SIOUX FALLS – Trevon Evans tied a career-high with 31 points and led University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball (7-1, 3-0 NSIC) to a fourth straight victory by rallying for a 90-78 decision over Upper Iowa (6-5, 0-3 NSIC) in NSIC action at the Stewart Center before 774 in attendance on Saturday.

With the victory, USF is 7-1 and off to its best start since 2006-07. The Cougars also sit 3-0 and in first place in the NSIC South. USF is 3-0 in the NSIC for the first time since joining the league in 2012.  

After trailing by 13 points (36-23) late in the first half (3:36), the Cougars put together their most productive second half of the season and outscored UIU, 60-41, as they rallied for the win.

Evans, who scored 27 of his game-high 31 points in the second half, played a lead role. Evans, a junior guard from Wichita, Kan., was just 1-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-3 from distance, in the first half and had four points. Things were different for the guard in the second half as he knocked in 8-of-10 field goals and made two of his three treys. Additionally, Evans, who was 9-of-9 at the charity stripe after the halftime break, grabbed seven rebounds, dished three assists and had two steals.

"Early on Drew (Guebert) was in foul trouble and we were having issues putting the ball in the basket. But the one great thing about this team is their drive and focus and never giving up," said USF head coach Chris Johnson, whose team now has won five games after trailing at halftime, including the last three.

"Overcoming halftime deficits isn't the normal way to success. But it seems our guys have found a second gear in the second half. Tonight, we had a tremendous team effort with contributions all over the place. Trevon made some really crucial shots as did Drew, Zach (Wessels) and Jerrod (Walton) and nearly everyone who played," he said.

Guebert, who was saddled with a pair of early fouls, finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. With 42 points this weekend, Guebert, a junior from Apple Valley, Minn., became the 32nd player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points. And, he has done it in just 69 games. In addition, the junior has 11 straight double digit scoring games dating to a year ago and 48 in his career.

Senior guard Jerrod Walton also reached double digits with 16 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing three assists. Zach Wessels, who has made 12-of-14 shots this weekend, added 10 points along with eight rebounds and two assists.

A key factor for USF was its work on the boards and the ability to convert free throws. The Cougars, which rank ninth in the country in rebound margin (12.7 RPG), had a commanding 44-to-29 edge on the boards. Of that total, reserve forward Austin Slater, who had five points, including his first career three-pointer, had a game-high nine rebounds, including three off the offensive glass.

With their dominance on the board, USF had a 15-to-4 edge in second chance points, which proved pivotal as the Cougars used their opportunities to sustain drives during their rally.

At the foul line, USF was 29-of-34 with Walton knocking down 10-of-10, Evans converting 10-of-11 and Guebert knocking down 7-of-10. In a game with 47 fouls, USF used a big edge at made free throws (29-to-15).

For the seventh time this season, USF out-shot its opponents, hitting 27-of-58 for 46.6 percent while UIU was 27-of-62 for 43.5 percent. The Peacocks were led by Carson Parker who had 27 points before fouling out.

Game Breakdown –
Walton made a pair of free throws and converted a drive to the basket to give USF a 4-2 lead just 18:29 into the game. The quick start to the game for the Cougars was energized when Slater knocked in a three-pointer for a 13-6 lead with 15:57 to play. However, UIU had the answer, going on a 15-0 run as Jareese Williams, who had 13 points on the night, hit back-to-back threes as the Peacocks took a 21-13 lead (11:36).

An offensive rebound and put back by Tristan Teichmeier and a three from Aaron Rothermund enabled the Cougars to stay close at 23-18 (9:52). But UIU used five points from Parker to key a 13-6 run and a 36-23 lead with 3:36 to play.

Facing an uphill battle, Johnson rolled the dice and put Guebert back into the game despite his two fouls. It was a productive move as Guebert had five straight points to draw the Cougars within 36-27 at the 2:04 mark. And, then Evans, who had scored just one point, began his resurgence by hammering in a three-pointer to close the scoring in the half and help USF pull within 37-30 at the break.

The Peacocks increased their lead to 39-30 on a foul shot by Parker before the Cougars began their comeback. Lay-ups from Wessels, Walton and Evans keyed an 11-2 run as USF pulled into a 41-41 tie at the 16:47 mark. Over the next four minutes, both team traded points as UIU made hay with seven free throws while USF converted jumpers as the game was even at 50 with 12:57 to go. 

After that back-and-forth, USF was able to create some separation as a three from Guebert and two foul shots from both Evans and Walton gave USF a 57-50 lead at the 12:03 mark.

Yet on this night when the lead would change five times with seven ties, the Peacocks rallied as two foul shots from Joe Smoldt drew UIU within 63-62 at the 9:07 mark.
USF responded with seven points from Guebert to take a 72-66 lead and seven minutes to play. Back came the Peacocks with an 8-0 run, including a lead-changing three from Parker (4:55) for a 74-72 lead.

The Cougars responded as Tom Aase's two foul shots tied the game. After Wessels' driving lay-up gave USF the lead for good at 76-75, Evans took over and took the Cougars home. Over the final 3:39, he scored 10 points with his two fouls shots with 37 seconds left pushing USF's lead to 88-78. When Walton made two free throws for the final points (90-78), USF recorded its second straight win over the Peacocks.

Next for USF will be a road trip north as the Cougars face St. Cloud State on Dec. 8 before heading to Minnesota-Duluth for a game on Dec. 9.   
 
Notes –
~ With their total against Upper Iowa, USF now has scored 90 points or more five times and continue to lead the lead in scoring at 88.0 per game
~ The Cougars improved on their top 10 national rebound margin, moving it to 12.9 (42.1 to 29.3)
~ USF is hitting 49.3 percent from the field (247-of-501) and 41 percent from three point range (59-of-144)
~ Evans has scored in double digits in seven of eight games while Guebert has double figures eight straight times this season
~ USF is averaging 4.0 blocks and 4.3 steals per game while owning a 13.3 scoring margin (88.0-to-74.8)