Peacocks Earn Weekend Sweep In North Dakota; Defeat U-Mary

 Against the Marauders, UIU was led by senior post Tucker Wentzien - who had 16 points - but the Peacocks had four different players score in double-figures, including Joey Woods (pictured) who finished the weekend with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and just three turnovers

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information - (1/12/2013)

 

Box Score

BISMARK, N.D. – Senior wing Sam Elgin missed his first five shots of Saturday night’s matchup with the host Marauders of U-Mary in their NSIC showdown. With just ten seconds left and a two-point lead for the Peacocks Elgin was fouled and went to the line to seal the victory.

Normally a 97 percent free-throw shooter in NSIC play this year, Elgin has been almost golden from the charity stripe.

But this time, he missed it.

“I struggled shooting the ball tonight, but that will happen every once in a while,” Elgin said. “The biggest thing is, you can’t get down on yourself. I got fouled with a chance to ice it and I missed the free throw. I think that got me a little ticked off. So I went in there and just stole it and ended up making a pretty good play for us.”

Elgin went after the Marauder’s point guard after missing the free throw. His aggressive play led to a steal and a wide-open layup – his first and only bucket of the game.

“I was thinking I have a good chance at dunking this, but I’m 0-for-5, I might as well just take it easy here,” Elgin said with a smile.

Elgin’s finger-tip bucket came with just five seconds left in the game and pushed UIU out to a four-point lead – A lead that held as time clicked down and the Peacocks earned the victory, 67-63, in Bismark, North Dakota.

Four different Peacocks finished in double-digits as UIU won its fifth straight game on the road in the NSIC this season.

“Anytime you can go on the road and get a sweep, it’s a good weekend,” UIU Head Coach Brian Dolan said. “We just have to play better on Tuesday night though.”

The Peacocks will host the 13-3 Warriors of Winona State on Tuesday night at Dorman Gym, but the Peacocks couldn’t look ahead because they had their hands full with U-Mary.

The Marauders entered Saturday with just a 2-6 mark in conference play despite having the ninth and 17th ranked scorers in the conference. Alex Dorr and Josh Turner have led U-Mary in scoring with 15 and 13 points per game, respectively, but that was before they ran into the brick wall that was the Peacock defense.

UIU has held six of its nine conference opponents to 63 opponents or less this year and the Peacocks’ stingy defense continued over the weekend.

The Peacocks forced Minot State and U-Mary into 31 turnovers in their two games, while holding Dorr to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting and Turner to 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. UIU also recorded a season-high six blocks against the Marauders.

“They are tough to guard,” Joey Woods said. “They run stagger screens, so if you jump the passing lane they can beat you with a backdoor cut. So we had less steals tonight, but I think we played solid all-around on the defensive end.”

Woods was just one of four different Peacocks to finish in double-figures against the Marauders, but most of the starting five struggled early in the game. All except Tucker Wentzien.

Wentzien went 5-of-8 from the field in the first half for a team-high 12 points. His production in the paint pushed the Peacocks to a 39-32 lead at halftime.

Wentzien’s numbers weren’t surprising though. The senior post from Solon, Iowa has made the road a home-away-from-home this season. Wentzien is averaging 14.7 points per game on the road, compared to just eight points a game at home.

“Every rim is ten-feet tall,” Wentzien said. “Sometimes just getting away from Dorman – because we’ve been practicing there all week – is good.”

While Wentzien did the dirty work in the first period, Jake Hughes sunk 10 of his 13 points in the second half, including four free throws in the final two minutes to seal the game.

“My teammates are finding me for easy shots,” Hughes said. “I’m not making difficult shots, I’m making layups and I have to credit my teammates for that.”

After just seven assists to 27 buckets on Friday night, the Peacocks’ passing improved a night later. UIU finished with 14 assists to go with 25 buckets on Saturday – play coach Dolan is much more accustomed to seeing. Woods and Hughes combined for half of those assists.

“It was a big weekend from me and my teammates,” Woods said. “I feel like I had a little rhythm going. I’m just playing how coach wants me to play – just letting the game come to me and not forcing anything.”

Woods finished the weekend with 29 combined points on 10-of-18 shooting, while also adding six rebounds and six assists compared to just three turnovers.

Grant Lang was the final of four Peacocks in double-figures as the sophomore finished 4-of-6 from the field for 10 points off the bench.

With the win, UIU improves to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in the Northern Sun, while the loss drops the Marauders to 3-10 overall and 2-7 in conference play.

The Peacocks will be back in action earlier than expected this week. UIU will host the Warriors of Winona State on Tuesday night inside Dorman Gymnasium.

“It’s high school all over again,” Wentzien joked about the mid-week battle.

The meeting will be the first between the squads since Wentzien kissed a last-second reverse layup off the glass as time expired in a 64-63 Peacock victory in Winona, Minnesota on December 1st.

“Everybody’s saying that game was a fluke,” Wentzien said. “I mean, I did do a circus-shot for the win, but I’m hoping we show up, play like we can and give them a good fight.”

The rematch is scheduled for an 8 PM tip-off.

“I’m not downplaying it,” Hughes said. “It might be the biggest game of our career. I’m just more than excited to play.”

UIU All Set For North Dakota Roadtrip

 

 

The Peacocks, who split their first NSIC homestand to open up the new year, will take to the road for the first time in 2013 as they head northwest to North Dakota to face Minot State and U-Mary

BY: Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information - (1/8/2013)

UIU Game Notes || NSIC Weekly Release || NSIC Forecast (MP3)
MISU Game Notes || U-Mary Game Notes

This week in Upper Iowa Men's Basketball... The Peacocks will take to the road for the first time in the new year as they head northwest to North Dakota. The Peacocks will face Minot State on Friday night at 8 PM inside the MSU Dome. Then, on Saturday night the Peacocks will face the Marauders of the University of Mary at 6 PM.

The Series... The Peacocks and the Marauders have squared off ten times over the past six seasons. Both teams have taken five games in the series, but UIU has just one win in Bismark, North Dakota. The solo victory came in overtime last season, 76-72. The Peacocks have faced Minot State much less frequently. A new member to the NSIC this season, the Beavers lost their only matchup to the Peacocks in a non-conference game in Winona last season.

Peacocks Split Opening Games of 2013... The Peacocks sunk a season-high 39-of-47 free throws last Friday night inside Dorman Gymnasium to hold on to a nine-point victory over visiting University of Sioux Falls, 71-62. The win marked the Peacocks' fifth win in conference play and their best start since moving to Division II play. UIU would not get win number six a day later, though. A Southwest Minnesota State team, which went to the NCAA Tournament last year, came into Fayette and escaped with a narrow five-point victory thanks to a red-hot 52 percent shooting outing. Senior guard Jake Hughes led the Peacocks in scoring over the weekend averaging 14.5 ppg. He also shot 11-of-14 from the free throw line against the Cougars and Mustangs.

A Breathe of Fresh "Kierre"... Sophomore post Kierre Ogbonna provided a spark for the UIU men's basketball team this past weekend coming off the bench and contributing a combined 18 points in the Peacocks two conference games. The Brown Deer, Wisconsin native also collected eight rebounds - with five of those being offensive rebounds - and went a combined 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. UIU Head Coach Brian Dolan said, "Kierre is a spark and we’re excited to see him on the floor and see what he can do. He hasn’t played basketball competitively in a year and a half, so it's good to see him on the court.” With all the injuries the Peacocks have endured, Ogbonna's contributions are warmly welcomed from Dolan and the team.

