SIOUX FALLS (Jan. 5, 2021) -- (RV) University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team, which opened 2020-21 with two home wins, will continue a season-opening four-game home stand by hosting (RV) Upper Iowa on Jan. 8-9. Game time is set for 6 pm on Friday, Jan. 8 with a 4 pm tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Stewart Center.

Where things stand -
USF, which is receiving votes in the most recent NABC national DII poll (23 points, just out of top 25), opened the season with a pair of nonconference home wins over U-Mary, 64-60, and 71-68 in overtime. All-NSIC forward Teathloach Pal averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in helping USF pick up the wins. Three players averaged double digits for USF including Chase Grinde and Jack Thompson at 11.5 per game. USF again showed team defensive strength and held Mary to 64 points per game, which ranks 12th in NCAA DII in defensive scoring. 

As for Upper Iowa, who also received votes in the Jan. 5 NABC poll, they also opened at home with two-high scoring victories, which included an overtime win against St. Cloud State. The Peacocks took a 107-84 verdict in the opener and then edge the Huskies, 110-106 in overtime on the second night. Five players averaged double digits with Jareese Williams leading with 19.0 and Lucas Duax added 18. Joe Smoldt, who averaged 17.5 points hit 7-of-16 from three for 43.6 percent.

Ticket Info

A limited number of USF fans (less than 20 percent of capacity of the Stewart Center) will receive tickets and be allowed to attend if they follow facility/university protocols. No season tickets will be sold. For ticket information, click here.

Follow USF Basketball live
Follow USF Men's Basketball on twitter at @USF_Athletics. All USF's home games and NSIC contests are streamed for free through Blue Frame on the NSIC Network by clicking here. Veteran announcer Tom Frederick will provide play-by-play for USF home games while John Gaskins will handle road games, which will be streamed on Blue Frame. USF Men's Games will be available on KWSN.com. Live stats for home games are available at www.sidearmstats.com/mbball.  

Scheduling information

Due to the CoVID-19 pandemic, schedules for NSIC have been altered. The Cougars will open with a nondivisional contest against the Marauders which are members of the North Division. And unlike years past, the Cougars will host Mary in consecutive games. The games will not be part of a doubleheaders but single games, a NSIC scheduling decision for 2020-21 only. After the nondivisional game this weekend, both the USF Men's and Women's Teams will play seven South opponents. When the men are home, the USF Women play the same opponent on the road and vice versa. 

USF-Upper Iowa Breakdown

The Cougars, directed by Head Coach Chris Johnson, has developed a tough, defensive mindset, which helped them win the NSIC South (22-8 overall, 17-5 NSIC) a year ago. A year ago, the Cougars led the NSIC by allowing just 66.2 points per game and ranked fifth in steals in the NSIC at 6.37 per game while ranking fourth in rebounds at 35.7 and a 7.3 rebound margin. 

This year, the Cougars are third in the NSIC (12th in NCAA DII) in defensive scoring through two games at 64.0 points per game. In the NSIC rankings, they also stand seventh in rebounds at 36.0 and second in rebound margin at 7.3. USF is fourth in the NSIC and 14th in DII in blocked shots per game with Teathloach Pal contributing 2.5 for fourth in the league. USF is first in the league and second in NCAA DII in steals per game at 11.0 (22 total) as Troy Houghton is third at 3.0 per game and freshman Wesley Oba fourth at 2.5 per game.  The Cougars also rank 14th in DII in field goal percentage defense; seventh in thurnovers forced per game at 20.0 (1st, NSIC) and 10th in turnover margin (5.0, 2nd NSIC). 

Offensively, USF is averaging 67.5 points per game and have five players averaging 8.5 points per game or better. Starters Teathloach Pal leads at 12.5 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds with his fellow All-NSIC teammate Chase Grinde providing 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. 

Sophomore point guard Jack Thompson is contributing 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds along with 2.5 assists per game. Thompson has hit a team-high 11 free throws on 14 attempts for 78.6 percent.

Newcomer redshirt freshman Wesley Oba is adding 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and hitting 66.7 percent from the floor (66.7 percent). Oba is also 6-of-6 from the foul line. Another newcomer freshman Jake Kettner is averaging 4.0 points and hit a go-ahead shot late against U-Mary in USF's 71-68 overtime win.

It appears to be a offense vs. defense matchup as USF-UIU tangle at the Stewart Center this weekend. The Peacocks opened with consecutive 100-point outings at home to go 2-0 after one weekend of play. They lead NCAA DII and the NSIC in scoring at 108.5 points per game but sit 15th in scoring defense at 95.0 ppg. 

