FAYETTE, Iowa – Winona State University's Kevion Taylor did all he could to help the Warriors overcome a slow first half on Saturday evening. The junior poured in 25 points to go along with a career-best 17 rebounds and seven assists, but it wasn't enough as the Upper Iowa Peacocks came away with an 84-79 victory as the teams opened their NSIC slate.

Winona State falls to 3-4 (0-1 NSIC) after seeing its three-game winning streak snapped by Upper Iowa (4-3, 1-0 NSIC).

The Warriors shot under 40 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes of actions due to a 3-for-15 effort from downtown. Winona State found its shooting stroke in the second half, and owned a nine-point lead midway through the frame, but the Peacocks prevailed, nonetheless.

The home team was able to out-hustle the Warriors to an 18-3 advantage on fast break points, and despite just six WSU turnovers, Upper Iowa made the most of those opportunities with 14 points.

It was a tight affair for the duration of the first half, despite the Warriors' struggles from downtown, with five lead changes. Neither side led by more than six points until the Peacocks closed the frame on an 8-2 run, including a buzzer-beater from three, to take a 43-33 lead into halftime.

The up-tempo game continued into the second half with the sides trading baskets until Winona State caught fire at the halfway point. The Warriors used a 14-2 run that Caleb Wagner capped with a three-pointer at the 9:02 mark to take a 70-62 advantage. Taylor knocked down a trio of buckets from downtown on three consecutive possessions during that stretch to give WSU momentum and a lead heading to the home stretch.

Upper Iowa stayed the course though and chipped away at its deficit over the next four minutes, taking back the lead for good at the 5:02 mark. From there, the Warriors were held to just three field goals, including a last-second basket, as the Peacocks hit a handful of clutch shots late to hold on for the win.

Taylor's big effort was supplemented by 19 points by Wagner in the setback. Alec Rosner and Luke Martens combined for 23 points as the Warriors continue to search for offensive depth.

Winona State returns to the road next weekend with a pair of conference games beginning on Saturday, December 7 at Augustana.