Dominant Defense... Last season the Peacocks gave up an average of 71 points per game to opponents. So far this year, the defense hasn't been a problem. Rather, UIU has relied on its defense to finsih out games. UIU is holding its opponents to just 62 ppg this season, a number good enough for third place in the conference. The Peacocks have allowed only four teams to reach 71 points or more and only two opponents have shot 50% or better against UIU this season.
 
Leading the Beavers... E.J. Williams (10.4 ppg, 53% FG, 43% 3FG, 1.4 apg) || Anthony Enriquez (8.8 ppg, 38% FG, 2.1 rpg) || Dominique McDonald (8.1ppg, 37% FG, 3 rpg, 3 apg) || Thomas Korf (6.7 ppg, 41% FG, 40% 3FG, 1.5 rpg)

Leading the Marauders... Alex Dorr (15.0 ppg, 44% FG, 41% 3FG, 8.5 rpg, 1.2 apg) || Josh Turner (13.5 ppg, 40% FG, 37% 3FG, 2.5 apg) || Jalen Jaspers (9 ppg, 52% FG, 44% 3FG, 3.8 rpg) || Marc Musungayi (8.7 ppg, 58% FG, 5.7 rpg, 10 blocks)

NSIC Rankings... The defensive dominance by the Peacocks this season has helped them climb the ranks in the conference. Not only is UIU's defense ranked third in scoring defense (62 ppg), but the team, as a whole, is fifth in scoring margin (+6.5), fourth in free throw percentage (74%), fourth in 3-point field goal defense (32%) and the Peacocks have the fifth best turnover margin (+1).

Playing Under the Lights... Saturday's NSIC contest against the Marauders will be televised throughtout central and western North Dakota on local NBC channels. The last time the Peacocks were televised they picked up a 61-48 victory on the road against the University of Minnesota, Crookston on January 14th, 2012.


Sights Set on 1,000... Speaking of Wentzien, the senior is only 36 points shy of the 1,000 point plateau. The Solon, Iowa native reached the 964 mark after scoring eight points over the weekend. Wentzien will become the 22nd member of the distinctive 1,000-point club. On Feb. 24, 2010 Matt Lesan became the 21st Peacock in program history to break the 1,000-point barrier for a career in a 66-58 loss at Winona State. Lesan finished his career with 1,383 points over four years at UIU. Jim Bushkofsky is the all-time leading scorer in Upper Iowa men's basketball history as he finished his four-year career with 2,194 points at the end of the 1973-74 season. Bushkofsky also holds the record for most points scored in a season with 855 during his junior campaign.


Up Next... After the Peacocks' roadtrip to Minot and Bismark, North Dakota, UIU will have a mid-week showdown with its travel partner - Winona State - on the 15th of January. The Peacocks and Warriors faced off in week one of conference play with UIU emerging victorious on a last-second Tucker Wentzien reverse layup. Tip-off for that game is set for 8 PM. Click here to view the Peacocks full schedule.

Tune In...Don't forget to click on the live option links above to follow all of the Peacock action live! Keep in mind that the live video link is being supplied by MISU and U-Mary and will include the Beavers' and the Marauders' audio broadcast. Also, don't forget catch the Peacock Athletic Fund Pregame show with Steven Wilson by clicking on the listen live link above, or by clicking here. The pregame show will begin promptly 15 minutes before tip-off.

Late Rally Not Enough For UIU as SMSU Earns the Victory

 

 

 

Senior Jake Hughes led the Peacocks in scoring for the second straight game as he sunk six-of-seven shots against the Mustangs for 13 points

BY: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information (1/6/13)

 

Box Score

Upper Iowa men’s basketball head coach Brian Dolan sent his team one message after Saturday night’s game against visiting Southwest Minnesota State – get better or settle for a sub-par season. The Peacocks tied a season-high for points given up this year as the Mustangs came into Fayette and stole a 74-69 conference victory inside Dorman Gym.

“The kids have two choices,” Dolan stated bluntly after the game. “They can keep playing like we played this weekend – we’ll still win a few games here or there and have a solid season and everybody will be happy – or we can get back to practicing like we practiced before Christmas break, get back that attitude and see where the season takes us.”

Unlike Friday night’s game, which saw a slow start for the Peacocks, the first ten minutes of action saw two closely matched teams. Then, SMSU started to pull away.

Buckets by Vinard Birch and Jordan Miller – the Mustang’s leading scorer – pushed SMSU’s lead to nine, 26-17, with eight minutes left in the first half. Grant Lang responded for UIU with a three-pointer cutting the lead to six, but it was Lang’s only bucket from downtown in the game.

The Mustangs continued to attack the Peacock defense and made five trips to the charity stripe to close out the first period.

“They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect them to do,” Dolan admitted. “Our guys were just beat off the dribble all night long and instead of moving our feet, we just slapped at the ball.”

A pair of free throws from Miller sent SMSU to halftime with a 36-32 lead. Birch and Matt Zager both had seven points in the first period for the Mustangs, while Miller led the team at the break with ten.

“There’s a reason they went to the NCAA Tournament last season,” Dolan said. “[They came in here] 3-3 with two one-point losses. If the ball bounces a different way [in those games] they’re 6-1 right now. That’s why I said from the get-go, ‘Their record isn’t indicative of how good they really are. The sample size is way too small.’”

Jake Hughes led the way for UIU in scoring with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in that first period, but no Peacock reached double-figures and the team’s leading scorer Tucker Wentzien was held in check as he missed his only two shots.

“Jake played a solid game,” Dolan said. “But when Jake’s scoring like that, that’s not when we’re at our best. He had to carry us tonight.”

The energy just wasn’t there for the Peacocks to start the second period. SMSU extended its lead to ten two different times at the start the final period as UIU missed its first four shots and turned the ball over twice.

As Miller and the Mustangs extended their lead to 13 points, the Peacocks tightened up and rallied, trying to squeeze out the victory.

With 3:40 left, Hughes sank a jumper to cut the lead to six, 65-59. Then, he stole the ball away from the Mustang offense and Bo Pagel connected on a three from deep to cut the game to 65-62.

“We told them all day, ‘tonight’s about will. Whoever has the most will is going to win,’” Dolan said. “We saw in the last five minutes we had the will to win. If we played with that will for 40 minutes, maybe there’s a different outcome.”

The Mustangs made two free throws before Wentzien made his first bucket of the game and cut the lead back to three. It was too little, too late though, as Miller connected on a jumper and Tramel Barnes sank all four of his free throws in the final 1:13, ultimately sealing the victory for SMSU.

With the victory, the Mustangs improve to 4-3 in the NSIC and 7-7 overall, while the Peacocks fall to 5-2 in conference play and 9-4 overall.

“We’re just not in a great place as a team – we have guys who have forgotten what made us a great team,” Dolan admitted.

The seventh year coach knows this game will be a turning point for his team one way or the other. Either they pick-it-up and get back to winning basketball games with effort and intensity or commit to a sub-par year and leave each game feeling dissatisfied.

You may be able to spot the answer next weekend as the team takes a long trip to Minot State to battle the Beavers on Friday night.

