SIOUX FALLS – A strong second half, a big night from Jordan Spencer and a double-double from Marcus Asmus set the stage for a comfortable 85-65 win for the Augustana men over Minnesota Duluth on Friday night at the Elmen Center.
 
The win boosts Augustana to 13-8 on the season overall and to 8-7 in the Northern Sun, while the Bulldogs fall to 9-11 overall and to 5-9 in conference play.
 
The teams traded baskets early, until a 9-0 Vikings run turned an 8-5 deficit into a 14-8 lead less than five minutes into the game. The Bulldogs snapped the run with a 3-pointer, only to see the Vikings rattle off nine more to push the lead to 23-11 with 12 minutes 44 seconds left in the first half.
 
The Augustana lead reached as many as 13 points a couple of times later in the half, and the Bulldogs cut to as few as seven before the Vikings took a 45-36 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Vikings quickly got the lead back to 13 points in the second half, and then built on it, getting it to 17 points at 64-47 after a Spencer layup, which drew a timeout from the UMD bench with 12:48 on the clock.
 
Minnesota Duluth cut the lead to as few as 12 points three times over the next five minutes, but would get not closer, as the Vikings pushed the lead to as many as 23 points down the stretch to seal the win.
 
Spencer led all players in the game with 30 points, adding a game-high eight assists in the process. Adam Dykman finished with 17 points, with Asmus adding 15 points to go with his game- and career-high 13 rebounds. The Vikings also got 10 points from Steven Schaefer in the win.
 
Brandon Myer led a pair of Bulldogs in double figures with 22 points, with Logan Rohrscheib adding 12 points in the loss.
 
The Vikings look to complete their first weekend sweep of the season on Saturday, when they return to the Sioux Falls Arena to take on St. Cloud State at 6 p.m.
 
NOTES: Friday's game marked the 2,189th game in program history … Augustana leads the all-time series with Minnesota Duluth, 16-12, with wins in each of the last eight meetings and a 9-5 advantage in home games … the Vikings committed a season-low five turnovers and got a season-low five bench points ... Augustana did not attempt a free throw in the first half for the first time this season … Asmus' fourth double-double of the season gives him five for his career … Spencer scored at least 30 points in a game for the second time this season, and for the fourth time in his career