BOX SCORE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Dakota State's Jordan King spoiled Augustana's chance at the go-ahead bucket with a steal with two seconds remaining to keep his team's one-point lead and help the Trojans pull out a 52-51 victory over the Vikings Friday night in Sioux Falls.
The loss is Augustana's first of the season and drops the Vikings to 3-1. DSU counted the game as an exhibition and stays at 5-3.
The Vikings had two chances to score on their final possession, but
Cameron McCaffrey's layup with eight seconds left was blocked by DSU's Spencer Adams and McCaffery was swiped by King six seconds later to secure the Trojans' victory.
The two teams combined for just three field goals in the game's final four minutes. Spencer's 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining gave the Trojans their final lead of the game.
Augustana shot just 31.6 percent from the floor in the loss; the Vikings also went 9 of 16 from the charity stripe.
Cody Schilling's 21 points and nine rebounds paced Augustana. McCaffrey added 17 points.
DSU got 13 points each from Mike Larsen and Spencer.
The Vikings trailed by one point heading into the break, but the two teams traded leads seven times in the first half.
Schilling netted 12 first-half points for Augustana.
The Vikings sluggishly opened the second half by letting the Trojans put together a 6-0 run. Augustana didn't connect on a field goal until the 12:14 mark when Schilling drilled a 3-pointer to bring his team within four points at 38-34.
The bucket served as a momentum shifter; the Vikings proceeded to go on an 11-0 run--aided by a trio of 3-pointers from Schilling and
Ethan Thomforde--and take a four-point lead with 9:28 left in the contest.
Augustana led by as many as five points with five minutes remaining, but DSU quickly knotted the contest at 49 with 3:48 left after a 3-pointer from Spencer and bucket from Larsen.
Schilling's layup with two minutes to go gave the Vikings a 51-49 advantage. Within their next two possessions, Augustana missed two free throws and two field goals.
DSU erased the two-point deficit with Spencer's 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining. The Vikings sent King to the line for a bonus opportunity with 32 second left, but the senior missed his attempt, setting up Augustana's failed attempts at the go-ahead bucket in the game's final stretch.
The win for the Trojans snaps a 12-game losing streak in the series.
The Vikings handily controlled the glass, outrebounding DSU 40-29.
Augustana opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play next weekend with trips to Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State, Mankato on Friday and Saturday.