Peacocks Sink Season-High 39 Free Throws In Home Victory

 

Sophomore Kierre Ogbonna filled in admirably for the injured Tucker Wentzien and Jake Shonka adding nine points, four rebounds, one assist and a steal from his post position

 

 

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information - (1/5/13)

 

Box Score

It was apparent the two-week holiday layoff affected the Upper Iowa men’s basketball team negatively from the get-go of Friday night’s NSIC contest with visiting University of Sioux Falls. The Peacocks missed their first four shots which led to 20-8 Cougar lead ten minutes through the first period.

As the jitters faded, the UIU offense started to click as the Peacocks made trip after trip to the charity stripe. The ensuing 39 free throws propelled UIU to its fifth NSIC victory this season, 71-62, over the Cougars.

“Those of us who have been around six or seven years know this program’s come a long way to beat a team like this and play as sloppy as we did,” head coach Brian Dolan admitted.

That sloppy play led to an early hole for UIU. The Cougars’ Keaton Moffitt nailed a three-pointer with 9:35 remaining in the first half as USF jumped on UIU, 23-10.

A layup from Joey Woods and a three-point play from Jake Shonka cut that lead down to eight. Two minutes later, Grant Lang intercepted an inbounds pass underneath his own hoop and drained the layup.

In all, the Peacocks finished the first half on a 28-9 run and headed into the locker room with a 38-32 lead at the half.

“I don’t think we were dialed in,” Dolan said about his team’s start. “I think we were ready to play. I think we had the energy, but I’m not sure we had the mindset of what it was going to take to get the victory.”

The Peacocks extended their lead to nine points two different times to start the second period, but the Cougars kept clawing back into the game.

“I think that was their game-plan – to make it a knock-down, drag-out game,” Dolan said. “They obviously succeeded because they controlled the tempo, controlled the pace and controlled the style.”

The Peacocks, who shot 41 percent from the floor in the first half, made only four total field goals in the second period. But it was their free throw shooting that helped them earn the victory. UIU sank 23-of-27 total free throws in the second period to seal the 71-62 victory over USF.

Seniors Sam Elgin and Jake Hughes both finished with a team-high 16 points. 11 of Elgin’s 16 and 10 of Hughes’ 16 came from the charity stripe.

As a team, the Peacocks netted 39-of-47 free throws. You’d have to look back to 2009 to see numbers like that.

Hughes and Elgin – who took an elbow to the face early in the game – were just two of the many banged up players for UIU. Senior Tucker Wentzien saw just 11 minutes of action – his lowest total this season. The Solon, Iowa native had just three points on 1-of-4 shooting, but now sits just 41 points away from joining the 1,000-point club.

“He’s got a broken bone in his foot and he’s got an infection which he spent all day Wednesday getting fluid drained from his knee,” Dolan said of Wentzien. “Sam breaks his nose, Jake [Hughes] has the flu, Jake Shonka’s been in a boot all week – we were told four to five weeks on Monday, two to three weeks on Wednesday and now he’s playing tonight.”

Shonka was a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe and was third on the team in scoring with 11 points, but the biggest story was the play of Wentzien’s and Shonka’s backup – Kierre Ogbonna.

The Brown Deer, Wisconsin native filled in for his injured teammates and provided a much-needed boost.

“Kierre is a spark and we’re excited to see him on the floor and see what he can do,” Dolan said. “He hasn’t played basketball competitively in a year and a half.”

Ogbonna finished with a career-high nine points, four rebounds – including two offensive boards – a steal and an assist.

“It’s Kierre’s fault that I’m mad at everybody,” Dolan said. “He outplayed everyone and he exposed our lack of effort.”

The win is the Peacocks’ ninth this season and fifth in the NSIC. UIU will play again on Saturday night as they host Southwest Minnesota State at Dorman Gym. Tip-off for that game is set for 8 p.m.

“We have a lot to work on before tomorrow night,” Dolan said.

Peacocks Host Cougars and Mustangs to Kick Off 2013

 

Riding a two-game win streak, UIU will look to keep its momentum alive against two strong NSIC-South opponents this weekend at home

 

 

 

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information - (1/3/13)

 

UIU Game Notes || NSIC Weekly Release || NSIC Forecast (MP3)
USF Game Notes || SMSU Game Notes

This Week in Upper Iowa Men’s Basketball... 2012 is over and the Peacocks’ 2013 schedule gets underway this weekend against two strong NSIC-South opponents. First, UIU will host the University of Sioux Falls on Friday night in just its third conference home game of the season. Then on Saturday night, the Peacocks will face a hot-shooting Southwest Minnesota State team. Both games are set to begin at 8 PM.

Peacocks Sweep in Hawaii... Playing in the historic Bloch Arena, the Peacocks found their groove early and often. UIU earned its largest margin of victory this season with a dominating 67-26 victory over Menlo College to open the HPU Basketball Classic. The Peacocks followed that up with another big win over the host Sea-Warriors of Hawaii Pacific. UIU scored a season-high 83 points to earn the 20-point victory and head into Christmas break on a two-game win streak.

The Series... USF and UIU have met only twice and both teams have a win in the series. Since the 2007-08 season, the Peacocks and the Mustangs have squared off a total of ten times, but UIU has managed just two wins in that timespan. The Peacocks last defeated SMSU during the 2010-11 season as they earned a 75-74 victory at home in overtime. The Mustangs hit a game-tying three-pointer to send the game to overtime, but senior Dan Bestul gave UIU the victory with his own buzzer-beating bucket from downtown.

 

Dominant Defense... Last season the Peacocks gave up an average of 71 points per game to opponents. So far this year, that problem seems to be solved. UIU is holding its opponents to just 60.9 ppg - which is good for third in the conference. The Peacocks have allowed only three teams to reach 71 points or more. Only one opponent has shot 50% or better against UIU this season.

 

Leading the Cougars... A.J. Holland (10.8 ppg, 44% FG, 35% 3FG, 2.3 apg) || James Rader (10.2 ppg, 53% FG, 3.8 rpg) || Derek Brown (9.7 ppg, 50 % FG, 50% 3FG, 2.1 rpg, 2 spg) || David Maxwell (8.8 ppg, 39% FG, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 apg)

Leading the Mustangs... Jordan Miller (15.2 ppg, 41% FG, 36% 3FG, 6.4 rpg, 3 apg) || Nick Smith (12 ppg, 56% FG, 7.3 rpg, 1 bpg) || Lavione West (10 ppg, 50% FG, 3 rpg) || Matt Zager (9.5 ppg, 62% FG, 46% 3FG, 2.9 rpg)

Senior Bigs Ranked in NSIC... Both Sam Elgin and Tucker Wentzien are ranked in the top-30 in the conference for their scoring outputs this season. Elgin holds the 27th spot with 11.6 pgg, while Wentzien is 13th in the conference with 13.7 ppg. Elgin is also ranked in free throw percentage and defensive rebounds.

Sights Set on 1,000... Speaking of Wentzien, the senior is only 44 points shy of the 1,000 point plateau. The Solon, Iowa native reached the 956 mark after scoring 16 points against Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 19th. Wentzien will become the 22nd member of the distinctive 1,000-point club. On Feb. 24, 2010 Matt Lesan became the 21st Peacock in program history to break the 1,000-point barrier for a career in a 66-58 loss at Winona State. Lesan finished his career with 1,383 points over four years at UIU. Jim Bushkofsky is the all-time leading scorer in Upper Iowa men's basketball history as he finished his four-year career with 2,194 points at the end of the 1973-74 season. Bushkofsky also holds the record for most points scored in a season with 855 during his junior campaign.

