FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa men's basketball (13-5, 8-3 GLVC) attempts to snap its two-game losing streak with a pair of home games. The Peacocks play Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (10-9, 4-7 GLVC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. and play Drury (Mo.) (9-10, 4-7 GLVC) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to attend the games in Fayette can stay connected with a pair of live options available at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, featuring 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.
In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
TICKET INFORMATION
New this year, tickets for all Peacock home events can be purchased digitally at tickets.uiu.edu. Single game tickets are now available online and at the ticket booth on gameday. If you want to pay in person, both Harms-Eischeid Stadium and Dorman Memorial Gymnasium are now accepting all major credit cards, checks and cash.
DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAMS
Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans at our games and to those watching at home. QR Codes will be located around the gym to scan with your cell phone's camera, which will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.
LAST TIME OUT
UIU dropped both of its contests last week. The Peacocks first lost, 83-74, on Thursday to William Jewell (Mo.) (12-7, 8-3 GLVC) and lost, 100-89, on Saturday to Rockhurst (Mo.) (14-5, 8-3 GLVC).
Upper Iowa shot its second-worst field goal percentage of the season against the Cardinals. The team shot 25-of-67 (37.3%) from the floor. Comparatively, William Jewell shot 32-of-56 (57.1%) from the field, its third-highest shooting day of the season.
William Jewell's Justice Sutton scored a game-high 30 points, shooting 9-of-16 (56.3%) from the floor and 3-of-4 (75%) from behind the arc. He also had 13 rebounds in the game. UIU's Tate Petersen scored 19 points, shooting 5-of-9 (55.6%) from three, while Jack Miller scored 15 points, shooting 4-of-7 (57.1%) from three. Miller also managed to dish out a team-high four assists.
The Hawks shot 7-of-7 from the field and 5-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first seven and a half minutes of the game against the Peacocks. They ended the game shooting 29-of-54 (53.7%) from the field and 9-of-19 (47.8%) from three. Upper Iowa went 32-for-63 (50.8%) from the floor and 6-for-21 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. UIU was 19-for-26 (73.1%) from the charity stripe, while RU was 33-for-34 (97.1%).
Rockhurst's Drenin Dinkins dropped 29 points, making 10-of-12 shot attempts and 15-of-15 free throws. Jack Scott scored 24 points for the team as well. Upper Iowa's leading scorer was Kyle Hrncir, who recorded 21 points on 7-for-14 (50%) shooting from the floor. Ashton Hermann played well for UIU, scoring 13 points while making 5-of-8 (62.5%) shot attempts in 13 minutes.
Through both games, Hrncir had 16.5 points per game (ppg), 7.5 rebounds per game (rpg), two assists per game (apg) and a steal per game (spg). Trey Lewis recorded 16 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.5 rpg and two spg. Petersen posted 13.5 ppg, two rpg and a spg. Miller totaled 10.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.5 apg.
STATISTICS SUMMARY
Hrncir leads UIU in points per game with 18.3. He also leads the team in rebounds per game with 9.1 and assists per game with 3.8.
The Farmington, Minnesota native is first in the GLVC in double-doubles with nine. He is also second in rebounds per game, fourth in assists per game, sixth in points per game and sixth in steals per game. Nationally, the redshirt junior ranks 10th in double-doubles, 12th in free throw attempts (143), 30th in total rebounds and 27th in rebounds per game.
Lewis is averaging 16 ppg, 3.1 apg, 3.2 rpg and 1.3 spg. He is fifth in the conference and 51st nationally in free-throw percentage (86.6%). The Johnston native is 12th in assists per game in the GLVC and 10th in 3-point percentage (3.71%).
Petersen posts 10.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 1.3 apg off the bench. In the conference, he is tied for first in 3-point percentage (45.6%) and is eighth in 3-point field goals per game (2.4). Miller averages 9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.3 spg. Cael Reichter records 7.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
UIU ranks third in the conference in steals per game (8.94). Hrncir (seventh), Austin Hilmer (12th), Miller (21st) and Lewis (22nd) rank within the top 25 of the GLVC in steals per game. The team is also first in the GLVC and 35th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (16.22).
Upper Iowa averages 85.6 points per game and has made 544-of-1174 (46.3%) field goal attempts. The team has made 160-of-472 (33.9%) 3-point attempts. The Peacocks also average 36.4 rebounds, 16.2 assists and 8.9 steals per game (spg).
