SIOUX FALLS – The Augustana men's basketball team led at some point in each of the first 21 games of the season, but could not make it 22, as St. Cloud State started hot, and led wire-to-wire in an 80-63 win over the Vikings at the Sioux Falls Arena on Saturday.
 
The loss drops the Vikings to 13-9 on the season overall and to 8-8 in the Northern Sun, as Augustana split every weekend in the conference season, both home and away. The Huskies head home with a 15-6 overall record, and an 11-4 mark in the conference.
 
St. Cloud State made its first four shots of the game, and scored the game's first 11 points, as the Vikings missed the mark on their first six shots, before Jordan Spencer drilled a 3-pointer to quell the run four and half minutes into the game.
 
Augustana cut the lead to 24-19 with just under five minutes left in the half before heading into halftime down 36-28.
 
A quick four points to start the second half cut the lead to 38-34, but the Huskies bounced back with a 12-2 run to push their lead to 50-36, a lead that would reach as many as 17 points at 58-41 midway through the second half, too much for the Vikings to overcome, as the Huskies pulled away down the stretch.
 
The lone Viking in double figures, John Warren led Augustana with 16 points. Jameson Bryan pitched in with nine, Spencer added eight and Adam Dykman seven points in the loss.
 
Brindley Theisen led a trio of Huskies in double figures with 29 points. Gage Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the game's lone double-double, while Jon Averkamp scored 17 in the win.
 
The four game homestand in the books, Augustana returns to the road next week for games at Minnesota Crookston on Friday, and at Bemidji State on Saturday.
 
NOTES: Saturday's game marked the 2,190th game in program history … St. Cloud State leads the all-time series with Augustana, 48-40, with the Vikings holding a 24-18 edge in home games … Augustana did not shoot a first half free throw for the second time this season, and for the second straight night … the Vikings used the same five starters in all 22 games this season … Andy Kerkman grabbed a career-high nine rebounds