FAYETTE, Iowa – Upper Iowa's Carson Parker hit a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game to give the Peacocks a 94-91 lead and Upper Iowa escaped with a 95-91 win in a fast-paced affair. Jordan Spencer, who scored a career-high 34 points for the Vikings, tied the game at 91 with 5 seconds remaining before Upper Iowa (13-6, 10-3 NSIC) hit the game-winning shot before time expired.
 
Augustana is now 13-6 overall on the season, including 8-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
 
Spencer entered the weekend 37 points shy of 1,000 for his career and he almost hit the mark tonight. He registered his first career 30-point scoring game finishing with a career-high 34 points on 13 of 19 shooting, including hitting a career-high seven 3-pointers.
 
Spencer added eight assists, six rebounds and two steals for the Vikings. Steven Schaefer finished with 15 points and a career-high tying seven rebounds. Mike Busack pitched in with 14 points while Adam Beyer added nine points and eight rebounds.
 
Augustana shot 49.3 percent from the field in the game, hitting 33 of 67 shots, including 15 of 30 3-pointers. The Vikings finished the night 10 of 15 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line.
 
Upper Iowa had six players in double-figures, led by Carson Parker who scored 18 points. UIU was 50 percent from the field (33 of 66), including going 8 of 20 from 3-point range. Upper Iowa shot 80.8 percent from the free throw line, knocking down 21 of 26.  
 
Augustana opened up a quick 6-0 lead getting four straight points from Warren in the first 2:19 of the contest. The Vikings held a 10-5 lead before Upper Iowa used a 9-2 run to take its first lead of the game at 14-12 but Busack hit a 3-pointer end over a minute of scoreless basketball to put Augustana in front 15-14 heading into the game's first media timeout.
 
UIU extended its lead to 18-4 and the Peacocks built a six-point lead of 23-17 after Kam Rowan knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:15 remaining in the half. Steven Schaefer hit a triple to help the Vikings regain the lead at 24-23 but the Peacocks were able to regain and build a four-point lead.
 
Upper Iowa held a 33-29 lead with 5:19 remaining in the first half when Spencer and Schaefer hit back-to-back 3-pointers helping the Vikings take the lead back at 35-33. The two teams played to three more tie scores in the final 3:38 of the half before Spencer hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, including one just before the buzzer to give Augustana a 46-43 halftime lead.
 
Spencer led the Vikings with 17 first-half points finishing 7 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Busack and Schaefer each added eight points for Augustana in the half.
 
The Vikings shot 48.5 percent (16 of 33) from the field in the first 20 minutes, hitting 7 of 14 3-point field goal attempts.
 
Upper Iowa shot 41.4 percent (12 of 29) from the field and knocked down 4 of 7 from 3-point range. The Peacocks marched to the free throw line 16 times in the first half and used the stripe to stay on pace, hitting 15 of 16 from the line.
 
The Peacocks started out fast in the second half using a 9-0 run to take a 52-46 lead just over two minutes into the final frame. Spencer stopped the bleeding with his fourth 3-pointer of the night and the Vikings scored eight of the game's next 10 points to tie things up at 54 with 15:21 to play.
 
Spencer's hot-hand continued for the Vikings in the second half as he hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Augustana back in front by four at 60-56 with 13:02 to play, forcing Upper Iowa to take a timeout.
 
Upper Iowa didn't go away quietly, and the back-and-forth affair continued. The Peacocks scored 10 of the game's next 12 points to regain the lead at 68-64 after a bucket by Rowan. UIU extended its lead to six at 73-67 but the Vikings stormed right back to tie the game at 73 with 7:09 to play.
 
Upper Iowa led by as much as five twice in the final five minutes of the game but the Vikings fought their way back to tie things up at 91 with 5 seconds to play but UIU's Parker hit a deep 3-pointer before the buzzer and the Peacocks escaped with the win.
 
Augustana returns to action on Saturday night taking on Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota at 6 p.m.