Up Next... After facing the Cougars and Mustangs, the Peacocks will hit the road. They will play at Minot State on January 11th, before facing the University of Mary the very next day. Click here to view the full scheudle.

Tune In... Don't forget to click on the live option links above to follow all the of the Peacock action live! The Peacock Athletic Fund Pregame show will begin roughly fifteen minutes before tip-off.

Big Second Half Pushes UIU Past HPU, 83-63

 

 

Senior wing Sam Elgin led the Peacocks in scoring with a game-high 19 points, while Tucker Wentzien (pictured) added 16 on 4-of-12 shooting and 6-of-0 shooting from the free throw line

 

 

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information (12/19/12)

 

Box Score

The Peacock men’s basketball team might have thoughts of moving all of their home games to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on a permanent basis as the Midwest preps for the first big snowstorm of the winter. Upper Iowa put together their second straight dominant win in the historic Bloch Arena defeating the host school, Hawaii Pacific University, 83-63,and improved to 8-3 overall this year.

“It’s our best start since moving to NCAA Division II and we're 2-0 on this roadtrip heading into Christmas break so I'll take it," UIU head coach Brian Dolan said.

Bloch Arena, which opened at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard in August of 1941, has hosted Elvis Presley, the Harlem Globetrotters and 1941’s Battle of Music. The Battle of Music’s second semifinal contest was held on December 6th. The final contest scheduled for December 20th would have featured the bands from the Marine Barracks, the USS Arizona, the USS Pennsylvania and the USS Tennessee. The contest was, of course, never finished. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, shortly before 8 A.M., the base at Pearl Harbor was attacked bringing the United States into World War II.

Wednesday's non-conference game against HPU was UIU's final game in Hawaii and final game before the Peacocks longest break of the year. But that didn't mean the Peacocks weren't sluggish to start the game. HPU’s Malte Ziegenhagen hit a three-pointer at the 8:41 mark in the first half to give the home team its largest lead of the game, 25-18.

The Peacocks responded and closed the first half on a 16-8 run to take a 34-33 lead into the break.

Two minutes into the second half, the Sea Warriors fought back again. Ziegenhagen, who finished with a team-high 18 points, hit a jumper to give his team a 37-36 lead.

Tucker Wentzien answered with a 3-pointer to put UIU back in the lead and HPU never led again. The Peacocks outscored their opponent 44-26 over the remaining 17 minutes to seal the big win.

The Peacocks shot 48 percent from the field and have now shot over 48 percent in five of their last six games. That hot shooting has helped UIU score 64 points or more in six of its last seven contests and Wednesday night was no different. The Peacocks earned a season-high 83 points against the Sea Warriors, who have held opponents to an average of 72 points per game this year.

“We just have guys making plays and making smart decisions,” Dolan said about his team’s hot shooting over the past month. “We have a lot of seniors and they know the ins and outs of this offense. Someone different steps up for us each night – that’s just the way our offense is run. One night it’s one guy, the next it’s another.”

Against HPU, it was a handful of guys.

After only playing 16 minutes against the Oaks of Menlo College on Monday, Sam Elgin was counted on early and often against the Sea Warriors. He played a team-high 32 minutes and led UIU in scoring with 19 points, shotting just under 50 percent from the floor. The Center Point native also collected five rebounds and dished out two assists.

“He was much better tonight about letting the game come to him and that’s what Sam needs to do,” Dolan said. “The less he tries to force it the better he does.”

Elgin was not alone. Three other Peacocks scored in double-figures including Wentzien who had 16, Grant Lang who poured in 12, and Jake Hughes who finished with 11 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting.

Defensively, UIU was led by 6-foot-4 guard David Smith, who recorded a team-high 3 blocks against HPU. Smith is now tied with Wentzien for the team lead in blocks with six.

“He does a great job for us and tonight’s really the first night we got him and Jake on the court together,” Dolan said.

Smith has been a bright spot for UIU on defense after transferring in from Drake University this past offseason. The redshirt-junior has seen valuable minutes against some of the best offensive teams around the country and he continues to impress. Against HPU Smith finished with six points on 2-of-4 shooting, while adding seven rebounds, four assists and a steal.

“He’s a strong kid with great lateral quickness and he understands his strengths and plays to them,” Dolan said. “The more comfortable he gets in the offense the better he’ll become.”

Smith also helped UIU hold onto the ball on offense. After committing the second most turnovers of the year on Monday against Menlo with 16, the Peacocks had only six turnovers against HPU.

“We had three or four of those in the first five minutes,” Dolan said. “It’s a process and we have to do a better job hanging on to the ball. That’s what practice will be for over the next couple of weeks – go back to the basics and continue to grow.”

The Peacocks will enjoy Hawaii for one more day as they soak up the sun and prepare for the holidays in style.

“We have a luau tonight, snorkeling and sight-seeing tomorrow and then a red-eye back home that night,” Dolan said. “The kids will go home until the 27^th and that night we’ll practice and try to get better. We need to rebound more consistently, taking care of the ball better, play good team defense and shoot the ball a little better. That’s what we’ll be working on over the break.”

The Peacocks will be back in action on January 4^th as they kick off the new year against conference-foe Sioux Falls. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Dolan hopes his team is even better by then.

“We have a lot of growth ahead of us,” Dolan said. “Teams get better every time they step on the court and our goal is to be playing our best come March.”

Peacocks Back To Winning Ways; Handle Menlo in Hawaii

 

 

Senior post Tucker Wentzien led the Peacocks in scoring with 13 points, but a total of 15 different Peacocks saw action in Monday night's game against the Oaks of Menlo College

 

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information - (12/18/12)

 

Box Score

After a full day of plane flights, hotels and getting settled thousands of miles away from home, the Upper Iowa men's basketball team showed no signs of jet-lag on Monday as they dominated Menlo College in their first contest of the Hawaii Pacific University Basketball Classic in Pearl Harbor. The Peacocks jumped on the Oaks early and often en route to a 67-26 victory at historical Bloch Arena, HPU's site for the tournament.

“Our kids played hard tonight,” UIU Head Coach Brian Dolan said. “We played well defensively in both the first half and the second half and I was pleased with the way the guys played offensively in the first half. We got a little sloppy in the second half, but overall, I thought we did a good job.”

A total of 14 different Peacocks scored at least one point for UIU, but it was senior post Tucker Wentzien who led UIU on offense with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting. The Solon, Iowa native also collected five rebounds, one steal and one assist in just 17 minutes of action.

“We got the ball to him early and he jumped started us offensively,” Dolan said. “We didn’t run a lot of different plays. We just tried to get better at our base stuff.”

Every set worked for UIU on offense, especially in the first half. The Peacocks outscored the Oaks 38-14 in the first period, their largest margin at halftime this season, thanks to a eye-popping 61 percent shooting performance from the floor.

The scoring barrage continued in the second half as UIU shot 45 percent from the hardwood, including 37 percent from downtown.

Joey Woods finished with a team-high five assists, while Jake Hughes was close behind with four. Hughes also hit on all three of his shots and collected a team-high six rebounds.

UIU's defense also showed up strong as the Peacocks forced 16 Menlo turnovers, nine of which were Peacock steals. Hughes ended with a team and game-high three steals and now has 10 total for the season, tying him for the team lead with Woods.

UIU held Menlo to just 20 percent shooting on the night, including seven percent from behind the arc. The Oaks had 14 points in the first half and only 12 in the second - both were season-bests for the Peacock defense.

