BOX SCORE

WINONA, Minn. –  Winona State (14-12, 11-11 NSIC) hit 13 3-pointers and forced No.2 Augustana College men's basketball into 14 turnovers as the Warriors defeated the Vikings 75-72 in the regular season finale for both teams on Saturday. Augustana (26-2, 20-2 NSIC) earns a share of the regular season Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship, marking its first conference title since winning the North Central Conference in 1988-89.
 
The Warriors snapped Augustana's school record 19-game win streak, handing the Vikings their first loss since Dec. 5.
 
Augustana had two chances to tie the game before time expired but the Vikings miss two 3-pointers with less than 10 seconds to play and the Warriors held on for the win. The Vikings trailed by 13 with 5:28 to play but ended the game on a 15-5 run, getting within three points three different times in the final three minutes. The Vikings cut the lead to three at 72-69 on a basket by Daniel Jansen but Winona State's Tim Wagner drilled his sixth 3-pointer of the night to put his team back up by six.
 
Jordan Spencer hit a layup with a minute to play and made one of two free throws with 48 seconds left to bring the Vikings within three at 75-72 and Augustana would get another chance after a missed 3-pointer by Winona State. Augustana missed two 3-point attempts and grabbed two offensive rebounds but ran out of time at a third attempt to tie the game before time expired.  
 
How it happened
• Augustana hit three of its first seven field goals from 3-point range, building an 11-4 lead just over five minutes into the game.
• Winona State pushed the pace over the next minute going on a quick 6-0 run to get within one at 11-10.
• The Vikings pushed the lead back to six but Isaiah Gray took over for the Warriors as he scored 10 of Winona State's next 18 points helping his team take a 22-19 lead after a Nick Arenz 3-pointer with 10:12 to play in the half.
• The Warriors built a seven-point lead at 29-22 but the Vikings hit three 3-pointers in the next 3:52 on a 12-3 run to regain the lead at 34-32.
• Gray ended the first half with six straight points for the Warriors as Winona State took a 38-34 halftime lead.
• Augustana shot well in the first half connecting on 52 percent from the field, knocking down 6 of 13 3-pointers.
• Turnovers were the difference in the first half as the Vikings gave the ball away 12 times to just five for the Warriors.
• Augustana had seven players score in the first half, led by Alex Richter's nine points.
• Gray finished with 18 points for Winona State in the first 20 minutes.
• The Warriors came out of the locker room and built its largest lead of the night at 47-38 on a 3-pointer by Tim Wagner.
• Spencer put the Vikings on his back from that point on scoring nine of Augustana's next 15 points on a 15-8 run that brought the Vikings within two at 55-53 with 10:08 to play.
• Winona State's Wagner did the same for his team, knocking down three 3-pointers in the next four minutes as the Warriors were able to build a 13-point lead at 70-57 with 5:28 remaining in the game.
• The Vikings would not go down without a fight, out-scoring Winona State 15-5 in the final five minutes of the game, but a late Wagner 3-pointer gave the Warriors a 75-69 lead with 1:11 to play.
• Augustana got back within three with 48 seconds left and after a missed Winona State 3-pointer, the Vikings missed two of their own before time expired coming up short 75-72.
 
Inside the Box Score
• The conference championship marks the first as members of the NSIC.
• Augustana has now won four conference championships in school history.
• This marks the first conference championship since sharing the NCC title in 1988-89.
• Augustana won NCC championships in 1961-62, 1977-78 and 1988-89.
• Augustana was held under 50 percent shooting for just the second time in its last 10 games, shooting 44 percent from the field.
• The Vikings were held to under 43 percent shooting from 3-point range for the first time since Jan. 24, finishing just 31.8 percent from behind the arc tonight.
• Augustana got to the free throw line 28 times, but finished just 19 of 28, hitting 68 percent from the line.
• Jordan Spencer led the Vikings in scoring for the second straight night finishing with 17 to go along with six assists and five rebounds.
• Casey Schilling, Alex Richter and Adam Beyer each finished with 11 points.
• Daniel Jansen added 10 points and nine rebounds.
• All five Viking starters scored in double-figures for the fourth straight game.
• Augustana has had all five starters score 10-plus points in the same game six times this season.
• Steven Schaefer added seven points of 3 of 7 shooting off the bench for the Vikings.
• Zach Huisken added five points and two rebounds.
 
Up Next
• Augustana earned the South Division's No. 1 seed in the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament and will host Bemidji State at the Sioux Falls Arena at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.