BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 1 Augustana University men's basketball opened the 2015-16 exhibition season with a 91-78 win over Bethel University on Monday night at the Elmen Center. The Vikings used strong shooting in the first half to build an early large lead.
 
Augustana shot 62.9 percent (22 of 35) from the field in the first half and ended the game connecting on 53.8 percent (35 of 65) from the field. The Vikings knocked down 10 of 25 3-pointers on the night, hitting five in each half.
 
Daniel Jansen hit 3 of 5 3-pointers, knocking down three straight from behind the arc to start the second half, and finished the night with a team-high 19 points. Jansen was 6 of 10 from the field and added six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
 
Casey Schilling and Adam Beyer each finished with 14 points and four rebounds. Beyer had a strong first half picking up 12 of his 14 points in the first 20 minutes. John Warren made his debut for the Vikings and had a strong showing finishing with 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting to go along with five rebounds.

Jordan Spencer dished out 10 assists on the night as the Vikings finished with 19 assists on 35 field goals made. 
 
The Vikings jumped out to a nine-point lead almost five minutes into the first half using an 8-0 run that was started by an Adam Beyer 3-pointer. Alex Richter drilled a 3-pointer at the 15:49 mark that gave the Vikings a 14-5 lead before Bethel put on some pressure and got some fasbtreak baskets.
 
Bethel answered the Richter 3-pointer with a 9-2 run to cut Augustana's lead to 16-14 when John Warren came off the bench and hit a jumper near the top of the key that sparked a 14-2 run by the Vikings allowing them to take a 30-16 lead just past the midway point of the half.
 
The Vikings led by as much as 26 in the half which is where it would stay at the half (57-31).
 
Augustana had four players in double-figures in the first 20 minutes, led by Beyer's 12 points. The Vikings out-rebounded Bethel 21-13 in the first half and forced the Royals into 11 turnovers. Augustana also had seven steals in the half, including three from Jansen.
 
Jansen came out firing in the first few minutes of the second half, drilling three straight 3-pointers to extend Augustana's lead to 31 at 66-35.
 
Bethel used a 9-2 run near the midway point of the second half to cut Augustana's lead to 19 at 73-54 but the Vikings quickly ran it back up to 27 at 81-54 with 8:44 remaining in the game.
 
The fast start would prove to be too much as the Vikings went on to win the exhibition contest 91-78.
 
Augustana returns to action Friday, Nov. 6, traveling to Iowa City to take on the University of Iowa in an exhibition game. The Vikings and Hawkeyes will tip-off from Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7:05 p.m. Friday night.