THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK HOOPS… Upper Iowa is back at home this weekend for a pair of games as they host Missouri-St. Louis on Thursday, Feb. 1 and McKendree on Saturday, Feb. 3.
 
FOLLOW ALONG…  There will be a pair of live options for those who are unable to make it to Fayette this weekend. Both live stats and a webcast can be found through the links attached with this story. Fans can also refer to UIUPeacocks.com/Live for all links on each gameday. 
 
RECAP OF LAST WEEK… Upper Iowa went 2-0 on the road last weekend, trumping William Jewell 85-73 and Rockhurst 87-61. In game one, Upper Iowa gained steady control during the first half behind a 50% shooting performance beyond the arc (6-12). The Peacocks held a 39-37 advantage going into the locker room at halftime before going on several scoring runs and extending their lead out to 20 points (77-57) with 6:12 remaining in the second half. The Cardinals hit four three pointers and went on a 7-2 run to finish the game to close the gap to 85-73. Hilmer scored a game-high 31 points, followed by Nick Reid with 18. 
 
In game two, The Peacocks led for the entire game behind their strong shooting ability as they netted 54.1% (33-61) from the field and 41.2% (7-17) beyond the arc. Kyle Hrncir compiled a double-double in the contest as he recorded 13 rebounds and 12 points on 5-7 shooting. Noah King led the squad in scoring as he netted 21 points, going 8-14 from the floor and 3-4 from long distance. Hilmer followed close behind him with 19 points, while contributing a team-high five assists. 
 
CLIPPING THE ALL-TIME SCORING RECORD…  Hilmer broke the all-time scoring record for Peacock men's basketball last weekend after putting up 31 points against William Jewell and another 19 versus Rockhurst, accumulating 2,217 points as of now. He topped Jim Bushkofsky's (1970-74) previous mark of 2,194, which stood for 50 years. 
 
Over the last two games, the Walker, Iowa native averaged 25 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, while adding four steals He shot 49% (19-39) from the field, 50% (3-6) from three, and 90% (9-10) from the charity stripe. 
 
KEEP THE STREAK… The Peacocks have won five consecutive games and 10 out of their last 11.  After two wins last weekend, UIU improved to 13-5 overall and 8-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. 
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE… Upper Iowa men's basketball has established a legacy of being highly successful in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The men's basketball squad is 6-0 on their home court this season. Over the last five years, Upper Iowa has put up a 44-8 mark when playing right here in Fayette, Iowa. 
 
SITTING AT THE TOP… After being picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll, the Peacocks have clawed their way to first place in the conference standings, tied with Indianapolis at 8-2 in GLVC play. Both of the Greyhounds' losses were close matches, as they fell to William Jewell 73-71 and Lewis 82-81. The Peacocks came up short against Truman State in early December, and most recently, Illinois Springfield on Jan. 11. Lewis sits in third place with a 7-3 mark, while Illinois Springfield is in fourth at 7-4.
 
DEFENSIVE SUCCESS… Upper Iowa's defense was in top shape during their most recent win against Rockhurst. The Peacocks held the Hawks to 61 points on Saturday, 20 points below their average allowed per game (81.1). The Hawks' 61 points is the least the Peacock defense has surrendered this season. In addition to a low number on the scoreboard, UIU stumped the RU offense as they only shot 33.8% from the floor and 25.9% from three-point land. 
 
SIGNATURE SCORING… The Peacocks rank 13^th in the nation and first in the GLVC in scoring behind 89.1 points per contest. Hilmer leads the league in scoring with 24.5, while Noah King is listed third with 17.5. Nick Reid contributes double figures with 13.8 per game. UIU's other two starters, Caleb Delzell and Kyle Hrncir, add 8.9 and 8.2 points per contest. Delzell is tied for fourth in the conference in three-point percentage with 47.4% (36-76).
 
SCOUTING THE TRITONS… UMSL men's basketball is 8-11 on the season and 6-5 in GLVC play. They have dropped four out of their last five games, with their one victory coming from Missouri S&T last Thursday in a 78-75 decision. The Tritons take good care of the basketball as they are second in turnover margin behind Upper Iowa at 2.74, as they average 10.9 turnovers a game, while their opponents average 13.6. UMSL is first in free throw percentage with 78.6%.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS… McKendree men's basketball is 10-8 on the year and 4-7 in the GLVC after falling in their last four conference contests. The Bearcats are second in the nation in field goal percentage with 51.81, only trailing Carson-Newman who nets 52.64%. They feature three double-digit scorers with Milos Vicentic (22.1), Caleb Zurliene (14.6) and Carson Parker (11.5). 
 
ON THE HORIZON… The Peacocks have two big road tests next weekend as they face Indianapolis on Thursday, Feb. 8 and Lewis on Saturday, Feb. 10.