Box ScoreNick Olson hit a 12-foot baseline jumper with 4 seconds left in the game to help lift Augustana to an 84-83 victory over Bemidji State Thursday night in the Sioux Valley Clinic Holiday Classic at the Elmen Center.
The Vikings (7-6) scored the last 9 points of the game after trailing 83-75 with 4:16 to play.
After Augustana trimmed the deficit to 83-79, Olson, who matched his season-high with 20 points, drained a big 3-pointer with 1:09 left on the clock to make the score 83-82
The Vikings stopped Bemidji State (5-7) on its next possession and got the ball back with 25 seconds left. Augie ran the clock down and finally
Marques Blank found Olson for the game-winner.
The Beavers had a final chance to win the game, but Augie's
Mike Klepatz knocked the ball out of Derik Hollyfield's hands before he could get off a shot.
The game was very tight and physical. It featured a technical foul on BSU's Stacy Pearson-Taylor and Bemidji State's Spencer Carter was ejected early in the second half for a flagrant intentional foul.
Despite the physical play, the was extremely close, featuring 10 ties and 16 lead changes.
Bemidji State, which defeated Augustana 83-71 on November 18 in Vermillion, S.D., began to pull away with 8 minutes left in the game. With the score tied 70-70, the Beavers went on a 13-5 run to take an 83-75 lead with 4:16 remaining. However, it would be their final points of the night.
The first half was similar. After several ties and lead changes, Bemidji State used a 14-3 run to take a 10-point lead at 34-24 with 5:20 to play in the half.
But Augustana reeled off 10 straight points to tie the game 34-34 with 3:12 left in the period. Eric Krogman keyed the rally with 6 points.
But BSU regained momentum with 8 unanswered points to take a 42-34 lead before settling for a 42-36 lead at halftime.
Augustana, which turned the ball over a season-high 28 times, shot a season-high 55 percent from the field. It was the first time in three games that the Vikings won a game after shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
The Vikings also capitalized at the free throw line, converting 26 of 34. The 26 made charity tosses matched a season high.
Two other players joined Olson in double figures.
Mike Klepatz scored a season-high 17 points off the bench, while
Ian Thomas, who scored 16 points in the first meeting against BSU, netted 15 points off the bench.
Will Watson led Bemidji State with 19 points off the bench. Hollyfield scored 14 points in a reserve role, while starters Duane Fields (13) and Alvin Muse (12) also reached double figures. Watson drained 5 of BSU's 13 3-pointers.
The Vikings will be in action again on Saturday when they host Bellevue University (Neb.) in a 3 p.m. game at the Elmen Center.
