Upper Iowa, ranked No. 19/21 in the latest national polls, rallied from a 14-point deficit to claim a lead with under four minutes to play on Saturday, but lost a 92-83 decision at No. 11 Augustana University. After the loss, UIU moves to 20-4 overall and 14-4 in the Northern Sun, while Augie improves to 19-2 overall and 13-2 in the conference.
 
The Peacocks are now 3-2 this season against NABC Top 25 teams including a season-split with the Vikings.
 
Junior point guard Jake Hilmer led the Peacocks with a new career-high 30 points in the game and along the way scored his 1,000th career point in Peacock blue and white. Hilmer is the 29 other Peacock men's basketball players that scored 1,000 points in their time with UIU.
 
Hilmer's 30 points came on 10-23 shooting including 5-8 from the three-point line. Joe Smoldt added 13 points and five rebounds, while Dylan Jones scored 12 and Lucas Duax registered 10. Nick Reid scored nine points and secured nine rebounds.
 
Dylan LeBrun (23) and Tyler Riemersma (20) combined for 43 points and Riemersma pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to lead the Vikings. Isaac Fink added 18 points, while Adam Dykman scored 12.

Five minutes into the game, a three-pointer from Smoldt pulled UIU within two, 12-10, but Augustana launched their first run of the night (15-3) to push their lead to 27-13. The Vikings forced the Peacocks into 1-7 shooting and converted 6-8 including three trifectas during the run.
 
After Hilmer and Cade Moritz combined to score a quick six points, the margin shrunk to eight, 33-25, but the home team scored the final two baskets of the opening half to go ahead 45-33 at halftime.
 
Upper Iowa opened the second half with a 12-4 run fueled by six points from Hilmer and four from Jones cutting the gap to just four points, 49-45. Minutes later, the Peacocks continued to push and, thanks to a 13-5 run, tied the game at 62-62. Hilmer controlled the run scoring eight of UIU's 13 points. With five minutes to play, the score was still tied 72-72.
 
The Peacocks took their first lead of the night, 76-75, with 3:45 to play when Connor Duax scored a layup. Augustana answered with a 7-0 run paced by five points from Fink to get ahead 82-76.
 
Upper Iowa could not generate the stops they needed on the defensive side of the ball over the final few minutes as the Vikings were able to record the nine-point win.
 
Next weekend, the Peacocks will host Southwest Minnesota State University and the University of Sioux Falls in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The games are set for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11-12.