SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 1 Augustana University men's basketball returns to the floor this Saturday and Sunday hosting a pair of NSIC North Division opponents at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Vikings will open the two-game homestand against the University of Mary (13-7, 8-6 NSIC) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30. Augustana will then welcome Minot State (10-10, 5-9 NSIC) at 3 p.m. on Sunday before going on the road for the next two weekends.
 
The Vikings enter the weekend as the No. 1 team in the nation following the release of the NABC Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. The top ranking in the NABC poll marks the first time in program history Augustana has been ranked No. 1 in the country during the regular season.
 
Augustana enters the weekend riding a 17-game winning streak, including 14 straight NSIC victories. The Vikings are just two wins shy of tying the longest winning streak in program history of 19 which was set last season.
 
Storylines
• The Vikings have been ranked for 25 consecutive weeks dating back to Nov. 25 of last season
• Augustana has spent 19 straight weeks ranked in the top 10 of the NABC Top 25 poll
• Augustana enters the weekend riding a 17-game winning streak
• The Vikings are 17-1 on the season, including 14-0 in NSIC play
• Augustana entered the week leading the NSIC and ranked sixth in the country averaging 92.8 points per game
• The Vikings have out-scored opponents by 22.7 points per game in 2015-16 which leads the NSIC and ranks second in the nation
• Augustana is averaging 94.9 points per game in NSIC play and has out-scored opponents by 25.9 points per game in conference play
• The Vikings have dished out 19.5 assists per game as a team this season which leads the NSIC and ranks third in the country
• Augustana leads the country with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.95
• Sophomore guard Jordan Spencer continues to lead the NSIC in assists averaging 7.1 per game which also ranks fifth in the country
• Spencer has dished out five or more assists in 17 of 18 games this season, including a career-high 11 assists four times
• Spencer is averaging 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on the season
• Augustana is shooting 49.4 percent from the field on the season which ranks second in the NSIC and 22nd in the country
• Augustana leads the NSIC and ranks fourth in the nation shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range
• Senior forward Alex Richter continues to lead the country shooting 54.4 percent from 3-point range
• Richter is averaging 14.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and has knocked down a team-high 43 3-pointers
• Daniel Jansen enters the weekend ranked second in the NSIC and 52nd in the nation averaging 20.4 points per game
• Jansen was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week for the third straight week on Monday after averaging 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two wins for the Vikings last weekend
• Jansen has been named player of the week by the NSIC four times this season which is tied for the most by a single player in NSIC history
• Jansen is the first player to earn NSIC Player of the Week honors for three straight weeks since the 1999-00 season
• Jansen enters the weekend having scored 1,901 career points which ranks second all-time at Augustana
• Jansen is just 64 points shy of breaking the all-time record of 1,964 points set by Cameron McCaffrey (2009-13)
• Casey Schilling ranks eighth in the NSIC in scoring (17.4 ppg) and continues to lead the league in rebounding averaging 9.3 boards per game
• Schilling has scored 1,663 points and enters the weekend 18 points shy of moving into eighth all-time at Augustana
• Junior guard Adam Beyer is averaging 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Vikings
• Beyer put up 11 points in back-to-back games on the road last weekend
 
About U-Mary
• University of Mary enters the weekend with a record of 13-7 on the season, including 8-6 in NSIC play
• The Marauders have had a strong start to the 2015-16 season but are currently on a five-game losing streak
• U-Mary was swept on the road last weekend falling 90-84 at St. Cloud State and 100-74 at Minnesota Duluth
• U-Mary is averaging 81.1 points per game this season having allowed just 76.5 points per contest
• The Marauders have shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 35.8 percent from 3-point range
• U-Mary is shooting 71.7 percent from the free throw line as a team and is averaging 15.9 made free throws per game
• Bryan Jefferson leads U-Mary in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg)
 
About Minot State
• Minot State entered the weekend with a record of 10-10, including 5-9 in NSIC play
• Minot State opened the weekend at Wayne State on Saturday night
• MSU split a pair of road games last weekend, defeating Minnesota Duluth 94-64 before falling 80-72 at St. Cloud State on Saturday
• Minot State is averaging 76.1 points per game and has out-scored its opponents by 3.7 points per game
• The Beavers are shooting 45.2 percent from the field, including 38.2 percent from 3-point range
• Minot State has shot 74.4 percent from the free throw line and is averaging 15.4 made free throws per game
• Tyler Rudolph leads Minot State in scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg)