Box Score
In an intense Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference dogfight, the Augustana men’s basketball team was able to battle back in the second half against Bemidji State Friday night in the Elmen Center and took home their fifth win in a row, beating the Beavers 82-74.
It was the Vikings third-straight NSIC win this season as the team sits at 9-2 overall and 3-1 in NSIC play. With the loss, the Beavers have lost two games in a row and are 3-8 overall and 2-3 in NSIC play.
The Vikings would get up by as much as 10 in the second have but with 1:01 left in the game the Beavers were pressuring and were within five points.
After a timeout, the team ran the shot clock down to one second, as
David Foster hit a three pointer to put the team up 80-72 and would put an end to any upset bid Bemidji had in store for the Vikings.
The game went back and forth throughout the night, and after the first 10 minutes of action in the first half, both teams remained in a tie at 20 points apiece in a tight back and forth affair.
The Beavers used solid three-point shooting to keep the score close going 3 for 4 to start the game from three point land and would continue to do so for the rest of the first half, shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc on 6 of 11 shooting.
The Vikings would take their first lead of the game since leading 2-0 to start the game, after a three pointer was made by
Marques Blank put the score at 27-25 at the 7:21 mark. After that, the lead would go back in forth, as both teams would exchange the lead eight times before ending the half with the Beavers leading 40-36.
The Vikings had a cold first half of shooting going 10-28, good for 36 percent, but solid free throw shooting kept them in the game, as they made 13 of 16 free-throws in the half.
Blank led the Vikings in the first half of play with nine points, going 4-4 from the free-throw line.
Eric Krogman scored five points and added a team -high five rebounds in the first half.
In the second half, it was more of the same as both teams exchanged baskets with one another until the Vikings would regain the lead.
The Vikings took over the lead for the first time since the leading 35-34 at the 2:55 mark in the first half after
Mike Klepatz made two free throws to put the score at 53-52 in favor of Augustana.
From that point on the Vikings would go on an 8-3 run and would not give up the lead the rest of the night finishing the game Shooting percentage.
All five Augustana starters would end the night scoring in double-figures, as Foster led all Vikings with 18 points. Blank would set a personal season-high with 15 points on the night, while
Lee Stephens and
Cody Schilling would put in 10 points and Krogman would finish with 13.
Off the bench, Klepatz would record 14 points in 15 minutes on the night.
After outrebounding the Beavers 28-25 Friday night, the Vikings have now outrebounded their opponent in every game this season. Krogman led the team with seven rebounds, while Stephens grabbed six.
The Vikings finished shooting 47 percent in the game on 27-57 shooting, while going 19 of 22 from the line.
Augustana will play a second NSIC game this weekend as they take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Elemen Center