With the non-conference victory, the Peacocks move back into the win column after dropping a seven-point decision to Augustana this past Saturday - UIU's only loss in December thus far. UIU now sits at 7-3 overall and 4-1 in the NSIC, while Menlo drops its fifth straight game and sits at 2-10 overall.

Despite the blowout, a coaches job is to critique, and that's exactly what Dolan and his staff did, whether it was with the starters or the subs.

“We still saw some things we could improve upon,” Dolan said. "A lot of different guys played for us tonight. It was good to get the bench some playing time to see what they could do. We had a lot of players score for us tonight also."

The Peacocks will be back in action on Wednesday as they play the host Sea-Warriors of Hawaii Pacific, who sit at 2-4 overall, but come into the game having won their past two contests.

“Hawaii Pacific is a really good team, even though their record may not indicate that,” Dolan said. “They’re playing well and they’ll present some problems for us just with the way they guard and play defense.”

Tip-off for that game is set for 6 PM CST. Click here to follow the live stats of that game.

Peacocks Drop First NSIC Contest This Season; Fall 71-64 to Augie

 

 

 

Sophomore guard Grant Lang led UIU in scoring with 18 points off the bench, while redshirt-junior David Smith (pictured) provided the spark plug to UIU's defense and transition game

 

 

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information  - (12/15/12)

 

Box Score

After starting Friday night’s game against Wayne State just the way they wanted to, the Upper Iowa Peacocks let off the gas in the opening minutes of Saturday’s contest with visiting Augustana. The Vikings jumped out to an early 22-7 lead and despite a big push in the second half, the Peacocks’ comeback fell short as UIU dropped its first NSIC game of the season, 71-64.

“It’s not about winning or losing tonight,” UIU head coach Brian Dolan said. “It’s about our lack of focus, mental focus, leadership and the whole nine yards. We had a lot of selfishness out there tonight and not the kind of selfishness you think of when you first hear the word. Just selfishness with our decision-making and it cost us the game.”

Up until Saturday, UIU had not trailed to a conference opponent at halftime, but Augie changed that stat in a hurry. The Vikings took a 38-29 lead into the break after shooting 53 percent from the floor in the first half, including 41 percent from beyond the arc.

Augie, which dropped its first game of the season on Friday to Winona State, kept up the intensity after the break. The Vikings built a 45-31 lead – their largest of the second half– just four minutes removed from halftime.

UIU fought back with strong defense and hustle-plays. The Peacocks went on a 20-8 run to pull within three, 53-51, with 8:30 to play. Two minutes later, Sam Elgin’s 3-pointer from the corner was off, but he was fouled in the process and converted all three of his free throws to give UIU its first lead of the night, 54-53.

Viking guard Cameron McCaffrey responded with two free throws of his own before Elgin and Tucker Wentzien hit a pair of free throws each. The Peacocks’ 58-55 lead with 4:47 left was their largest of the game, but it didn’t last long.

Augie hit a three to tie the game at 58, then three minutes later McCaffrey hit another from way beyond the arc to give the Vikings a 66-60 lead with just 47 seconds remaining.

“You have to play for forty minutes,” Dolan reminded his team afterwards. “We had a chance there at the end – we took the lead – and then as soon as we took the lead we took a deep breath and exhaled. As soon as we exhaled, we went right back to being sloppy and selfish.”

After making just 7-of-15 free throws through the first 36 minutes of action, the Vikings were able to seal the victory late as they connected on 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. The 71-64 victory gives Augie an 8-1 overall record, including a 4-1 mark in the NSIC. The Peacocks, on the other hand, fall to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play.

“I’m not going to sit here and dwell on one loss and press the panic button by any stretch of the imagination,” Dolan said.

At halftime, the seventh-year coach didn’t draw up any fancy plays or make brash substitutions. Rather, he challenged his team to simply play better, harder and with more intensity.

His team responded, but no two players had a better outing than sophomore guard Grant Lang and redshirt-junior David Smith.

Lang had 11 points in the first half thanks to 3-of-4 shooting from downtown. His hot shooting continued in the second half as he missed only two of seven 3-pointers all night. He finished with a team- and career-high 18 points.

“I really liked his game tonight,” Dolan said. “He was the one guy who probably played the most complete game. Imagine if he’d done that and other guys played solid – we’re looking at a different outcome.”

While Lang drove the offense, Smith did his dirty work on defense. He helped UIU’s defense hold Augie to just 9-of-23 shooting in the second half, helping UIU climb back into the contest. He was also a perfect 2-of-2 from the floor shooting and added two assists to his stat-line.

Overall, the Peacocks tallied 14 assists to just nine turnovers, but UIU was outrebounded 39-25 by the Vikings, including 14-6 in the offensive rebounding category.

“We have to grow from it,” Dolan said. “We’re not going to hang our heads on it, but you should feel awful. We have to bounce back, we play in 48 hours.”

UIU will have a quick turnaround indeed as they play on Monday against Menlo College in the Hawaii Pacific Tournament in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

“We have issues that we need to get better at,” Dolan said about his team’s trip to the Aloha State. “The light’s gone off and we have two games left before Christmas break and I think those will set the tone for the rest of the year.”

Fast Start and Big Rookie Contribution Propel UIU past WSC, 77-56

Freshman Post Jordan Hay provided a spark off the bench for UIU, earning six points, seven rebounds and four assists.
BY: Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information

Box Score

Upper Iowa could not have started Friday night’s game against visiting Wayne State College any better. The Peacock defense held the Wildcats scoreless for the first five and a half minutes and held tight throughout the night, while the UIU offense matched a season-high output with 77 points. Combined, the two resulted in a 77-56 victory over the Wildcats at Dorman Gym to give UIU a 4-0 start in conference play.

“It was a good win,” head coach Brian Dolan said. “We controlled it from the beginning, but I hesitate to say dominant.”

In a game where UIU never trailed, the Peacocks received contributions on the offensive side of the ball from ten different scorers, four of which finished with double-digits.

“Besides the first two minutes of each half, I thought our guys executed really well for 36 minutes,” Dolan said. “We had a lot of energy off the bench and our intensity level was there and that’s what we were preaching to them all week – it’s just nice to see them come through.”

Senior wing Sam Elgin missed his first three shots, but shook the nerves off and scored a team-high 11 points in the first half.

At the 10:26 mark, Elgin went to his post-arsenal and drew a Wildcat foul off a power move in the paint. He hit one-of-two to give UIU a 16-7 lead early in the game.

Sophomore guard Bo Pagel backed-up Elgin’s early play with back-to-back buckets with less than five minutes left in the first half. His second bucket was a three from downtown and gave UIU a 28-17 lead. Pagel had eight points on 3-of-6 shooting after one half of play.

The lethal combination of Pagel, Elgin and guard Jake Hughes, who had nine points in the first half, led to UIU’s largest lead at halftime this season, 38-26. Despite their 12-point lead at the break, the Peacocks kept up their intensity on both sides of the ball in the second half.

“We have five seniors that are playing, we ought to be able to handle a lead,” Dolan said bluntly after the game.

Down by double-digits, WSC switched to a 1-3-1 zone which confused UIU at times. The Wildcats cut the Peacocks lead to eight three different times in the second half, the last coming with 13 minutes left in the game. But UIU held strong and responded with strong passing and easy buckets, in large part due to a fresh face in the Peacock lineup.

