MANKATO, Minn. ---  The Minnesota State men's basketball team fell short of a comeback win late against Upper Iowa, ultimately losing 82-77.

The Mavericks and Peacocks each came out of the gate attacking the basket and the result was a bunch of contested shots and a lot of whistles in the opening minutes.  Upper Iowa was able to gain the early advantage 11-7 over Minnesota State with 14:20 remaining in the first half by converting a couple of tough layups.  Both teams struggled to score over the next few minutes as the Mavericks still found themselves trailing 12-19 with 9:31 left in the first half.  

Minnesota State started to find the range from the three-point line as senior Aarias Austin hit two and junior Charlie Brown hit one, sparking a 13-6 run that tied the game at 25 with 6:28 left in the first half.  The scoring opened up for both teams as they matched one-another basket-for-basket for the remainder of the half.   Austin hit two more three-pointers to lead the Mavericks with 14 points in the first half, which ended with a 37-37 tie. 
 
Minnesota State shot 48.4% from the field in the first half compared to 46.7% from upper Iowa and the Mavericks held the advantage in three-point shots made 7-3.  

Brown started the second half with his second three-point make of the game to get the scoring going early.  Fouls became an early problem for Minnesota State as they found themselves with six fouls, putting Upper Iowa in the bonus, with 17:30 remaining in the second half.  The Mavericks however were able to weather the early storm, and thanks to a midrange jump shot from Brown, held a 49-47 lead with 15:34 remaining.  The Peacocks, however, were able to take a lead due to their ability to penetrate to the basket and held a 65-60 advantage over the Mavericks with 9:59 remaining.  

The scoring didn't get any easier for Minnesota State as the Upper Iowa defense continued to play extremely tight, getting a number of fouls called on them, as the lead for the Peacocks stood at 72-68 with 4:52 left in the game.  I monstrous block from senior AJ Patty led to an opportunity to make the game a one possession game, but ultimately a charging call on Brown gave the ball back to the Peacocks.  Patty later hit a turnaround hook on the right side of the basket that brought the game to a two-point deficit for the Mavericks, 74-76 with 59.9 remaining.  

Upper Iowa responded with a layup underneath followed by Minnesota State's freshman Kevin Krieger nailing a three-point shot from the left corner to make the score 77-78 with 40.3 left in the second half.  The Peacocks were able to convert on a mid-range jump shot with 15.4 left and the Mavericks were not able to get a clean look at a three to tie the game, with Patty firing the potentially game-tying shot short of the rim.  Minnesota State was forced to foul after the miss, and Upper Iowa hit both free throw attempts to freeze the game and hold off the Mavericks 82-77.  

For the game, Minnesota State shot 50.8% from the field compared to 55.0% for Upper Iowa despite an 11-3 advantage in three point shots made for the Mavericks.  Brown led the way for Minnesota State in scoring with 17 points, with 16 apiece from Austin and Patty.  

With the loss, Minnesota State moves to 5-4 (1-3 NSIC) on the season and Upper Iowa is now 7-3 (4-0 NSIC). The Mavericks play their next game in St. Paul, Minn., on December 17 as they face off against Concordia-St. Paul before returning to the Taylor Center on December 19 to play Waldorf.    
      
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