SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 12 Augustana men's basketball returns home for a pair of crucial Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games this Friday and Saturday. Augustana opens the weekend taking on Concordia-St. Paul (8-5, 4-3 NSIC) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9 at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Vikings will then welcome No. 16 Minnesota State (11-2, 6-1 NSIC) for a battle between the top two teams in the South Division at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Vikings enter the weekend at 13-1 on the season and 7-1 in the NSIC and are tied for first in the overall standings with MSU Moorhead. A win on Friday would match the best start in school history joining the 1987-88 and 1933-34 teams who started their season's 14-1.  
 
Storylines
• Augustana entered the weekend ranked No. 12 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll.
• The Vikings entered the weekend with a record of 13-1 overall, including 7-1 in the NSIC South Division.
• Augustana is tied for first overall in the NSIC standings at 7-1 with MSU Moorhead.
• The Vikings hold a one-game lead in the South Division standings over Minnesota State.
•  Augustana ranks second in the NSIC and 33rd in the country averaging 84.3 points per game.
• The Vikings have out-scored their opponents by 18.4 points per game, which ranks second in the NSIC and 10th in the country.
• Augustana has out-rebounded its opponent in 12 of 14 games this season and is 12-0 when out-rebounding its opponents.
• Augustana leads the NSIC and ranks 14th nationally with a +9.7 rebound margin.
• Augustana has dished out 16.4 assists per game, ranking third in the NSIC and 43rd nationally.
• Daniel Jansen ranks second in the NSIC and 67th in the country averaging 18.7 points per game.
• Jansen leads the NSIC and ranks 23rd nationally with 70 made free throws on the season.
• Casey Schilling ranks sixth in the NSIC in scoring averaging 16.5 points per game and third in the conference grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game.
• Schilling leads all players in the NSIC and ranks 13th in the country with six double-doubles on the season.
• Alex Richter is shooting 52.6 percent from the field, ranking fifth in the NSIC.
• Jordan Spencer ranks third in the NSIC and 36th in the country dishing out 5.3 assists per game.
 
Last time out
• Augustana picked up a sweep on the road last weekend defeating Sioux Falls 82-47 on Friday night before taking down Southwest Minnesota State 96-77 on Saturday.
• The Vikings improved to 13-1 on the season with the two wins, matching the best start since 2009-10 season.
• Augustana hit 12 3-pointers at USF, led by Daniel Jansen who matched his career-high with four 3-pointers on the night.
• Jansen led the Vikings with 20 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.
• Alex Richter finished the night with 15 points and eight rebounds, with 14 of his points coming in the first half alone.
• The Vikings shot 48 percent from the field and knocked down 12 of 24 shots from behind the arc.
• The Viking defense stymied USF, holding the Cougars to just 31 percent shooting on the night.
• Augustana continued the trend on Saturday at SMSU, knocking down a season-high 14 3-pointers while shooting 55 percent from the field in the win over the Mustangs.
• The Vikings used a 23-10 run in the middle of the first half, hitting six 3-pointers during that stretch, to pull ahead of SMSU.
• Augustana hit seven 3-pointers in the first half alone and finished the night with a season-high.
• Casey Schilling registered his sixth double-double of the season (15th career) with a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
• Daniel Jansen added 20 points and Jordan Spencer pitched in with 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
• Tanner Odegaard came off the bench and drilled a career-high four 3-pointers for 12 points.
 
About Augustana
• Augustana is averaging 84.3 points per game while allowing just 65.9 points per game this season.
• The Vikings are shooting 48.4 percent from the field, including 37.8 percent from 3-point range.
• Augustana is averaging 16.6 made free throws per game and is shooting 73.2 percent from the line.
• Augustana has grabbed 39.8 rebounds per game and owns a +9.7 rebound margin.
• The Vikings have dished out 16.4 assists per game while turning it over just 12.1 times per game (+2.7 turnover margin).
• The Vikings average 5.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
• Daniel Jansen leads the team averaging 18.7 points per game and is shooting 48.5 percent from the field.
• Jansen has grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game and has dished out 2.4 assists per game.
• Casey Schilling is averaging 16.5 points per game and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.
• Schilling is shooting 53 percent from the field and 77.5 percent from the free throw line.
• Alex Richter has scored 14.8 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebound per game.
• Richter is shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 77.5 percent from the free throw line.
• Jordan Spencer is averaging 10.9 points per game and a team-high 5.3 assists per game.  
 
About Concordia-St. Paul
• The Golden Bears enter the weekend at 8-5 on the season, including 4-3 in NSIC play.
• The Golden Bears have won three straight games entering this weekend.
• CU is averaging 70.8 points per game while allowing 63 points per game.
• The Golden Bears are shooting 46 percent from the field, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range.
• Concordia-St. Paul averages 12.1 made free throws per game and is shooting 67.7 percent from the free throw line.
• The Golden Bears average 38.7 rebounds per game (+6.3 rebound margin) and have dished out 13.5 assists per game.
• Cole Olstad leads the Golden Bears averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field.
• Terez VanPelt has scored 10.7 points per game while dishing out a team-high 57 assists (4.4 per game).
• Mike Yahnke leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per game to go along with 9.2 points per game.
• The Golden Bears are coached by Joey James who is in his first season at CU.
• James owns a career record of 20-23 and spent last season as the interim head coach at South Dakota.
 
About Minnesota State
• Minnesota State entered the weekend at 11-2 on the season, including 6-1 in NSIC play.
• The Mavericks played Friday night at Wayne State.
• MSU is averaging 80.3 points per game while allowing 68.1 points per game.
• The Mavericks are shooting 49.3 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from 3-point range.
• MSU has shot 14.1 free throws per game and is shooting 66.5 percent from the free throw line.
• MSU averages 36.3 rebounds per game and owns a +3.7 rebound margin on the season.
• MSU has dished out 17.2 assists per game to go along with just 11.3 turnovers per game.
• Assem Marei leads the team averaging in scoring and rebounding averaging 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
• Marei is shooting 58 percent from the field and 49 percent from the free throw line.
• Zach Monaghan is averaging 12.9 points and a league-high 8.2 assists per game.
• Connor Miller is averaging 11.8 points per game and has hit 20 3-pointers on the season.
• Matt Margenthaler is in his 14th season at MSU and entered the weekend with a career record of 293-117.