Freshman Jordan Hay earned significant playing time in both the first and second periods and didn’t waste any time making his presence felt. The 6-foot-6 Stanwood, Iowa native earned one of his four total assists as he found Grant Lang under the basket for an easy hoop, then he nailed a hook-shot from eight-feet out to put UIU back up by 12.

A play later, Hay found Pagel open from behind the three-point line and Pagel drained the 3 to put UIU up, 56-41.

The defense did the rest.

UIU held Wayne State’s leading scorer Amry Shelby to just two points on 1-of-2 shooting, and allowed just six second-chance points from the Wildcats offense. The Peacocks also outscored WSC 38-24 inside the key, with a combined 15 points coming from Tucker Wentzien and Jake Shonka.

Overall, the Peacocks outrebounded WSC 39-27, including 11-8 in the offensive rebounding category. The Peacock offense tied a season-high with 15 assists, while they only turned the ball over 13 times.

Elgin led UIU in scoring with 17 points, while Pagel finished with 14, Hughes totaled 11 and Wentzien had 10. Hay led UIU with four assists, while Pagel, Elgin and Lang each dished out three.

LaTroy Wright led WSC in scoring with 17 total points, six of which came from the charity stripe on eight chances. No other Wildcat scored in double-digits.

The Peacocks will now try to keep their 4-0 conference record alive against Augustana Saturday night in Fayette. The Vikings entered the weekend a perfect 7-0, but fell to Winona State, 70-56 on Friday night in Winona, Minnesota.

Childhood Rivalry Renewed This Weekend in Fayette

The Wildcat's Amry Shelby and the Peacocks' Sam Elgin have been friends off the court for years, but remain rivals on the hardwood. They meet again this Friday night in Dorman Gym at 6 PM.

 

 

BY: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information

Upper Iowa, at 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the NSIC, is off to its best start in school history since moving to Division II play before the 2007-08 season thanks to a pair of wins over top-25 opponents. But the Peacocks have no room for a let-down any time soon. UIU will face two tough NSIC opponents at home this weekend in 6-2 Wayne State on Friday and 7-0 Augustana on Saturday.

For senior wing Sam Elgin, playing against the Wildcats brings added significance.

“I was originally going to go to Wayne State,” Elgin admits. “I was offered a scholarship there, but the head coach was fired not long after I went for my official visit.”

That’s when Upper Iowa and Peacock Head Coach Brian Dolan pounced on the 6-foot-6 perimeter-shooter out of Center Point-Urbana High School.

“I still had some games left and Upper Iowa started getting on me,” Elgin said. “I had a couple big games when Coach Dolan was there. That’s how I got affiliated with Upper Iowa.”

In high school, Elgin was friends with his teammates, but his closest friend – Amry Shelby – went to school 18 miles away at Marion High School.

“They were rivals on the floor, but they were very good friends and their parents became good friends,” said KC Tupa, Sam’s high school coach. “They went to open gyms together in Marion and up here. They just became really good friends and good competitors.”

By the time Sam was a senior, the rivalry between the two friend’s schools had heated up.

“When we joined the WaMaC, Sam’s class made Marion a huge rival for us,” Tupa said. “That was the team they wanted to beat because a lot of their friends played for the Indians. It didn’t matter the record of either team because everyone knew it was going to be a battle.”

Despite Sam’s decision to pass up WSC, Shelby committed to play for the Wildcats after high school. His decision did not force the two apart as friends, but rather heightened the rivalry between them on the hardwood.

No one fan knew more about this rivalry and friendship than Sam’s grandpa.

“[He] was our number one fan,” Tupa said.

Bob Elgin never missed a game, even when Sam was young.

“Ever since Sam was a little kid, no matter if it was soccer or basketball, if there was an athletic event then Dad was there,” Sam’s dad Don said. “In high school, he’d have his tablet with him in the stands and he’d keep track of his fouls, points and everything else. He’d then go to the coffee shop the next morning and everyone knew what Sam had done the night before.”

Grandpa Elgin always seemed to make his presence from the stands felt, one way or another.

“My grandpa was actually a really big inspiration for me,” Sam said. “He came to every single one of my high school games. I always knew he was there because he’d be heckling the refs. That was good to always have him in the crowd.”

Bob understood the importance of basketball for his grandson. That’s why when Bob was diagnosed with cancer in Sam’s senior year of high school he refused to change the status quo.

“We knew Dad wasn’t going to be around for a whole lot longer, but he wanted Sam to continue to play basketball,” Don said. “I think Sam wanted to stay around the Center Point area, but he wouldn’t allow it. He wanted things to remain the same and not for Sam to worry about him, which was awfully hard to do.”

That proved most difficult one weekend in early 2011 – two years after the diagnosis. Sam was traveling with the team on a weekend conference road trip. The team had just lost a close fought game at Augustana and on the horizon waited Wayne State and Sam’s best friend. That Saturday night during the shoot-around in Nebraska Sam received life-changing news.

“My dad called me during the shoot-around and said, ‘I don’t think grandpa is going to live past Monday,’” Sam relived. “I just thought, ‘Man, I have a game in two hours and I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”

Sam was so overcome with emotion he failed to finish the shoot-around with his teammates.

“Thankfully, Coach Dolan and Coach Bradley sat down and talked to me saying, ‘we’ll get through this game together and as soon as we get back, you can get home.’”

That night, the team rallied around Sam and earned a 60-57 upset victory. Elgin finished with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting and added two blocks and a steal.

Elgin returned to Fayette late Saturday night and made the journey home the next morning, just one day before his grandpa passed away.

“I’m pretty thankful I got to see him,” he said. “I think that’s kind of why I still play the way I do, because I know he would want to be here right now. I don’t want to short myself because he would do anything to still be watching me.”

Despite having difficulty talking, Bob cherished the final moments with his grandson by his side.

“The thing we always did was give fist-pounds,” Sam said. “The night before – Sunday night – I gave him a fist-pound and I knew that was probably the last time I would talk to him.”

The loss of Bob Elgin was devastating to all who knew him.

“When grandpa Elgin passed away it wasn’t just Sam’s grandpa passing away, it was everyone’s grandpa on the team,” Tupa said.

Tupa says Sam is still one of the hardest workers in school history with one of the best family-support networks he has ever seen.

“Sam was a gym rat,” he said. “He had unbelievable family support. His parents would always be stopping by to try to get a key to the gym late at night and his grandpa would be at half-court in the middle of the night watching Sam shoot.”

That tradition has continued for the youngest Elgin.

“I like to get in the gym and be the last one shooting,” Sam said. “In the past, I’ve seen guys who stay in the gym longer and they’ll shoot half-court shots or try to get dunks up – which is alright – but in reality, if you want to get better you have to shoot game-shots.”

That extra practice has paid off. His team sits atop the NSIC-South with a 3-0 conference record, but Sam and the Peacocks will need their best come Friday as they take on a Wildcat offense that averages the fifth most points in the conference this year with 72.6 points per game. WSU is led by, none other than Sam’s best friend – Shelby, who is fifth in the NSIC in scoring this year with 18.9 points per game.

All signs of this reunion point to a showdown – one that grandpa Elgin would be proud to watch.

Peacocks Look To Continue 3-Game Win Streak At Home

UIU Game Notes || NSIC Weekly Release || NSIC Forecast (MP3)
WSC Game Notes || Augie Game Notes
 

This Week in Upper Iowa Men’s Basketball... After four straight road contests, the Peacocks will return to Dorman Gym for the first and only time in December. UIU will host Wayne State College on Friday night in a battle of two strong NSIC-South teams. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 8 PM. The Peacocks will then face unbeated Augustana on Saturday night at 6 PM. Both games will follow the conclusion of the women's basketball game.

