average. Against No. 25 SCSU, UIU held the reigning NSIC North Division Player of the Week, Tori Wortz, to six points on 3-16 shooting and 0-9 from three. Against UMD, the Peacocks held the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year, Brooke Olson, to just 6-20 (30%) shooting and 0-6 from three-point range, her worst shooting performance of the season. UIU limited their three opponents to a shooting percentage of 33.3% from the floor and 18% from three.
 
BOLSTERED BY THE BENCH… The Peacock reserves provided a 37-11 advantage in bench points against Waldorf as all 10 of UIU's available players got in on the action. Mia Huberty and Savannah Domeyer (3 blocks) scored nine points apiece, while Emma Anderson (5 assists) and Callista Rochon-Baker notched seven points each. Bailey Winter scored five points while tying for the game-high with seven rebounds, setting a game-high with five offensive boards. Upper Iowa's bench duo of Huberty and Anderson came up big against No. 25 St. Cloud State, combining for 57 minutes and 19 points. Huberty scored eight of her 11 points in the second half and hit 3-of-5 (60%) threes while adding two assists in 27 minutes. The double-digit scoring performance was the freshman's second this season. Anderson was a game-high plus-21 in her season-high 30 minutes of action, scoring eight points to go with three rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a 2-4 (50%) clip from deep. Huberty added five points in 23 minutes against UMD, Anderson played 22 minutes, and Domeyer notched two points, five rebounds, and one block in seven minutes off the bench.

TAMING THE WOLVES... Northern State holds a 9-7 (6-5 NSIC) record. After an 0-4 stretch, the Wolves are 3-0 against Wayne State, Augustana, and Sioux Falls. Kailee Oliverson leads NSU with 13.9 points per game, the NSIC's ninth-best mark. Rianna Fillipi (12.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG), Lexi Roe (12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG), and Laurie Rogers (10.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.4 BPG) all score in double figures. In the NSIC, Fillipi ranks third in assists and sixth in steals, while Rogers, the reigning NSIC North Division Player of the week, ranks fourth in rebounding and first in blocks. Haley Johnson adds 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds to a team that averages 65.6 points and allows 65.5 PPG.

UIU VS. NSU… Northern State was tied for 11th in the 2021-22 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll picked fifth in the North Division. The Wolves are 21-1 all-time against the Peacocks, with the lone UIU win in Fayette on Jan. 26, 2008.
 
SLAYING THE DRAGONS... MSU Moorhead has compiled a 5-7 (4-4 NSIC) record. The Dragons have not played since Jan. 2, when they won 67-50 against Northern State. Peyton Boom ranks sixth in the NSIC and leads MSUM with 16.2 points per game while shooting 52.3%, the conference's third-best mark. Natalie Jens (11.1), Mariah McKeever (7.5), Shyanne Loliland (6.1), and Natalie Steichen (5.6) contribute to an offense that averages 58.3 points per game, the NSIC's second-lowest mark. MSUM's 63.3 points allowed ranks fourth-best in the conference. The Dragons are scheduled to play Winona State University before facing UIU.

UIU VS. MSUM… MSU Moorhead was voted eighth in the 2021-22 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and fourth in the North Division. Upper Iowa is looking for their first win against MSUM as the Dragons are 17-0 in the all-time series against the Peacocks.