BOX SCORE SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Cameron McCaffrey became Augustana's all-time leading scorer in an 89-81 win over Minnesota Duluth (8-19) in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night in Sioux Falls. McCaffrey led the 25th-ranked Vikings with 30 points as the Vikings won its first ever game in the NSIC Tournament.
McCaffrey passed his former teammate,
Cody Schilling, who scored 1,868 career points from 2008-12. McCaffrey now sits alone as Augustana's all-time leading scorer with 1,876 career points.
The senior also added eight assists and a career-high six rebounds in the contest.
Casey Schilling had a big night for the Vikings, recording his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both are career-highs for the freshman.
The Vikings, ranked third in the NCAA Central Region, shot a season-high 61 percent from 3-point range in the win, matching their season-high with 11 3-point field goals.
Daniel Jansen finished the game with 11 points and nine rebounds while
Alex Richter added 10 points, hitting 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Since joining the NSIC in 2008-09, Augustana has qualified for the NSIC Tournament every year, but had yet to win a game in the conference tournament before tonight.
Minnesota Duluth was lights-out from long range tonight as well, hitting 12 of 29 shots from 3-point range and shooting 42 percent from the field. The Bulldogs had four players reach double-figures in the game, led by Reece Zoelle's 26 points and Brett Ervin's 24.
The Vikings jumped out to an early 13-2 lead over the Bulldogs in the first three and a half minutes knocking down five of its first seven shots, including three from long range. Richter and Schilling hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions forcing the Bulldogs to take a timeout with 16:15 to play in the half.
Augustana pushes its lead to 20-9 over the next three minutes after
Jamall Taylor hit the Vikings' fourth 3-pointer of the first half and a basket by Huisken. UMD went on an 8-0 run over the next three and a half minutes to cut the lead to three at 20-17 on a 3-pointer by Zoelle.
Jansen hit one of two free throws on Augustana's next possession but Hottenstine answered with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs to cut the lead to one at 21-20. The Bulldogs used the 3-pointer to get back into the game as Zoelle hit his fourth and his team's fifth shot from behind the arc to tie the game at 25.
The Vikings gained back the lead going on an 8-0 run with Taylor knocking down two 3-pointers to make the score 33-25 with 5:05 left in the half. Twice the Bulldogs were able to cut Augustana's lead before the Vikings ended the half on a 7-0 run to take a 42-33 halftime lead.
The Vikings were lights-out from 3-point range in the first half, knocking down 8 of 11 from beyond the arc. Augustana finished the half shooting 50 percent (16 of 32) from the field. Augustana out-rebounded the Bulldogs 25-13 in the half, led by Jansen's seven.
Taylor and McCaffrey each finished the first half with nine points for the Vikings. Taylor was 3 of 5 from the field, drilling all three shots from behind the arc. Jansen added seven points in the first half while Richter and Schilling each pitched in with five.
The Bulldogs were 10 of 33 (30 percent) from the field, hitting 7 of 18 from 3-point range. UMD was also 7 of 7 from the free throw line while the Vikings hit just 2 of 7 shots from the charity stripe in the half.
Augustana jumped out to a 12-point lead at 47-35 with Huisken converting a 3-point-play getting a bucket and foul shot. The Bulldogs answered by going on a 16-8 run over the next four and a half minutes to cut the Vikings' lead to four at 55-51.
Schilling scored on consecutive possessions for the Vikings and his 3-pointer brought Augustana's lead up to 60-51 with 13:53 remaining in the game. UMD then went on a 10-3 run to cut the Vikings lead to two once again at 63-61.
The two teams continued to answer with 3-pointers. McCaffrey put the Vikings up by five with his second triple of the game but UMD's Hottenstine answered for the Bulldogs to cut the lead to two once again at 66-64 with 10:34 left in the game.
The Bulldogs were able to tie the score at 70 with 7:14 to play on a Brett Ervin layup. The two teams traded points over the next four minutes of the game before McCaffrey gave the Vikings a 79-74 lead with 3:47 to play. The basket allowed McCaffrey to become Augustana's all-time leading scorer.
Richter nailed a 3-pointer on the Vikings' next possession, pushing the lead to eight at 82-74.
Ervin hit two free throws three possessions later for the Bulldogs to cut Augustana's lead to six at 82-76 but the Vikings would ice the game hitting seven free throws in the final two minutes of the game to give the Vikings its first ever NSIC Tournament win at 89-81.
Augustana advances to the second round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament and will travel to Aberdeen, S.D. on Saturday to take on the North Division's No. 2 seed Northern State. A game time for Saturday's game has not yet been determined.
