Upper Iowa's Lucas Duax earned this week's Northern Sun Conference South Division Player of the Week honors after leading the Peacocks to a pair of wins at home over the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University. Duax is the fifth NSIC Player of the Week award winner for the Peacocks this year. His teammate Jake Hilmer won the award following UIU's three-win week against Winona State University, Wingate University and Elizabeth City State University. Upper Iowa's other three award winners include wrestling's Eric Faught, women's basketball's Lydia Haack and women's soccer's Jamie Kerkvliet.

Lucas Duax averaged 19 points, four rebounds, four steals and 1 block per game as Upper Iowa swept Sioux Falls (92-71) and Southwest Minnesota State (66-57) at home to improve to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in the NSIC. Duax scored 28 points on Saturday against SMSU to match Jake Hilmer's 28 points on Friday night against USF. Duax scored 22 points in the first half. The Dubuque Hempsead prep shot 64% from the floor and knocked down four of his seven attempts from deep while locking down the Cougars and Mustangs on defense. The NSIC leader in steals added eight more over the weekend including six in the first half of UIU's victory on Saturday. Duax is currently at 999 career points and needs just one to become the 31st Peacock to score 1,000 points.

For the season, the senior guard is averaging 18.1 points (9th NSIC), 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals (1st NSIC), and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 53.8% (7th NSIC) from the field, 36.8% from three and 76.6% (13th NSIC) from the free throw line. 

Upper Iowa heads west for a pair of games this weekend at Augustana University and Wayne State College on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18. The Peacocks and Vikings will meet in Sioux Falls, S.D. at 5:30 p.m. and then take on the Wildcats in Wayne, Neb. at 3:30 p.m. UIU will return to Fayette for a game against Winona State University on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m.