The Series... Since the 2007-08 season, the Peacocks and the Wildcats have squared off eight times. Despite earning a solo victory in each of the last two years, UIU has only beaten WSC a total of three times in those eight meetings. Augustana has a similar series advantage over the Peacocks. The Vikings are 5-2 against UIU over the past five seasons. The first of UIU’s two victories came in early 2010 over then ranked #18 Augustana, 70-67. The other came just this past season, 70-66, thanks to 15 points from Sam Elgin. Both victories took place inside Dorman Gym.

Peacocks Upset Two Top-25 Teams... One week after Tucker Wentzien stuck the metaphorical dagger into No. 9 Winona State’s heart with a reverse layup as time expired, Jake Hughes connected on a layup with just .4 seconds left against No. 20 Minnesota State. His clutch layup was the eventual game-winner in a 61-60 NSIC-South victory over previous undefeated MSU. After not defeating a single ranked team all of last year, the Peacocks have knocked off two top-25 teams in as many weeks.

Peacocks Perfect In NSIC... Upper Iowa along with St. Cloud State, Augustana and Northern State are the only remaining unbeaten teams in conference play this year. Each owns a 3-0 record in league play. Augustana and St. Cloud State are still undefeated with 7-0 and 6-0 overall records, respectively.

Leading the Wildcats... Amry Shelby (18.9 ppg, 2.5 apg, 46% FG, 45% 3FG) || Derrell Williams (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 57% FG) || LaTroy White (11.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 52% FG, 40% 3FG) || Ryan Rolfzen (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 41% FG, 10 blocks)

Leading the Vikings... Cameron McCaffrey (20.9 ppg, 3.4 apg, 47% FG) || Daniel Jansen (9.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 57% FG) || Alex Richter (7.4 ppg, 4 rpg, 37% FG) || Brennan Olson (6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 57% FG)

Scout Team... The Wildcats (6-2, NSIC 1-2) started their season 5-0 before falling to Augustana at home in the opening week of conference games, 72-66. WSC bounced back with a close victory over Sioux Falls, 55-53 at home before falling to visiting Southwest Minnesota State 74-73. Senior Amry Shelby, who leads the team in scoring with 18.9 ppg, continues his climb up the all-time scoring list at Wayne State College. The 5-11 guard from Marion, Iowa scored 31 points last weekend and now has 1,339 points in his Wildcat career. He needs 20 points to move past Dean Elofson for 10th place all-time. He has been the top scorer at WSC the last three seasons, averaging 13.8 points as a freshman, 13.9 as a sophomore and 15.4 points per game last season. Augustana is also led by a dynamic shooting guard by the name of Cameron McCaffrey. The senior from Portland, Oregon poured in a career-high 36 points in Augustana’s win over Sioux Falls last Saturday without a break. McCaffrey played all forty minutes and did the most damage in the second half. He scored 24 of his 36 points in the second stanza and hit on all nine of his free throws. In fact, he was perfect from the charity stripe all night, going 13-of-13. His 20.9 points per game leads the NSIC and ranks 28th nationally, while ranking eighth in the league with an average of 3.43 assists per game. McCaffrey has scored in double-digits in all seven games this season, propelling the Vikings to a perfect 7-0 start. He needs just 59 points to move into ninth all-time in scoring in Augustana school-history. McCaffrey currently has 1,451 points in his career.

Peacocks Ranked in the NSIC... Tucker Wentzien claims the 17th spot in the NSIC in scoring this year with 13.7 ppg. Sam Elgin holds down three spots in the NSIC. He is tied for 7th in free throw percentage, 11th in defensive rebounds and19th in the conference in total rebounds with 35 boards through seven games. Joey Woods cracked the top-15 in assists and steals this past weekend. The redshirt-junior is 12th in assists with 2.89 apg and 15th in steals with 1.29 steals per contest. Click here to view all of the conference stat leaders.

Up Next... After facing Wayne State College and Augustana at Dorman Gym for their only home games in December, the Peacocks will be off to Hawaii. UIU will be taking part in the Hawaii Pacific Invitaional for the first three days of next week. The Peacocks will face Menlo College on December 12th before taking on the host Sea Warriors on the 19th. Click here to view the full scheudle. Click on the live stats links to follow the action of those games and don't forget to account for the time zone change.

Tune In... Don't forget to click on the live option links above to follow all the of the Peacock action live! Zach Carlyle and Cooper Weidenthaler will be bringing you all the action live from Dorman Gym. The Peacock Athletic Fund Pregame show will begin roughly five minutes after the women's basketball game is completed.

Peacocks Knock Off Second Top-25 Team in as Many Weeks

Upper Iowa upset the No. 20 Minnesota State Mavericks in Mankato, Minnesota thanks to a last-second layup from Jake Hughes (pictured)

 

-Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information

 

One week after Tucker Wentzien drained a last-second, game-winning, reverse-layup against No. 9 Winona State, Jake Hughes stuck another dagger in the heart of a Top-25 team. Hughes received the in-bounds pass just in front of his bench with 5.1 seconds showing on the game clock. He used a high-screen from Wentzien to break free of his defender before driving to the right side of the paint as time clicked down. Hughes then released the ball - a high-arching soft-touched shot off the glass. He found nothing but net and gave the Peacocks a 61-60 lead with just 0.4 seconds left.

A last-gasp Hail-Mary by the home team failed as Hughes intercepted the Maverick pass at halfcourt and sent UIU home with a 3-0 conference record and the Peacocks' second victory over a top-25 team in the Division II rankings in as many weeks.

It was a severe case of déjà vu for Peacock fans who watched UIU upset the Warriors last Saturday night. This time though, it was Hughes who controlled Upper Iowa's destiny.

"I'm just so proud of Jake," head coach Brian Dolan said afterwards. "To see how far he's come in his four years here - it's just special. Every game he's played in, he's started, and he knows 200 times more than he knew as a freshman. I'm just proud of our guys."

The victory snapped a 14-game skid to MSU since the Peacocks moved to Division II play before the 2007-08 season, but it would not have been possible without a very fast start.

It seemed as if everyone in the offense had a hot hand as five Peacocks scoring in the opening ten minutes, but it was two early 3-pointers from Sam Elgin that gave the Peacocks an 20-2 lead over the Mavericks with just 11:55 remaining before halftime. UIU's defense did its part to hold the Mavericks scoreless through the first five minutes of action, before MSU found it's rhythm.

Assem Marei - the Mavericks big post - went to work against Wentzien and Jake Shonka in the lane and responded with 10 of MSU's 31 points in the first half. Wentzien matched blow for blow with Marei, though, as the Solon, Iowa native also had 10 points at the break.

At the half, UIU had outshot the Mavericks, 51 to 40 percent and had five more field goals than the home squad (15-10).

Both offenses were slow to get going in the second half, but it was MSU that struck first. The Mavericks went on an 18-11 run to start the second stanza and took their largest lead of the night, 49-46, with 11:24 remaining in the game.

UIU responded with a 9-6 run of their own and at the 6:01 mark the Peacocks had a 5-point lead, 57-52. Marei, Gage Wooten and Jimmy Whitehead all helped the Mavericks bounce back and tie the game at 59-59 with just over a minute left.

