SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 16 Augustana University men's basketball will close-out the 2016 calendar year with a pair of home games this Friday and Saturday at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Vikings (10-2, 5-1 NSIC) are set to host No. 25 Southwest Minnesota State (10-1, 5-1 NSIC) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, in a battle that will create some space at the top of the NSIC standings.
 
Augustana will then square-off with the University of Sioux Falls (6-8, 2-4 NSIC) at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The Vikings and Cougars will also play for a half a point in the First Dakota National Bank Mayor's Cup Challenge. Augustana owns a 4-2 lead in the 2016-17 First Dakota National Bank Mayor's Cup Challenge standings. Augustana has won the Mayor's Cup Challenge in four straight seasons.
 
Augustana and USF are taking donations of NEW socks which will be donated to Samaritan's Feet. Fans can drop off the new socks in the baskets for their respective teams prior to Saturday's game. For more information on the First Dakota National Bank Mayor's Cup Challenge, visit SFmayorscup.com. 

LAST TIME OUT
• Augustana closed-out non-conference action on Monday, Dec. 19 with an 81-45 win over Doane to improve to 10-2 on the season
• Augustana was last in NSIC action on Saturday, Dec. 17 and picked up a 93-60 win over Wayne State
• Augustana was firing on all cylinders at Wayne State on Saturday
• The Vikings shot a season-high 62.7 percent from the field and knocked down a season-high 18 3-pointers
• The 18 3-pointers by the Vikings is the second-most in a single game in program history
• Sophomore guard John Warren went off for a career-high 30 points in the win over the Wildcats
• Jordan Spencer finished just three rebounds shy of a triple-double ending the night with 19 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds
• In Monday's win over Doane, Augustana had 11 different players score, led by Mike Busack's 17 points
• The Vikings shot 49.3 percent from the field and hit 12 of 14 free throws in the win
• Augustana held Doane to just six field goals in the second half and forced 22 turnovers
• Marcus Asmus put up a career-high 15 points and six rebounds against Doane 

ABOUT AUGUSTANA
• Augustana entered the weekend with a record of 10-2 on the season, including 5-1 in NSIC play
• The Vikings have won three straight games heading into the weekend
• Augustana is averaging 84.6 points per game and has out-scored its opponents by 15.4 points per game
• Augustana currently leads the NSIC and ranks 20th in the country with a +15.4 scoring margin
• Augustana is allowing just 69.2 points per game, the fewest in the NSIC
• Augustana is shooting 50.1 percent from the field as a team, including 44.0 percent from 3-point range
• Augustana is averaging 37.8 rebounds per game and owns a +7.5 rebound margin on the season
• The Vikings rank second in the NSIC and 33rd in the country averaging 17.3 assists per game
• Augustana is averaging 7.3 steals per game which leads the NSIC
• The Vikings rank fourth in the NSIC averaging 3.2 blocks per game. The Vikings have 38 total blocks on the season

ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
• Southwest Minnesota State has won four straight games and enters the weekend with a 10-1 record, including 5-1 in NSIC play
• The Mustangs were last in action on Saturday, Dec. 17, picking up an 87-86 win at USF
• SMSU is averaging 81.4 points per game and has out-scored its opponents by 7.9 ppg
• The Mustangs are shooting 48.4 percent from the field as a team, including 38.5 percent from 3-point range
• SMSU averages 17 made free throws per game and is shooting 79.2 percent from the stripe
• SMSU is averaging 35.4 rebounds per game and owns a +5.0 rebound margin on the season
• SMSU has four players averaging double-figures on the season, led by Taylor Schaefer who is averaging 13.0 ppg
• Joey Bartlett is averaging 11.9 ppg and 5.5 rebounds per game
• Brad Bigler is in his eighth season as the head coach at SMSU. He owns a career record of 118-96

ABOUT SIOUX FALLS
• The University of Sioux Falls entered the weekend with a record of 6-8 on the season, including 2-4 in conference play
• The Cougars play at Wayne State on Friday night
• USF is averaging 77.6 points per game and has out-scored its opponents by 7.4 ppg
• The Cougars are shooting 46.4 percent from the field, including 39.7 percent from 3-point range
• USF is averaging 13 made free throws per game and is shooting 71.1 percent from the stripe as a team
• The Cougars are averaging 39.5 rebounds per game and own a +7.3 rebound margin on the season
• USF is averaging 14.9 assists, 11.9 turnovers, 4.1 steals and 2.9 blocks per game
• Drew Guebert leads USF in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg) on the season
• Mack Johnson is averaging 14.2 ppg and has dished out a team-high 48 assists per game
• Chris Johnson is in his eighth season as the head coach at USF. He owns a career record of 163-128

SERIES HISTORY
• Friday night's game between Augustana and Southwest Minnesota State will be the 30th all-time meeting between the two schools
• Augustana is 18-11 all-time against Southwest Minnesota State and has won four straight over the Mustangs
• Augustana won the season series last year winning 99-75 in Sioux Falls on Jan. 3 before picking up a 103-88 win in Marshall on Feb. 12
• Saturday's game between Augustana and USF will be the 65th all-time meeting between the two schools
• Augustana is 35-27 all-time against USF. Two scores in the all-time series from games in 1927 are unknown
• Augustana has won 17 of the last 18 games between the two teams, including seven straight
• Augustana and USF met three times last season, with the Vikings winning all three
• Augustana won 88-61 at the Sioux Falls Arena on Jan. 2 before winning 79-71 at USF on Feb. 13
• The Vikings and Cougars met on Feb. 27 in the NSIC Tournament with the Vikings picking up a 105-100 win at the Sanford Pentagon