In the GLVC, UIU ranks first in assists per game, first in turnover margin (5.3), second in points per game, second in offensive rebounds per game (12.9), fifth in rebounds per game and fifth in 3-point field goals made. In Division II, the Peacocks rank 10th in turnover margin and 38th in free-throw attempts per game (38).
1000 POINT WATCH
Hrncir and Lewis are both on their way to reaching 1000 career points. Hrncir has scored 974 points with the Peacocks, and Lewis has scored 972 points in his career.
AROUND THE GLVC
UIU fell to a four-way tie for third in the conference. The Peacocks sit behind Illinois Springfield (12-6, 8-2 GLVC) in first and Missouri S&T (13-3, 7-2 GLVC) in second. UIU is tied with McKendree (Ill.) (15-3, 8-3 GLVC), Rockhurst and William Jewell. Rockhurst is undefeated at home in conference play at 6-0.
Justice Sutton earned GLVC Player of the Week after extending William Jewell's win streak to a GLVC-best seven games. He averaged 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and two steals against Upper Iowa and Quincy (Ill.) (8-10, 3-7 GLVC).
Rockhurst's Drenin Dinkins (22 ppg) and Jaylen Wesley (20.4 ppg) are the top two scorers in the conference. Emmanuel Byrd of Truman State (Mo.) (8-10, 5-5 GLVC) has a GLVC-high 9.3 rpg. Keion Epps (Drury) averages a conference-high 5.8 apg.
RU leads the GLVC in points per game with 89.7. Lincoln (Mo.) (8-11, 2-9 GLVC) leads the conference in both rebounds per game with 38.8 and blocks per game with 3.89. William Jewell has a GLVC-high 8.95 steals per game.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS - Thursday at 7 p.m.
Southwest Baptist played two games last week. They lost to UIndy (9-10, 7-4 GLVC), 84-61, on Thursday and beat Lewis (Ill.), 82-48, on Saturday.
Upper Iowa won the most recent matchup, 79-67, on Feb. 1, 2025. Former Peacock Nick Reid had 30 points and nine rebounds, while Hrncir had 10 points and nine rebounds. Drenin Dinkins, who now plays for Rockhurst, scored a team-high 29 points for the Bearcats.
Zac Reedus leads Southwest Baptist in scoring with 16.6 ppg, putting the junior 10th in the GLVC. Jevin Sullivan records a team-high 2.8 apg with a team-best 7.4 rpg. Sophomore guard Barron Silsby is scoring 12.5 ppg, while Leo Gayman averages 11.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg.
The Bearcats total 77.1 ppg, 35.5 rpg, 12.9 apg and 6.3 spg. The team is 481-for-1055 (45.6%) from the field and 153-for-444 (34.5%) from three on the season. Conference-wise, Southwest Baptist is sixth-best in scoring and allows the fourth-fewest points (67.6).
Aaron Niven is in his third year as the head coach of the Bearcats and has an overall record of 23-50. He previously served as an assistant coach for five years at Southwest Baptist.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS - Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Panthers are coming off a 107-89 win over Indianapolis last Saturday. However, they lost 87-72 to Illinois Springfield on Thursday.
Both teams last faced off on Jan. 30, 2025, with the Peacocks winning 82-81. Reid (28 points), Noah King (17 points) and Hrncir (11 points) posted double figures for UIU. Meanwhile, Logan (26 points), Zach Howell (25 points) and Brock Wakefield (14 points) scored in double-digits for Drury.
Howell, a redshirt junior forward, has a team-high 17.3 ppg. Colin Hardrick leads the team in rebounds with 6.6 rpg. Keion Epps has a team-best 5.8 apg. Howell is seventh in scoring in the GLVC, and Epps is fourth in apg.
The team totals 83.1 ppg, 36.6 rpg, 15.3 apg and 8.74 spg. In the conference, the Panthers are third in scoring offense, third in assists per game and third in points allowed per game (78.5).
Chris Foster is in his fourth year as the head coach of the program. He previously coached at McKendree and Truman State. Foster has accumulated a career record of 156-138 in 10 seasons as a head coach.
UP NEXT
Upper Iowa hits the road to compete against two GLVC foes. UIU begins the trip with a road test against No. 9 Missouri S&T on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. before playing against Lincoln (Mo.) on Feb. 7 at 3 p.m.