The MSU defense then forced back-to-back UIU turnovers and the outcome looked bleak. On the second turnover, Marei was fouled and he made one-of-two free throws to give MSU its final lead of the night, 60-59.

With just 5.1 seconds on the clock, a calm, cool and charismatic Hughes looked his teammates in the eye and took the game over. The senior hit the game-winning shot like he had ice in his veins.

His layup with just .4 seconds on the clock helped the Peacocks overcome MSU, 61-60. Upper Iowa improves to 5-2 overall with the victory and 3-0 in the conference. To make that 3-0 mark even more impressive, those three wins came on the road and two of them were over No. 9 Winona State and # 20 MSU.

Wentzien led all Peacock scorers with 17 total points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Elgin finished second on the team with 12 points. Elgin also snagged 7 rebounds, dished out two assists and added a block in 33 minutes of action. Hughes, who collected two Maverick steals and grabbed five rebounds, finished 2-of-3 from the floor for six total points - no two more important than his game-winning layup.

The Peacocks will look to keep their current three-game winning streak alive next Friday inside Dorman Gym in Fayette as they host the Wayne State Wildcats. Tip-off for that game is set for 8 PM.

---

Newspaper Box Score

Upper Iowa vs Minnesota State - 12/08/12 8 p.m. at Mankato, Minn.

UPPER IOWA 61, MINNESOTA STATE 60

UPPER IOWA (5-2 (3-0 NSIC))
Wentzien,Tucker 7-14 3-4 17; Elgin,Sam 4-11 2-2 12; Hughes,Jake 3-4 0-1 6; Woods, Joey 3-5 0-1 6; Pagel, Bo 2-3 0-0 6; Lang, Grant 2-8 0-0 4; Shonka, Jake 2-3 0-1 4; Smith, David 2-4 0-0 4; Hay, Jordan 1-1 0-0 2; Collins, Cedric 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-53 5-9 61.

MINNESOTA STATE (6-1 (2-1 NSIC))
Marei, Assem 5-11 7-11 17; Wooten, Gage 3-7 3-4 10; Whitehead, Jimmy 4-8 0-1 9; Monaghan, Zach 2-9 2-3 7; Brown, Lucas 3-3 1-1 7; Williams, Jarvis 2-6 1-2 5; Romashko, Zach 1-7 0-0 3; Hanks, Alex 0-1 2-2 2; O'Brien, Connor 0-1 0-0 0; Moten, Jaymeson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-54 16-24 60.

Upper Iowa.................... 35 26 - 61
Minnesota State............... 31 29 - 60

3-point goals--Upper Iowa 4-14 (Elgin,Sam 2-6; Pagel, Bo 2-3; Lang, Grant 0-3; Hughes,Jake 0-1; Wentzien,Tucker 0-1), Minnesota State 4-18 (Whitehead, Jimmy 1-2; Wooten, Gage 1-4; Monaghan, Zach 1-5; Romashko, Zach 1-6; Hanks, Alex 0-1). Fouled out--Upper Iowa-None, Minnesota State-None. Rebounds--Upper Iowa 34 (Elgin,Sam 7), Minnesota State 37 (Marei, Assem 12). Assists--Upper Iowa 8 (Elgin,Sam 2), Minnesota State 7 (Monaghan, Zach 4). Total fouls--Upper Iowa 20, Minnesota State 12. Technical fouls--Upper Iowa-None, Minnesota State-None. A-1102
Minnesota State ranked #20 in the latest NABC poll.

Men's Basketball Celebrates Sixth Annual Meet the Team Night with Dr. Tom Davis

 

-Steven Wilson - Graduate Assistant, Sports Information
Photo Gallery

The Upper Iowa University men’s basketball team held their 6^th Annual Meet the Team Night on October 21. The event was held in the ballroom of Upper Iowa’s Student Center where attendees enjoyed a social hour and a buffet prior to hearing from keynote speaker Dr. Tom Davis, former University of Iowa Head Coach, and Head Coach Brian Dolan. The team’s guests included alumni, family and friends and numbered 130 on the night.

Davis’ inspirational and matter-of-fact coaching style was on full display as he went case-by-case through his 36 years of coaching. The former Hawkeye headman cited three players who exemplified the underlying factors that make a good basketball player.

Davis first addressed the crowd about a young man named Kermit Washington. The coach first saw Washington in a pick-up game and was baffled with his work ethic.

“Kermit was the first one down the court, and he was the first one back on defense,” he said. “He wasn’t the best shooter or the best jumper, but we knew, with a little training, we could mold him into a great player.”

Davis recruited Washington to American University and the Washington, D.C. native became one of only seven players in NCAA history to average 20 rebounds and 20 points over the course of his career. But Washington’s one key attribute that really stuck out to Davis, wasn’t his talent, it was his willingness to do whatever was asked of him.

“He did everything the coaching staff asked for on and off the court,” Davis said. “If we asked him to get something done in the classroom, he would. If we asked him to do something in a game, he would. If we asked him to do something for a teammate, he would.”

Washington’s work ethic helped him earn the number five overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft and he went on to have an illustrious career with several teams, including the Lakers – the team that picked him.

Attitude was Davis’ next topic of discussion as he detailed the career of Ryan Bowen, his former player from the University of Iowa.

“When he was a freshman, Ryan would have to be taken out of the game every 45 seconds. He worked that hard,” Davis explained.

As his endurance increased so too did Bowen’s playing time. He was a star in the making, but Davis stressed that his attitude was his most important attribute.

“He always had a positive attitude,” Davis said. “He never complained about calls and shrugged off the bad ones. When any of his teammates had a bad game, it was Bowen who grabbed him. Every NBA team wanted this guy, and he’s now an assistant with the Denver Nuggets.”

Bowen finished in the top ten at Iowa in career blocks, rebounds and still holds the record in steals.

Davis’ third and final role model on the night was Klayton Korver from Drake University.

“You all know his brother, Kyle Korver,” Davis started. “Not a great athlete, not really strong, but he was a team player. Well, Klayton was a worse athlete, was weaker, and couldn’t shoot it as well. What set him apart, though, was his personality. He exuded confidence. There was a study given to Drake students asking why they came to the University and 100 people said Klayton Korver was the reason why and some of them had only met him once.

Davis tied the three examples together, “So my advice to the players here tonight is it’s about much more than winning. It’s not about how well you shoot or rebound. It’s about team chemistry. You’re going to go through good times and bad, but it’s how you respond. After a loss, who’s going to be the guy to get your mind on the next game instead of the last one?”

Davis concluded his speech with one final piece of advice, saying, “You’re only one or two injuries away from being a really good team or a really bad team. When things don’t go your way, rather than be critical, suck it up and move on. Good things will happen to you.”

Following Davis’ remarks, Head Coach Brian Dolan came to the microphone to deliver his thoughts on the year ahead.

“To the seniors, you have one big year left,” he began. “You’ve never been a college senior before, enjoy it and work hard. You can’t control everything, but your attitude, your effort and being a great teammate are all controllable things. It’s been an honor to be your coach and I look forward to this season.”

The night ended with players introducing their teammates to the crowd and some team photos with Davis.

The 2012 Peacock season begins on Nov. 11 when William Jewel College comes to Dorman Gym for a 1 p.m. tip. Prior to the season opener, Upper Iowa will play two exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents. UIU will face the Braves of Bradley University on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in Peoria, Ill. and the Salukis of Southern Illinois University on Nov. 3 in Carbondale, Ill.