Starting four guards, Upper Iowa is led by senior Jareese Williams (19.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg), UIU is third in the NSIC in field goal percentage at 49.7 percent and third in three-point field goal percentage at 41.2 percent. They rank second in made threes at 10.5 per game while USF is 15th at 4.0 per game. In addition, Head Coach Brooks McKowen (118-93 at Upper Iowa) has the league's top free throw shooting outfit (3rd, NCAA DII) at 85.2 percent. Despite their size, UIU is fifth in rebounding at 37.0. While USF is third in offensive boards at 12.0 per game, the Peacocks rank second at 12.5. UIU is also fourth in DII turnovers per game at 9.5.

In their scoring rampage at home against St. Cloud State, the Peacocks placed five players in double digits, led by Williams. Guard Lucas Duax is providing 18.0 points with senior Joe Smodt at 17.5, sophomore Jake Hilmer at 16.0 points and a lead-best 8.0 assists per game. UIU's only forward in the starting lineup, Dylan Jones, is averaging 11.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Cougars picked second in NSIC South

The Cougars earned three first place votes and was picked second in the South in the 2020-21 NSIC Coaches Preseason Poll released in late December.

USF has earned national recognition in the NABC Poll for three straight weeks, moving up to No. 24 this week. USF, which was 22-8 and 17-5 in league play a year ago, was also ranked 19th earlier this fall by The Basketball Times, a monthly print publication which has covered college basketball for more than 40 years. 

In the South poll, USF totaled 41 points and the three first place votes to finish just behind Augustana, which amassed 46 points and four first place votes.  Winona State was third with 36 points and the other first place vote. In the North Division preseason voting, Northern State picked up seven first place votes for 49 points. MSU Moorhead was second with 43 points and the other first place vote.

The NSIC / Sanford Health Men's & Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place Thursday-Sunday, February 25-28 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The top for teams from each division will make up the eight-team field for the 2021 tournament.  

Upper Iowa leads all-time series, 9-7
USF will meet Upper Iowa for the 17th time with the Peacocks owning a 9-7 overall series advantage. at the Stewart Center, the Cougars will look to end a two-game losing streak to the Peacocks. 

USF is 4-4 in home games and 3-5 at Fayette, Iowa. A year ago, Upper Iowa won twice a year ago, including a 68-60 decision on Jan. 20 in Sioux Falls. Chase Grinde had 14 points and nine rebounds while Teathloach Pal had 11 points and nine rebounds for USF. Jake Hilmer had 17 points and six rebounds for UIU. In the Peacock's  75-69 win at Fayette, Iowa, Pal had 16 points and 12 rebounds for USF, which was tied with UIU, 30-30, at halftime. Grinde had 16 points and Troy Houghton, 14. Prior to that loss, USF defeated UIU five straight times.  The wins included an 80-60 win at the SC on 2-16-19 and a 81-72 win at Fayette, Iowa, on Jan. 25, 2019. USF also had a 77-72 victory at Fayette on Jan. 5, 2018 and wins at home of 90-78 on Dec. 2, 2018 and 73-57 on Jan. 6, 2017. UIU's last win over USF in Fayette was a thriller, 78-76, on Dec. 3, 2016.    

USF receiving votes in NABC poll

(School, 2020-21 record, poll points)

1.	Northwest Missouri State	5-0	400	(16 first place votes)
2.	Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)	6-0	384
3.	West Texas A&M	1-0	360
4.	Colorado School of Mines	7-0	349
5.	Washburn (Kan.)	7-0	316
6.	Findlay (Ohio)	5-0	304
7.	Northern State (S.D.)	2-0	280
8.	West Liberty (W.Va.)	0-0	277
9.	Valdosta State (Ga.)	3-0	274
10.	Colorado Mesa	6-0	252
11.	Augusta (Ga.)	2-0	225
12.	St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.)	0-0	195
13.	Truman State (Mo.)	6-1	190
14.	Augustana (S.D.)	2-0	182
15.	Azusa Pacific (Calif.)	0-0	178
16.	Mercyhurst (Pa.)	3-0	177
17.	St. Edward's (Texas)	3-1	131
18.	Alabama Huntsville	4-1	122
19.	Queens (N.C.)	3-2	104
20.	Point Loma (Calif.)	0-0	97
21.	DBU (Texas)	3-0	89
22.	Missouri Western	6-1	85
23.	Fairmont State (W.Va.)	0-0	45
24.	Lubbock Christian (Texas)	4-0	37
25.	Hillsdale (Mich.)	3-1	29
Others receiving votes: Sioux Falls (S.D.) 23, Tusculum (Tenn.) 17, Seattle Pacific (Wash.) 15, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 10, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 10, Texas A&M-Kingsville 9, Missouri-St. Louis 8, Flagler (Fla.) 7, Walsh (Ohio) 6, Union (Tenn.) 4, Charleston (W.Va.) 3, Wingate (N.C.) 2, Georgia Southwestern 1, Upper Iowa 1