SIOUX FALLS – In stark contrast to the first meeting of the season between Augustana and Sioux Falls, which saw the teams score 42 first half points combined, the Vikings and Cougars combined for 87 points in the first half of Friday's rematch. The first meeting went to overtime, where USF prevailed, and the second meeting came down to the wire, but the Vikings shot at the buzzer missed its mark, giving the visitors an 88-86 win.
 
The loss drops the Vikings to 13-10 on the season overall and to 8-9 in the Northern Sun, while Sioux Falls improves to 17-8 overall, and to 12-7 in conference play.
 
Up 17-12 midway through the first half, Sioux Falls used a 10-0 run to take a 22-17 lead over the next five minutes, and even though the Vikings snapped the streak with four in-a-row, the Cougars fired back with 11 of the next 13 points to take their largest lead of the half at 33-23 with 7 minutes, 20 seconds left in the opening stanza.
 
The Vikings answered with an 8-0 run to cut the Cougar lead to 33-31 a couple of minutes later, and then again at 35-33, but trailed 46-39 with seconds to go before halftime, before a John Warren dunk beat the halftime buzzer to cut the lead to 46-41 at the break.
 
An Adam Dykman 3-pointer to open the second half cut the lead to 46-44, but the Cougars quickly built it back to 59-50, only to see the Vikings battle back to cut it to 61-59 midway through the second half with six straight points.
 
Sioux Falls regained the momentum, and steadily built its lead to a game-high of 12 points with under five minutes to play, and while the Vikings rallied to cut the lead to 87-86 with six second left, they would get no closer, as the Vikings final shot missed its mark at the buzzer.
 
Dykman and Marcus Asmus led five Vikings in double figures with 19 points each. Warren added 19, while both Jordan Spencer and Steven Schaefer finished with 13 points. Spencer also dished out a game-high nine assists.
 
Trevon Evans led Sioux Falls with 23 points, with Aaron Rothermund adding 21, Drew Guebert 18 and Zach Wessels 13 points.
 
The Vikings close the home portion of their schedule on Saturday against Southwest Minnesota State inside the Sioux Falls Arena at 6 p.m.
 
NOTES: Friday's game marked the 2,194th game in program history … the Vikings lead the all-time series with Sioux Falls, which dates back to Jan. 23, 1922, 36-35, with a 20-11 advantage at home … Sioux Falls swept the season series for the first time since 1941 … five Vikings scored in double figures for the second time this season, the first came against Doane on Nov. 22, 2017