MARSHALL, Minn. – Kenny Byers' 12 points in the final 2:43 would not be enough, as the Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team's (6-4 overall, 2-3 NSIC) late rally would fall short in an 82-80 loss at the hands of Upper Iowa (9-1, 4-1) in an NSIC clash inside the R/A Facility on Saturday afternoon. 
 
Upper Iowa closed the game shooting 49 percent (29 of 59) from the field, including 8 of 18 from 3-point range. The Peacocks were lead by Jareese Williams, whose 22 points and six rebounds would help lead UIU to victory.
 
SMSU had five players reach double figures in scoring, led by Byers, who finished with a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds. Jake Phipps would be a presence inside, going for 15 points and six rebounds while collecting three blocks. Anthony Costello would score 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Cliff McCray and Dunwa Omot would each add 10 points and five rebounds for the Mustangs.
 
SMSU finished the game shooting 52 percent (30 of 58) from the field while outrebounding the Peacocks 37-28, but shot just 29 percent (4 of 14) from three point range.
 
UIU would come out hot, shooting 5 of 6 to take a 13-6 lead in the first 3:23 of the game. The Peacocks would grow the lead to 33-25 at the 5-minute mark, but an 8-2 rally in three minutes, capped by a Grant Kramer three-pointer would inch the Mustangs within a bucket, trailing 35-33.
 
UIU would respond with an 8-2 run of their own in the final 1:41 of the first half to grow their lead back to eight, going into the locker room with a 43-35 lead.
 
The Peacocks made four 3-pointers and shot 52 percent in the first half, while the Mustangs would make only one three pointer and shoot 48 percent.
 
 The second half would go over 17 minutes of even basketball, with UIU answering every rally put forth by SMSU. Each team would shoot at least 50 percent from the field in that span, with Byers and Omot combining for 15 of 32 SMSU points, and Williams scoring 12 of 33 UIU points.
 
With UIU leading 77-68 with 2:43 left in the game, Byers would pick up the scoring pace, scoring all nine points to fuel a 9-2 Mustang run in 86 seconds to cut UIU's lead to 79-77 with 1:17 to go in the game.
 
Byers would collect a rebound with 33 seconds to go, giving SMSU the ball with the game on the line. Following a timeout, Byers would take it into his own hands, missing a shot near the rim with heavy contact as the rebound would bounce out of bounds off of SMSU.
 
UIU would go 1 for 2 at the line with 10 seconds to go to take an 80-77 lead, and foul Byers with six seconds left in the game to send him to the line.
 
Byers missed the front end of a one-and-one, and UIU would grab the rebound before making a pair of free throws at the other end to put the game out of reach at 82-77 with four seconds to go. Byers would bank in a three at the buzzer, but it wouldn't be enough.
 
Southwest Minnesota State hits the road next weekend, playing at Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, Dec. 17 before going to Mankato to face Minnesota State on Saturday, Dec. 18.