SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Following a weekend split at home, the Augustana men's basketball team heads back on the road for a pair of NSIC North games. The Vikings first travel to Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Northern State University, and round out the weekend at Minnesota State University Moorhead with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Saturday. Fans not in attendance of this weekend's games can follow live video and stats at GoAugie.com/Live.

Most recently, Augustana (11-5, 7-3 NSIC South) scored a season-high 94 points in a nine-point win over Upper Iowa last Friday. Although the Vikings couldn't finish the weekend sweep vs. Winona State, the Viking remain in fourth place in the NSIC. Overall, Augustana has won eight of their last 10 games.

Northern State (13-3, 9-1 NSIC North) and MSU Moorhead (13-5, 7-3 NSIC North) are ranked first and second respectively in the NSIC North, and both are coming off weekend sweeps against Bemidji and Crookston.
Nearly midway through the season, Augustana has found success on both ends of the court. Starting on defense, the Vikings are in the top half of the league in field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 44 percent. The Vikings are forcing nearly 11 turnovers a night, which has led to more than 10 points off turnovers per outing.

Augustana's strongest suit has been their tenacity and effort on the glass. The Vikings are third in the NSIC in both total rebounds (38.8), and rebounds allowed per game (31.8). Augustana stands 11-1 when out-rebounding their opponent this season.

On offense, the Vikings have found a rhythm over the last month. Not only are the Vikings averaging more than 80 points per game, but they're also sharing the rock. The Vikings are sixth in the NSIC with 14.4 assists per game while also shooting nearly 40 percent from downtown.

Individually, the Vikings have proven to be one of the deepest teams in the league. Augustana has six players averaging more than nine points per game, and all six have led the team in scoring in one or more games this season.
Although Tyler Riemersma continues to lead the program with 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, a pair of underclassmen have stepped up in the last month. Since early December, Matt Cartwright has gone on a tear, averaging more than 20 points per game. Over the last four outings, A.J. Plitzuweit is averaging 19 points and 5.5 assists per game.

Scouting Northern State (13-3, 9-1 NSIC):
Coming off a national runner-up finish last year, Northern is off to a 13-3 start in 2018-19 and stands first in the NSIC North and the conference overall. Although the Wolves are 9th in the league in scoring, they lead the conference in points allowed at 66 points per game. Defensively, Northern State leads the NSIC in rebounds allowed at just 29 per game. The Wolves have four players averaging double-digit points and are led by Ian Smith who averages 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.

Series vs. the Wolves:
With one of the longest rivalries in the NSIC, the Augustana and Northern State rivalry dates back 95 years on the hardwood, first playing in Jan., 1923. Over the last century, the two programs have played 76 times with the Vikings holding a 40-36 advantage. When playing in Aberdeen, the Vikings are 17-18.

The last time the Vikings faced off against NSU was on the road, Jan. 13, 2018. Although then-senior Marcus Asmus set career-highs with four 3-pointers and 28 points, the No. 9 ranked Wolves outlasted, 89-78.

Scouting Minnesota State University-Moorhead (13-5, 7-3 NSIC):
With four NSIC North titles in the past five years, the Dragons come into the weekend ranked second in the NSIC North behind Northern State and are sixth overall. MSUM is on a six-game winning streak with five players averaging double-digit points per game. Gavin Baumgartner and Addison Park lead the team averaging 15.7 and 15.3 points per game, respectively. The team leads the conference in field goal percentage, shooting a combined 51.5 percent from the field.

Series vs. the Dragons:
With 24 all-time matchups, Augustana holds a 14-10 series lead over MSU Moorhead. When playing on the road, Augustana has split their 10 games, going 5-5 at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse. Augustana has won six of the last seven meetings, including a 95-85 win last year in Moorhead. A season ago, Jordan Spencer scored 25 points to cross 1,500 points for his career and Matt Cartwright added a career-high 23, as the Augustana knocked off the Dragons on the road.

The Fast Break

• Following a 3-3 start, the Vikings have won eight of their last 10 games.
• Augustana holds a 40-36 all-time series record vs. Northern State. The Vikings are 14-10 all-time vs. MSU Moorhead.
• With a record of 298-171 in 16 seasons at Augustana, Tom Billeter is now just two wins from 300 as a Viking.
• Billeter is standing at 395 career wins, needing five more to reach 400.
• Augustana is hauling in 11.6 offensive boards per game, which is 2nd in the NSIC and has led to an average of 11 second-chance points per night.
• Augustana's 38.8 total rebounds per game stand third in the conference.
• The Vikings are 11-1 when out-rebounding their opponent.
• Augustana is forcing nearly 11 turnovers a night, which has led to more than 10 points off turnovers per outing.
• Overall, Augustana has four players averaging double-figures, led by Tyler Riemersma at 17.3 points per game.
• Through 14 games, the Vikings are hitting 39.2 percent of their shots from downtown.
• The Vikings are shooting 77.4% from the free throw line, which is 5th in the conference.
• Over the last month, sharpshooter Matt Cartwright is averaging over 20 points per game.
• Overall, Cartwright is averaging 16 points per night, which is 12th in the NSIC in scoring.
• In the last four outings, A.J. Plitzuweit is averaging 19 points and 5.5 assists per game.
• Through 16 games, opponents are shooting 44 percent vs. the Vikings, which slots them 7th in the Northern Sun.
• Augustana made at least one 3-point field goal in each of the last 440 games. The last time the Vikings did not make a 3-pointer came on Jan. 24, 2004, a 79-69 loss against North Dakota in the Elmen Center.
• At least one Viking scored in double figures in each of the last 264 games. The last time an Augie player did not score at least 10 points in a game came on March 3, 2010, in a 75-52 loss to Wayne State at the Elmen Center in the NSIC quarterfinals, when Lee Stephens led the Vikings with 8 points.
• On this year's roster, the Vikings have five true freshmen, two transfers, and 10 of 16 student-athletes have never played together.
• With 10 players from last years roster no longer on the team, the Vikings lost 1,768 of last years 2,459 points. That's 71.8% of the scoring from 2017-2018.
• In the 2018-2019 NSIC preseason poll, the Vikings received 127 points and were picked to finished seventh overall.
• The Vikings finished 16-14 last year, locking in their 12th straight winning season.
• Augustana men's basketball has played 2,215 games in school history, and the program all-time record is 1,093-1,122 (.493).
• With a 202-78 record (.721) Augustana is 20th all-time in winning percentage from 2010-2018.