THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK MEN'S BASKETBALL
Peacock men's basketball has one more contest before concluding the regular season, as they host Lewis at home on Saturday at 3 p.m. The team will then look ahead to the GLVC Championship Tournament, which is set to take place on Mar. 6-9 in St. Charles, Mo.
UIU enters the weekend 19-8 overall and 13-6 in the GLVC, while Lewis is 17-9 on the year and 12-7 in the league. The Peacocks are third in the conference's point-rating system, while the Flyers are trail behind them in fourth.
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to make it to the home game this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options at
UIUPeacocks.com/Live, with access to live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.
RECAP OF THE LAST ACTION
Men's basketball went 2-0 last weekend at home, defeating Illinois Springfield 80-62 and McKendree 84-82 in overtime. Against the Prairie Stars,
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.
Nick 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 Bearcats held the lead for over 34 minutes of the contest against the Peacocks, while the home team was in control for just north of seven minutes. McKendree saw their largest advantage of 11 (21-10) with 12:50 left to play in the first half. The Peacocks generated more shot opportunities by grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and forcing the Bearcats into 14 turnovers. They capitalized on these chances, scoring 16 second-chance points and 17 points off turnovers.
Nick Reid led the team with 35 points on 10-20 from the field.
THE LATEST PRS RANKINGS
Six men's basketball teams have locked a berth in the GLVC Championship Tournament. Missouri S&T (4.39) leads the way, followed by UMSL (3.80), Upper Iowa (3.68), Lewis (3.53), Lincoln (3.48) and Truman State (3.37). McKendree and Rockhurst are tied for seventh at a 3.13, while Indianapolis (3.08), William Jewell (2.87) and Drury (2.66) sit outside the top eight.
Read more by visiting the link attached to this story.
MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
Upper Iowa men's basketball was listed seventh in the NCAA Midwest Regional Rankings released Wednesday afternoon. The Peacocks are 19-8 overall with the same record in-region (19-8). They are 13-6 in the GLVC with one conference contest left on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Lewis.
Five GLVC schools are in the rankings, with Missouri S&T leading the way in first. The Miners are 18-3 on the season, with one of their three losses coming to Upper Iowa (100-85). The remaining league members making an appearance were UMSL (6th), Lincoln (T8
th) and Lewis (T8
th).
Upper Iowa has also defeated two high-caliber teams ranked in the Central Region: Concordia, St. Paul, and SMSU, who are listed second and third, respectively.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
As a team, the Peacocks lead the conference in several statistical categories. They rank first in opponent three-point field goal percentage (30.3%), total rebounds (40.7 per game), offensive rebounds (13.1 per game), and blocked shots (113 on the season). Their opponent's three-point percentage ranks 19
th in NCAA DII, while their rebounds per game place them 16
th nationally.
Individually,
Nick Reid continues to pace the league in points per game with 24.1 (9th in NCAA DII) and is listed second in rebounds per contest (8.4). He is 4
th in the NCAA in free throws with 172 makes on the season.
Caleb Delzell is second in blocks per game with 1.9 per game and 50 on the season (25
th in NCAA DII).
Noah King is eighth in points per game with 16, and
Kyle Hrncir is second in the conference in offensive rebounds with 75 on the season (2.8 per game).
NEXT TIME OUT
Men's basketball will head to the GLVC Championships on Mar. 6-9 in St. Charles, Mo., on the campus of Lindenwood. Final seeds and matchups will be released after Saturday's action.
