This Week's Men's Basketball Storylines:

END OF YEAR ROAD BATTLE: Winona State will be looking for better luck on its second road trip of the season than it saw on its first. WSU will be seeking its first road win of the season when it plays its last game of 2014 on Saturday on the road against travel partner Upper Iowa on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Dorman Gym in Fayette.
 
DORMAN DOMINATION: Under head coach Mike Leaf, the Warriors possess a 20-2 record all-time against the Upper Iowa Peacocks, including a 9-1 record against the Peacocks in Dorman Gymnasium.
 
REPEAT PERFORMANCE: The Warriors will be looking for a similar performance from their previous two meetings. Last season the Warriors scored 93 points in Dorman Gym – the most they put up in conference play – and earlier this season rolled to an 89-70 win over the Peacocks.

KEEPING THE BIRDS OFF THE BLOCK: In the last meeting, WSU outrebounded Upper Iowa 57-27. Isaiah Gray and Riley Bambenek led the Warriors with nine boards apiece while Kyle Bauman and Conrad Masberg each added eight.
 
GRAY AREA: Upper Iowa had no answer for Gray in the paint. Gray went 5-for-8 from the field, but the Peacocks struggled to keep him off the free throw line as well. Gray knocked down 17-of-19 free throws in what ended up being a career day from the free throw line and in general, finishing with a career-high 29 points.

PEACOCKS ON THE PERIMETER: The Warriors will need to be able to stop Upper Iowa from knocking down the long ball. In the last meeting, it was a successful endeavor as the Peacocks were only able to knock down 5-of-28 three-point field goals (17 percent).
 
HIGH SCORING AFFAIR: The last time Winona State played in Dorman Gymnasium, the Warriors came away with a 93-86 victory. The Warriors had six players score nine or more points, with Bambenek leading the way with 18 points.

SCOUTING THE PEACOCKS: Upper Iowa comes into the match with a 7-4 record and a 3-2 in the NSIC. The Peacocks have the most potent offense in the NSIC, leading the conference in scoring offense at 83.7 points-per-game. The Warriors will need to be extra cautious of Bo Pagel, the Peacocks leading scorer who didn't play in the last meeting. Pagel currently averages 13.3 ppg. Upper Iowa currently has four players averaging double-figures, with Grant Lang averaging 11.3 ppg, Jace Hanna averaging 10.5 ppg, and Jordan Hay averaging 10.1 ppg. The Peacocks are coming off an 83-67 non-conference road loss to UW-Parkside after splitting at home last weekend in an 89-78 loss to Minnesota State and an 86-74 win over Concordia-St. Paul.