SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Top-seeded Augustana University captured its second straight NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament Championship with an 89-76 win over MSU Moorhead (30-5) on Tuesday night at the Sanford Pentagon.
 
With the win, Augustana earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Vikings (28-2) were led by NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Player Casey Schilling who nearly picked up a triple-double finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to go along with two blocks and two steals.
 
Augustana finished the game with five players in double-figures on the night. Daniel Jansen was 8 of 12 from the field and finished with 19 points. Alex Richter pitched in with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Schilling and Jansen were both named to the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball All-Tournament team. Schilling was named the NSIC Tournament MVP for the second straight season.
 
Jordan Spencer added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Adam Beyer pitched in with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
 
Augustana finished the game shooting 57.4 percent (35 of 61) from the field hitting 9 of 25 3-pointers. The Vikings were held to its second lowest free throw attempts on the season but knocked down 10 of 14.
 
MSU Moorhead was led in scoring by Aaron Lien who finished the night with 31 points. Lien hit four first-half 3-pointers but the Vikings held him to just two in the second. The Dragons shot 51.8 percent from the field and hit 8 of 25 from behind the arc.  
 
Augustana used great ball movement early in the game to build a six point lead at 13-7 just four minutes into the game. The Vikings had four assists on their first six field goals and started the game 6 of 8 from the field.
 
The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes and the Vikings were able to maintain a lead until Aaron Lien hit one of his four first-half 3-pointers to tie the game at 22-22 with 11:05 remaining in the half.
 
After tying the game the Dragons went on a quick 10-2 run to build a five point lead at 29-24 after another 3-pointer by Lien. MSUM's Isaac Sevlie picked up his second foul of the first half with six minutes to play and the Vikings took advantage scoring 14 points in the paint on an 18-6 run to build their largest lead of the night at 42-35 with 1:55 left in the half.
 
The Dragons were able to get to close-out the half scoring six straight points to make it a one point game. Augustana led 42-41 at the break after picking up a big defensive stand just before time expired to maintain the lead at the break.
 
Augustana finished the half shooting 56.3 percent (18 of 32) from the field, including 4 of 12 from behind the arc. The Vikings shot just four free throws in the first half and converted 2 of 4 from the stripe.
 
Shilling picked up 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in the first half while Jansen pitched in with 11 points and two steals.
 
The Vikings quickly extended the one point lead to six in the second half after Richter knocked down his first three of the game and Schilling hit a jumper for a quick 5-0 run to open the half.
 
MSU Moorhead was able to cut Augustana's lead down to one over the next three minutes but the momentum swung in the Vikings' favor at the when Schilling pulled down an offensive board and was fouled. Following the play, MSUM's Sevlie was called for a technical, his third and fourth fouls of the game, and the Vikings would go to the line for four freebies.
 
The Vikings only hit two of the four free throws but shortly after built a nine point lead using an 11-2 run to go in front 64-55 with 12:42 to play.
 
Just past the midway point of the second half the Dragons would once again cut into Augustana's lead using an 8-2 run to get within two at 70-68.
 
After the Vikings stretched the lead back up to six, MSUM once again was able to make it a two point game but Richter and Spencer were able to hit back-to-back 3-pointers with just under three minutes to play to put Augustana in front by 10, its largest lead of the night with 2:17 to play.
 
Richter hit his third 3-pointer of the night with 28 seconds left to put Augustana ahead by 15 at 89-74 and send the crowd of 2,987 fans at the Sanford Pentagon into a frenzy as the Vikings would go on to win the NSIC Tournament title for the second straight season.
 
Augustana has earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out its tournament fate when the NCAA Selection Show airs on Sunday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m. (CT).