THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK HOOPS… No. 19/21 Upper Iowa is home for their final full weekend in Fayette for a pair of Northern Sun Conference South Division games. The Peacocks welcome the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Upper Iowa comes into the weekend at home with a 20-4 overall record and a 14-4 mark against Northern Sun teams. The Peacocks defeated both the Mustangs and Cougars on the road earlier
this season. The games are a part of this year's Stormin' Dorman Weekend; fans are encouraged to wear their best Hawaiian gear on Friday night and then UIU is hosting Youth Day and Senior Night on Saturday.
 
LIVE OPTIONS… Live stats and webcasts will be available for both games through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live or by using the links included with this story. The action will also stream live on the NSIC Network app through Roku and Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android TV. Fans can also find the games live on television in Eastern Iowa on KCRG 9.2.
 
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAMS… 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.
 
SAYONARA SENIORS… Prior to Saturday's game, Upper Iowa will recognize and thank eight seniors that have sweat and bled for the Peacock blue and white. The eight players being honored include Jason Taylor, Sam Allen, Connor Duax, Travis Goede, Jackson Joens, Cade Moritz, Joe Smoldt and Jareese Williams. The senior recognition will take place following the conclusion of the women's game against Sioux Falls. 
 
HOLDING STEADY... The Peacocks held steady at No. 19 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25 with 100 points and No. 21 with 63 points in the D2SIDA Division II Media Poll after splitting a pair of games on the road this weekend at Wayne State (W, 79-63) and No. 11 Augustana (L, 92-83). UIU rallied from a 14-point deficit at Augustana and took a one-point lead late in the contest, but couldn't pull off the victory in Sioux Falls. The ranking this week marks the ninth time that UIU has been in the top 25 for the NABC poll and seventh time in the D2SIDA poll.
 
HOW MANY POINTS? Super senior Joe Smoldt increased his program-best, career three-point total to 346 and his career scoring total to 1,904 points after last weekend's games. His point total ranks fourth all-time in Upper Iowa history. The top three scorers in Peacock history are Jim Bushkofsky (2,194 – 1970-74), Wayne Sawyer (1,922 – 1954-58) and Keith Woolfolk (1,910 – 1975-79); Smoldt is now just six points from cracking into the top three. Hilmer became the 30th Peacock men's basketball player to join the 1,000-point club during his 30-point effort at Augustana. The 30 points set a new career high for the junior point guard. Lucas Duax (717) moved over 700 points in his career in Peacock blue, while Cade Moritz needs nine more points to reach 500 in his time in Fayette. When Jareese Williams returns from injury, his first three-pointer made will mark the 300th of his career, while his current 1,506 points rank ninth all-time at UIU behind Don Dutton's 1,507 (1960-64) and Greg VonArx's 1,551 (1992-96).
 
NO PLACE LIKE HOME… The Peacocks are currently 10-0 this season at home on Prochaska Court averaging 89.3 points per game, while holding their opponents to a 75.1 point per game average. In true road games this season, Upper Iowa is 7-4 with overtime losses at No. 17 Minnesota State University, Mankato and Winona State, a nine-point loss at Northern State and last weekend's nail-biter at No. 11 Augustana. In those eleven road games, UIU is averaging 80.2 points per game, a big difference from their 10-game home court scoring average. However, their defense is only allowing 77.2 points per game meaning their effort on defense is holding up no matter where the game is played.
 
LAST TIME VERSUS SMSU… The Peacocks escaped Marshall, Minn. with an 82-80 win on Dec. 11. The Mustangs outshot the Peacocks from the field 30-58 (51.7%) to 29-59 (49.2%), but UIU doubled up on SMSU from three-point range, shooting 8-18 (44.4%) compared to 4-14 (28.6%). The home team held the advantage inside with a 37-28 rebounding advantage, 42-30 margin in points in the paint, and a 15-9 mark in second-chance points. Despite the close final score, Upper Iowa never trailed in the game and led for all but 23 seconds when the score was 2-2. Williams paced the Peacocks with 22 points and six rebounds. Williams shot 7-16 from the floor, 3-6 from three, and 5-6 from the free throw line. Smoldt tallied 15 points while grabbing five rebounds and adding three assists. Cade Moritz and Jake Hilmer both added 14 points apiece.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS… The Mustangs come into the weekend with a 12-9 record overall and an 8-8 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. Last weekend, SMSU defeated Minnesota State at home 81-71, but dropped a 61-60 decision to Concordia University, St. Paul; the team is currently in fifth place in the standings, but sits only a game and a half behind third-place Wayne State. The Mustangs are averaging 71.8 points per game while shoooting 47.2% from the floor and 35.8% from three. Kenny Byers leads SMSU with 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Jake Phipps adds 13.4 points and a team-high 6.5 boards per game, while Dunwa Omot is scoring 11.0 per game and is a bonafide threat from deep with a 56.9% from three.
 
LAST TIME VERSUS USF… The Peacocks shot 45.6% from the floor despite knocking down only five three-pointers in the game. UIU added 29 points at the charity stripe and pulled off the 86-79 win on the road over Sioux Falls. Four Peacocks scored in double figures led by Joe Smoldt and Jareese Williams, who scored 25 and 24 points, respectively. The pair of guards also added nine rebounds apiece. Jake Hilmer scored 17 and handed out four assists, while Cade Moritz started and posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Smoldt converted two three-pointers in the game and notched his 300th triple in Peacock blue and white. Matt Cartwright led the Sioux Falls offense and scored a game-high 31 points, but Upper Iowa forced the Cougar leader into needing 30 shots to score his big point total. Chase Grinde added 15 points, while Wesley Oba pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for USF.
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS… Sioux Falls is 11-10 overall and 7-8 in the Northern Sun after three losses in their last four games. After the Cougars defeated Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston at home, USF lost a pair of road games at St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota Duluth. Last weekend, Sioux Falls split a pair of games at home with a win over Concordia-St. Paul and a loss to Minnesota State. The Cougars are averaging 72.2 points per game and allowing 73.1 points to their opponents. USF is shooting 40.9% from the floor and 32.3% from deep led by Matt Cartwright, who is averaging 19.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Jack Thompson adds 13.3 points, while Chase Grinde is recording 11.0 points and 6.7 boards per game.
 
UP NEXT… The Peacocks will split their final two regular season games next week between Fayette and St. Paul, Minn. Upper Iowa will host Minnesota State on Thursday, Feb. 17 and then travel to face Concordia University, St. Paul on Saturday, Feb. 19 in the team's final games prior to the postseason.