Storylines
• Augustana men's basketball (7-5, 4-2 NSIC) returns to action this Friday and Saturday with a pair of road NSIC contests.
• The Vikings will play the University of Mary (2-9, 0-6 NSIC) at the McDowell Activity Center at 8 p.m. on Friday night.
• Augustana will then play its first ever game at the MSU Dome against Minot State (6-4, 2-4 NSIC) at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
• Augustana is coming off a three-game homestand in which it went 2-1, with wins over Concordia-St. Paul (79-70) on Dec. 13 and Wayne State (77-55) on Dec. 21. The lone loss was an 86-81 setback to No. 17 Minnesota State.
Last time out
• Augustana completed a regular-season sweep of Wayne State as the Vikings defeated the Wildcats 77-55 on Dec. 21 heading into the winter break.
•
Daniel Jansen and
Casey Schilling each recorded a double-double in the win as Jansen led all players with 18 points.
• Augustana started off the night slow, missing its first nine field goals of the game, but used a fast start in the second to erase a halftime deficit and complete the comeback.
• Augustana shot 56 percent from the field in the second half after hitting 9 of 29 (31 percent) from the field in the first half.
•
Yuriy Malashenko and
Evan Pierce both pitched in with 11 points.
• Augustana had a season-high 44 points in the paint and out-rebounded Wayne State 42-32.
About Augustana
• Augustana is 7-5 on the season and is has scored 79.0 points per game.
• Augustana has allowed 69.1 points per game this season and holds a +9.9 scoring margin.
• The Vikings have shot 45 percent from the field, including 36.5 percent (95 of 260) from 3-point range.
• The Vikings are shooting 73 percent (211 of 289) from the free throw line as a team.
• Augustana has grabbed 37.1 rebounds per game and holds a +3.4 rebound margin through 12 games.
• The Vikings are averaging 12.3 turnovers and own a +1.8 turnover margin.
About University of Mary
• The University of Mary enters the weekend at 2-9 on the season, including 0-6 in NSIC play.
• The Marauders have lost nine straight games heading into this weekend.
• U-Mary's last win came on Nov. 16, a 75-61 win over Presentation College.
• U-Mary is coming off a 71-49 home loss to Minot State on Dec. 20.
• The Marauders are averaging 68 points and 32.9 rebounds per game.
• U-Mary is shooting 45 percent from the field, 32.2 percent from 3-point range and 63.9 percent from the free throw line.
• Marc Musungayi leads U-Mary in scoring (10.9 points per game) and rebounding (5.6 rebounds per game).
• Devan Douglas averaged 10.4 points and is shooting 59 percent (49 of 83) from the field for U-Mary.
• Jevin Budde is in his third season as the head coach at U-Mary and owns a career record of 14-50 (all at U-Mary).
About Minot State
• Minot State is 6-4 on the season, including 2-4 in the NSIC.
• Both of Minot State's NSIC wins are over U-Mary, including a 71-49 win in Bismarck on Dec. 20.
• The Beavers are averaging 75.3 points and 39.7 rebounds per game.
• Minot State is shooting 43.7 percent from the field, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range.
• Minot State is shooting 74.2 percent from the free throw line.
• E.J. Williams leads Minot State in scoring with 16.8 points per game and is shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Samuel Johnson is averaging 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds for Minot State.
• Matt Murken is in his second season as the head coach at Minot State.
• Murken owns a career record of 62-37, including 16-21 at Minot State.
• Murken spent two seasons as the head coach at Jamestown College where he posted a 46-16 record.
Series history
• Friday night will be the 14th meeting between Augustana and the University of Mary.
• Augustana is 8-5 all-time against the Marauders.
• The Vikings have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.
• Augustana is 2-3 all-time at the McDowell Activity Center.
• This is Augustana's first game in Bismarck since Dec. 9, 2011.
• Saturday will mark just the third ever meeting between Augustana and Minot State.
• Augustana is 2-0 in the two previous meetings, winning the first meeting 105-67 in Sioux Falls on Nov. 21, 1999.
• Last season, Augustana defeated Minot State, 72-70, at the Elmen Center in the first ever meeting as conference opponents.
• This will be Augustana's first ever game played at the MSU Dome in Minot, N.D.
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