SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Looking for a second-half comeback for the second straight night, the Augustana men's basketball team came up short in an 87-67 loss to Winona State on Saturday evening at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Vikings move to 11-5 (7-3 NSIC South) and Warriors go 6-10 (3-7 NSIC South).

Augustana did see four players hit double-figures, led by sophomore Matt Cartwright with 17 points and a team-high 6 rebounds and 3 assists. A.J. Plitzuweit had 16 points and 5 rebounds, Jameson Bryan had 13 points off the bench, and Trevor Hanson had 11 points. 

Augustana head coach Tom Billeter was disappointed in the result but knows it's an opportunity to learn and grow. "That was a tough matchup for us tonight," Billeter said. "We had a number of opportunities in the second half to cut the lead to single digits, but give them credit - they just shot the heck out of it tonight." 

Winona State, who came into the game on a five-game losing streak, shot 53 percent from the field, including 16-of-32 from downtown. The Vikings shot 45 percent in the second half, but it wasn't enough to counter the Warriors sharpshooting.  Augustana did swipe five steals and forced 10 turnovers, which led to a game-high 18 points off turnovers. 

Although Winona State started the game on a 5-0 run,  A.J. Plitzuweit got the Vikings into the scoring column with a baseline jumper.  Minutes later, Trevor Hanson found the bottom of the net on a pair of straight away threes. With a 6-0 run, Augustana had cut the deficit to 12-8 with 13:44 to play in the first half.  

Winona State continued to have success from the field in the first. Dalante Peyton knocked down a corner three, and midway through the first half, the Warriors had built a 20-8 lead. 

 Michael Schaefer got the Vikings to double-digits with another three, and moments later Matt Cartwright rattled home a triple for his first points of the night. In total, 12 of Augustana's first 14 points came from downtown. 

Winona State maintained their first-half advantage with good shooting inside and out. The Warriors used a 58 percent shooting from downtown to go on a 24-10 run and build a big first-half lead. Winona State shot 52 percent overall in the first half, compared to 30 percent for the Vikings. 

Matt Cartwright was the only player to hit double-figures in the 1st half, finishing the first 20 minutes with 10 points and 4 rebounds. By the first-half horn, Winona State led 47-27. 

A second-half team in a number of wins this year, the Vikings again came to life in the opening minutes of the second half. Sparked by Plitzuweit, the Vikings started the final frame on a 7-0 run. 

Trailing 49-34, Trevor Hanson made a pair of free throws, Cartwright knocked down a pull-up jumper and was back just an 11-point game. 

However, the Warriors strength from behind the arc proved to be the difference. The Warriors Tommy Gathje connected a pair of three to push the Warrior lead back to 18 at 58-40. 

Sparked by Jameson Bryan, who scored on a pair of nice moves in the paint, a 6-0 run helped the Vikings cut it back to a 15-point game. But, the Vikings couldn't cut into the deficit as Winona state continued to make shots. The Warriors shot 50 percent from downtown, hitting 16 threes. 

Tommy Gathje led all players with 21 points on 5-of-7 from downtown. 

Augustana will now return to the road, traveling to Northern State on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. start with the Wolves. The Vikings will finish the road trip in Moorhead, Minnesota on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.