SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 18 Augustana University men's basketball (3-1, 0-0 NSIC) is set to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Monday, Nov. 21 hosting Wayne State College (1-1, 0-0 NSIC). The Vikings and Wildcats will tip-off at 8 p.m. at the Sioux Falls Arena.
 
Prior to Monday night's game against the Wildcats, Augustana will celebrate the 2015-16 National Championship with a banner raising ceremony at the Sioux Falls Arena. The first 500 fans in attendance on Monday night will also receive a replica National Championship banner. Those banners will be given away starting when the gates open for the women's game which begins 6 p.m.
 
Monday night's game is Augustana's ninth NSIC opener since joining the league in 2008-09. Augustana is 5-3 all-time in NSIC openers and will open the season against Wayne State for the fifth straight season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Augustana traveled to Maryville, Missouri last Thursday night for an early in-region game against Northwest Missouri State
• It was a tale of two halves for the Vikings as Northwest Missouri State raced out to a 24-point halftime lead of 45-21
• The Vikings out-scored the Bearcats 50-37 in the second half but it was not enough as the Bearcats picked up the 82-71 win in front of 2,297 fans at Bearcat Arena
• Augustana turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and Northwest Missouri State turned those into 18 points
• The Vikings hit just 9 of 26 field goals (34.6 percent) in the first half before coming out strong in the second
• Augustana opened up the second half on an 11-0 run and finished the half shooting 55 percent from the field
• Jordan Spencer led the Vikings at Northwest Missouri State with a career-high 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting, including hitting 2 of 6 3-pointers
• Spencer also added four assists and two rebounds
• Mike Busack added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings while Adam Beyer pitched in with 11 points and six boards
• The Vikings shot just two free throws in the first half but were able to get to the line in the second
• Augustana finished the game 14 of 17 from the stripe
 
ABOUT AUGUSTANA
• Augustana is averaging 74.8 points per game on the season and owns a scoring margin of +8.8
• The Vikings are shooting 44.5 percent from the field as a team, including 40.7 percent from 3-point range
• Augustana is averaging 12.5 made free throws per game and is shooting 79.4 percent from the stripe this season
• Augustana is averaging 39.2 rebounds per game and owns a +7.5 rebound margin in 2016-17
• Augustana is averaging 13.5 assists, 13.8 turnovers, 6.8 assists and 3.0 blocks per game
• Jordan Spencer enters tonight's game leading the Vikings in scoring averaging 15.3 points per game
• Spencer is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 6.3 assists per game
• Senior guard Adam Beyer enters tonight's game averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game
• Beyer is shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the free throw line
• Mike Busack is averaging 9.5 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game for the Vikings
• Freshman forward Lucas Walford enters conference play averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds
 
ABOUT WAYNE STATE
• Wayne State enters Monday night's game with a record of 1-1 on the season
• The Wildcats picked up a 70-57 win over Missouri Western State on Nov. 11 before falling 76-58 to Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 13
• Wayne State has played three exhibition games this fall. The Wildcats defeated Midland University 70-66 before falling 93-46 at Creighton on Nov. 4 and 80-72 at South Dakota State on Nov. 16
• Wayne State enters tonight's game averaging 64.0 points per game while allowing 66.5 ppg
• The Wildcats have shot 38.9 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from behind the arc
• WSC?is averaging 13.5 made free throws per game and is shooting 65.9 percent from the line
• Wayne State is averaging 34.0 rebounds, 11.5 assists and 9.0 turnovers per game
• Kendall Jacks leads the Wildcats in scoring through two games averaging 15.0 points per game
• Jacks is shooting 57.1 percent from the field for the Wildcats and averages 3.0 rebounds per game
• Wayne State is coached by Jeff Kaminsky who is in his first season at Wayne State
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Monday's game between Augustana and Wayne State will be the 41st all-time meeting between the two teams
• Augustana and Wayne State first met during the 1938-39 season
• Augustana is 26-14 all-time against Wayne State and has won six straight games over the Wildcats
• Augustana is 14-2 all-time against Wayne State since the Vikings joined the NSIC in 2008-09
• The Vikings swept the season series last year over Wayne State winning 94-69 in Wayne, Nebraska on Nov. 23 before picking up a 107-62 win at the Sioux Falls Arena on Dec. 9
• Augustana and Wayne State will meet again before the holiday break as the Vikings travel to Wayne on Saturday, Dec. 17