BOX SCORE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Minnesota State Moorhead rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit and picked up a 77-72 victory over Augustana Friday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference basketball in Sioux Falls, S.D.
MSUM improves to 15-10 (12-9 NSIC); Augustana drops to 17-8 (14-7 NSIC).
The Vikings, who are No. 3 in the conference standings after Friday's games, can lock up the third spot for the NSIC Tournament with a win over Minnesota, Crookston tomorrow night.
Augustana got 23 points from
Cody Schilling.
Derrick De Zeeuw and
Leif Nomeland snagged 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
Tarell Clark finished with a game-high 27 points for the Dragons, who defeated the Vikings earlier this season in Moorhead, Minn. Alex Novak logged a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. He also added three blocks.
Augustana saw its 10-point second-half lead dissolve into as large as a nine-point Dragon advantage. MSUM scored 51 points in the second half after recording just 26 in the first.
The Dragons held a lead for the first eight minutes of the game, but the Vikings outscored MSUM 23-13 in the final 12 minutes of the half. Eight of those points came on Schilling jumpers.
Schilling led all scorers with 10 first-half points.
The Vikings led 34-26 at the break.
Augustana was quickly the owner of a double-figure lead four minutes into the second half. Nomeland's bucket at the 16:19 mark put the Vikings up 41-31.
The Dragons, though, chipped their way back.
MSUM took its first lead of the half with 11:26 left after Clark hit a 5-foot jumper to give the Dragons a 46-45 advantage. They would lead for the rest of the contest.
The Dragons maxed their lead at nine points with 1:47 remaining, but the Vikings made a hard attempt to spoil that comeback down the stretch.
Trailing 74-68 with 1:14 left, Augustana worked the deficit down to three points with 41 seconds left.
The Vikings had a chance to tie game with seven seconds left, but Nomeland's 3-pointer fell short, and the Dragons drained two free throws on the ensuing fouls.
MSUM shot 46.7 percent (28 of 60) on the evening. The Dragons also turned Augustana's 17 turnovers into 28 points.
Schilling's 23 points moved him into the top 10 on the career scoring list at Augustana. He now sits at 10th with 1,332 career points.
The Vikings finish regular-season play tomorrow in a 6 p.m. meeting with Minnesota, Crookston. Augustana's two seniors,
Chad Hettermann and
Adam Peterka, will be honored prior to tipoff.
