By: Steven Wilson – Graduate Assistant, Sports Information
Records
Upper Iowa (9-12, 7-8 NSIC) || MSU Moorhead (14-5, 10-5 NSIC)
Recap
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Head Men's Basketball Coach
Brooks McKowen picked up his first signature win in the Northern Sun Conference on Saturday night, but it took an overtime period to do it. The Peacocks and Dragons of MSU Moorhead were even for 40 minutes, but MSUM struggled to stop
Joey Woods, who finished with a career-high 40 points on 13-of-22 shooting, as the Peacocks earned the upset on the road, 109-106, in overtime.
Woods scored the final four points for UIU in regulation, sending the game into overtime tied at 90-90, before adding the final five points for the Peacocks in overtime. No other player in the league has scored more than 35 in a single game this season.
Woods, who played most of the second half in foul trouble, had two chances to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. He made the most of them. With his team down by four and just 36 seconds left, the Naples, Florida native tied the game at 90-90 with back-to-back layups. MSUM had one final shot in overtime, but it fell short.
The overtime period featured four early ties, but eventually the Dragons took a four-point lead. With just 40 seconds left,
Grant Lang answered with a three, but MSUM hit both of their ensuing free throws to retake a three-point lead. Lang headed to the line with his team down by three and the junior from Ankeny, Iowa hit both of his chances. Lang had ten of the Peacocks' 19 points in overtime, but it wasn't Lang who shined brightest on this night.
The Peacocks sent the Dragons to the line and once again, MSUM suffered from poor free-throw shooting. After two misses, Woods continued his dominant play as he drove to the hoop and was fouled. His first free throw tied the game for the 17th time, while his second gave UIU its first lead of the overtime period.
The Dragons' drew a foul and made both of their free throws, but Woods wasn't done yet.
With just nine seconds left, Woods wasted no time driving to the hoop, earning the foul and connecting on the layup. He hit the ensuing free throw to seal the two-point victory for his team. UIU shot 43-percent from the floor, but hit a season-high 36 free throws in the 109-107 victory.
The Peacocks were in trouble early, but responded admirably. After falling behind by six, 14-8, four minutes into the game, the Peacocks bounced back as they always have – with triples.
Bo Pagel ignited a 14-8 run for UIU – a spurt capped by back-to-back trifectas from Lang as the Peacocks took a 22-18 with 13:05 left in the first half.
Two minutes later, Pagel struck again. His second triple of the game helped UIU inch out to a 27-20 lead, but it didn't last very long. MSUM used the next four minutes to go on a 13-2 run capped by a Tarrell Clark layup.
Now trailing 33-29, the Peacocks needed a boost.
Joey Woods responded almost immediately with a drive and bucket. Lang then pulled UIU ahead with his third long-ball of the game, 34-33, but again it didn't last.
The Dragons used a pair of buckets from Clark and a trey from Tyler Vaughan to retake the lead before extending that lead to six points, 42-36, with three minutes left in the opening stanza.
In the highest-scoring first half of the season, the Peacocks had one more burst in them before halftime. UIU used two and a half minutes to outscore their hosts, 11-3, before MSUM tied the game with two free throws from Vaughan. UIU shot 45-percent in the first half and 46-percent from beyond the arc, but the Peacocks couldn't slow down the Dragon attack. MSUM, which had eight players score in the opening half, totaled a 54-percent shooting clip.
The Dragons kept their foot on the gas early in the second half and a big reason why was Clark. The 6-foot-3 senior guard gave the Peacocks fits as he racked up a double-double early in the second half. His put-back at the 18:42 mark gave MSUM a two-point lead, 51-49. Five minutes and a UIU timeout later, the Dragons had extended that lead to twelve, 63-51 – their largest lead of the game.
The Peacocks had a comeback up their sleeve though.
Kierre Ogbonna earned an offensive rebound down low and earned a put-back bucket before
Luke Lenhart hit his first three of the game. The duo's offensive production ignited a 12-5 run for the Peacocks, in large part because of Ogbonna. The Brown Deer, Wisconsin native earned seven of his nine points during that run.
The Dragons hit a trio of free throws before UIU exploded again. This time, it was
Jimmy Roth who propelled the Peacocks on a 7-0 run, which included two UIU steals. Roth pick-pocketed the Dragons at the 9:28 mark gave him a free run to the hoop. His dunk pulled the visitors within one, 71-70.
Two and a half minutes later, Ogbonna ensured a one-point deficit as he stole another Dragon pass and converted his two ensuing freebies from the charity stripe. A defensive stand later, Roth gave UIU its first lead, 76-75, since the 19:12 mark of the second period. After a bucket from
Jace Hanna and two more free throws from Roth, Woods hit back-to-back buckets to give UIU its largest lead of the second half, 84-78, but the Dragons bounced right back. Five straight points from Malik Woods and another three from Vaughan tied the game at 84-84.
All knotted up for the 12th time, the Peacocks went back to their senior guard. Woods delivered with a step-back jumper, but the Dragons answered right back with a three from the right wing. MSUM hit another bucket, this one a two, to go up by three, 89-86, with 1:33 left in regulation.
The Peacocks were forced to foul and it paid off. MSUM, which hit just 59-percent of their free throw attempts, missed three of four free throws in the final two minutes of regulation. UIU was still alive. The Peacocks outscored MSUM 24-17 in the final five and a half minutes of play en route to the victory. UIU has now defeated MSUM two straight times and own a one-game lead, 8-7, in the series dating back to 2006.
Stat of the Game
Joey Woods' previous career-high came earlier this year as he scored 26 points against U-Mary back on the 11th of Jan.
UIU Standouts
Woods (40 points, 13-of-15 FTs, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal), Lang (21 points, 5-of-8 3FG, 2 assists), Roth (18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals), Pagel (12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists), Ogbonna (11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals)
Up Next
The Peacocks will look for another NSIC-North upset on the road as they head to Aberdeen, South Dakota to take on the Wolves of Northern State at 7 p.m.