Upper Iowa men's basketball ignited this week's action on the road against Drury in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest that ended in a heartbreaking 82-81 defeat. The Peacocks fought valiantly, playing catch-up and battling against Drury's hot shooting as both teams traded scoring runs. With the game on the line in the final seconds, Upper Iowa had a chance to take escape with a win, but missed a three-pointer, followed by a missed baseline jumper off the offensive rebound as time expired.

Drury netted 46% from the field and 48% from long range. The Peacocks ended the contest with comparable numbers, shooting 47% from the floor and 39% beyond the arc. 

The Peacocks found themselves quickly in a hole to start the contest, trailing 7-0 which soon turned into 15-5. A step-back three by Nick Reid out of a timeout and a strong Noah King finish for an and-one sparked a 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to 15-11. With 10 minutes left in the first half, the Panthers pushed back out ahead, hitting back-to-back three-pointers for the 21-11 edge. 

Upper Iowa gradually built momentum and kicked into gear, going on an 11-2 run with back-to-back threes from Hrncir and Reid to bring them within one, 23-22. Upper Iowa eventually grabbed their first lead of the game at 31-30 with 4:35 left in the first half, thanks to a 9-2 run that included seven points from Noah King. Despite the surge, the Peacocks trailed 42-39 at halftime. Both teams had solid three-point shooting performances, with Upper Iowa shooting 6-15 (40%) and Drury hitting 6-14 (42.9%).

After the intermission, Drury quickly pushed its lead to 50-43, but Noah King's fadeaway jumper kept the Peacocks within striking distance. The game was a shooting clinic early in the second half, with both teams shooting over 60% in the first seven minutes. Drury stayed hot, using an 8-0 run to push their lead back to ten, 67-57, fueled by 4-6 shooting from three-point range in the first portion of the second half.

Just when it looked like the Panthers might pull away, Nick Reid hit a corner three to ignite a 9-0 run, with the duo of Reid and King scoring the basketball. The Panthers briefly stopped the momentum with a free throw, but Reid hit another three to tie the game at 68 with just over five minutes left. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle, with the game tied at 78 with 2:30 to play and both teams in the double bonus.

With the clock winding down, Noah King gave Upper Iowa an 80-78 lead with a left-handed finish at the rim. Drury responded with two free throws to tie it back at 80. The Peacocks had a chance to take the lead on their next possession when Reid was fouled under the rim,as he made one free throw to give UIU an 81-80 advantage.

Drury inbounded the ball out of a time-out and responded with a floater in the corner to take a one-point lead, 82-81, with nine seconds remaining. 

In the final seconds, Upper Iowa had a chance to take the game, first missing a three-pointer, then grabbing the offensive rebound and missing another from the baseline as time expired, leaving them just short in a heart-pounding finish.

Reid led Upper Iowa in scoring with 28 points on 9-16 shooting (56.3%) and 5-6 from three (83.3%). King added 17 points, shooting 6-16 (37.5%) from the field, including 2-5 (40%) from three, while also nabbing 5 rebounds. Hrncir chipped in with 11 points on 5-9 shooting (55.6%), adding 9 rebounds and 3 assists to help fuel the offense. Caleb Delzell netted 5 points with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Ryan Heise added 13 points on 4-8 shooting (50%), along with 5 rebounds and two steals. 
Men's basketball is back on action Saturday in Bolivar, Mo. against Southwest Baptist at 3:30 p.m.