The Upper Iowa men's basketball team secured a double-digit win over Illinois Springfield, defeating the Prairie Stars 80-62 at home. The Peacocks improved to 18-8 on the season and 12-6 in conference play.

Noah King led the way with 22 points on 7-16 shooting, while Nick Reid added 19 points, going 8-18 from the field. Gavin Hershberger and Kyle Hrncir each contributed 12 points.

Defensively, the Peacocks recorded six blocks, with Caleb Delzell leading the way with three. Reid, King, William Kiburis, and Ryan Heise each grabbed five rebounds.

Upper Iowa's high-pressure defense forced 10 turnovers from UIS, leading to 21 of the home team's points.

The first 12 minutes of the game were a back-and-forth affair, with UIU holding a narrow 27-24 lead at the 7:56 mark. A three-pointer from Reid sparked a 15-2 run, which included eight points from King. The Prairie Stars went over six minutes without scoring, leading the Peacocks a 42-26 lead at halftime.

UIU shot 48.6% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc in the opening half, while the Prairie Stars struggled to connect, shooting 39.7% overall and 23.1% from deep.

The Peacocks came out strong in the second half, opening with a 6-2 run. Their largest lead of the game, 26 points (67-41), came with 10 minutes remaining. Though Illinois Springfield mounted a late rally, trimming the lead to 69-51 with 4:37 left behind a 10-2 run, the Peacocks held steady for the win.

Upper Iowa finished the game shooting 43.7% from the field (31-71), 23.5% from three-point range (8-34), and 58% from the free-throw line (10-17). UIS shot 39.7% from the floor and 72.2% from the charity stripe (13-18).

Men's basketball is back in action on Saturday as they host McKendree in Dorman Gymnasium at 3 p.m.