SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University men's basketball returns to action this weekend with a pair of NSIC South Division contests. The Vikings (10-4, 5-3 NSIC) will take on Minnesota State (9-4, 4-3 NSIC) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 at the Taylor Center before heading to St. Paul, Minnesota to square-off against Concordia-St. Paul (4-10, 1-6 NSIC) at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Augustana lost a pair of heartbreakers last weekend falling in the final minute of back-to-back contests
• On Friday night, Southwest Minnesota State hit a 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining in the game to give the Mustangs a 75-72 lead. SMSU?held on for a 78-76 win at the Arena
• On Saturday, USF's Drew Guebert hit a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left in the game to give the Cougars a 65-62 lead and USF held on for the 69-62 win
• Friday night's loss marked Augustana's first home loss in 39 games snapping a 38-game winning streak
• It also snapped a streak of 32 straight wins at the Sioux Falls Arena
• Augustana led by as much as 12 in the second half and did not surrender the lead until SMSU went ahead 65-64 with 4:46 remaining before the two teams played to two tie scores in the final two minutes of the contest
• The match-up was about as even as it gets as both teams shot over 50 percent from the field
• The Vikings finished the night 31 of 61 (50.8 percent) and hit 6 of 17 from 3-point range
• Mike Busack registered his first double-double in a Viking uniform (fourth career) leading Augustana with 20 points and 10 rebounds
• Jordan Spencer pitched in with 18 points and seven assists
• Saturday's loss to USF marked the first time the Vikings have lost back-to-back games since Feb. 7-8, 2014
• Augustana led by as much as nine in the second half before the Cougars were able to tie the game with 5:06 to play
• The two teams played to five tie scores in the final five minutes before USF's Drew Guebert hit a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left
• Busack led the Vikings for the second straight night with 18 points and a team-high six rebounds
• The Vikings shot a season-low 37.5 percent from the field hitting 21 of 56 shots
 
ABOUT AUGUSTANA
• Augustana enters the weekend averaging 82.4 points per game while allowing 69.9 points per contest
• The Vikings lead the NSIC with a +12.4 scoring margin on the season
• Augustana is coming off of a season-low shooting performance against USF on Saturday
• The Vikings are shooting 49.3 percent as a team, including 42.0 percent from 3-point range
• Augustana is averaging 12.9 made free throws per game and is shooting 72 percent from the stripe
• Augustana is averaging 37.3 rebounds per game and owns a +6.1 rebound margin on the season
• The Vikings are averaging 16.5 assists and 12.1 turnovers per game
• The Vikings own a +1.8 turnover margin and a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio
• Augustana ranks second in the NSIC averaging 16.5 assists per game
• Augustana leads the NSIC averaging 7.1 steals per game as a team
• The Vikings are averaging 3.1 blocks per game which ranks fifth in the NSIC and 46th in the country
 
ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE
• Minnesota State enters the weekend with a record of 9-4 on the season, including 4-3 in NSIC play
• The Mavericks have won four straight games and are coming off of a weekend road sweep
• Minnesota State defeated MSU Moorhead 74-65 last Friday before picking up a 90-85 win at Northern State on Saturday
• The Mavericks are averaging 84.6 points per game while allowing 79.1 (+5.5 scoring margin)
• MSU is shooting 47.3 percent from the field as a team, including 38.3 percent from 3-point range
• MSU is averaging 17.1 made free throws per game and is shooting 76 percent from the line
• MSU averages 37.2 rebounds per game and owns a +1.4 rebound margin on the season
• MSU is averaging 13.4 assists and 10.4 turnovers per contest
• The Mavericks are averaging 4.5 steals and 3.4 blocks per game
• Joey Witthus leads the Mavericks in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game having hit a team-high 33 3-pointers
• Jon Fuqua is averaging 15.5 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game for the Mavericks
• Matt Margenthaler is in his 16th season as the head coach at MSU. Margenthaler owns a career record of 339-137
 
ABOUT CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
• Concordia-St. Paul enters the weekend with a record of 4-10 overall, including 1-6 in NSIC play
• The Golden Bears have lost four straight and will open the weekend hosting Wayne State on Friday
• CSP is averaging 71.6 points per game while allowing 79.6 ppg
• The Golden Bears are shooting 47.2 percent from the field, including 41.1 percent from 3-point range
• CSP?has averaged 12.8 made free throws per game and is shooting 66.5 percent from the stripe
• CSP is averaging 35.2 rebounds per game and owns a +0.7 rebound margin on the year
• CSP is averaging 15.0 assists and 15.7 turnovers per game
• The Golden Bears are averaging 4.8 steals and 3.1 blocks per contest
• Bryndan Matthews leads the Golden Bears in scoring (14.7 ppg)?and rebounding (7.6 rpg)
• Diallo Powell is averaging 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Golden Bears
• Joey James is in his third season as the head coach at CSP. James owns a career record of 48-55, including 36-37 at CSP
• James spent one season as the interim head coach at the University of South Dakota before heading to CSP
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Friday night's game between Augustana and Minnesota State will be the 116th all-time meeting between the two schools
• Augustana is 56-59 all-time against Minnesota State and has won four straight games over the Mavericks
• Augustana won the first meeting between the two schools earlier this season with an 83-81 win at the Sioux Falls Arena on Dec. 3
• Augustana won its last game played in Mankato with a 101-91 victory on Jan. 9 of last season
• Augustana and Concordia-St. Paul will meet for the 23rd time in a series that began on Nov. 24, 2000
• Augustana is 17-5 all-time against the Golden Bears, including 6-4 all-time in St. Paul
• Augustana has won 12 of the last 13 games between the two teams, including 10 straight
• Augustana defeated Concordia-St. Paul 103-66 in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Dec. 2 at the Sioux Falls Arena