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Vikings Ready to Host a Duo of NSIC Opponents

Head Coach Tom Billeter chases 300th Augustana win

1/24/2019 9:53:00 AM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Following an NSIC North road split last weekend, the Augustana men's basketball team returns home for a pair of games this weekend at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Vikings will take on Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday, with tip-off set for 5:30 pm, and finish up the homestand with Minnesota State on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Fans not in attendance can watch live video and stats for the weekend's games at GoAugie.com/Live.

This weekend, 16-year head coach Tom Billeter looks for his 300th career win at Augustana. Billeter is Currently 299-172 in his Viking career and 396-222 in 21 seasons overall.

The basketball games this weekend also bring a number of exciting events to the Sioux Falls Arena. On Saturday, Augustana has partnered with South Dakota Make-A-Wish for the annual Make-A-Wish game.  Fans will be able to support the efforts of Make-A-Wish by purchasing raffle tickets towards unique Augustana-themed baskets, plus fun for kids, costumed characters and more. On Sunday, Sanford Health and Augustana have teamed up to 'Celebrate the Science of Sports.' The exciting new event will feature a number of interactive scientific booths related to sports in which prizes will be awarded for participation.

Student-run support group SKOL will also be offering a free bus ride to and from the Sioux Falls Arena on Saturday, and on Sunday, world-renowned entertainer Red Panda will be performing at halftime of the men's game.

Midway through the 2018-19 season, Augustana is locked in a battle for an NSIC South division title. The Vikings are 12-6 overall and 8-4 in the conference, standing just a half game out of first place. Wayne State, whom the Vikings split the season series with, stands in first at 9-4 in the south. Sunday's game vs. Minnesota State (12-6, 8-4 NSIC South) squares up two of the top teams in the south division standings.

In last weekend's games, Augustana started off with a defeat on the road at the hands of Northern State. However, the Vikings were able to rebound and take down MSU Moorhead on Saturday - led by the strength of double-digit point totals from four starters and an 82.4 percent free throw percentage on 34 attempts.

Concordia-St. Paul (8-10, 3-9 NSIC South) sits in seventh place in the NSIC South currently and is coming off of a home weekend split that saw them defeat St. Cloud State and fall to Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota State (12-6, 8-4 NSIC South) visits Augustana following a pair of losses to both St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth.

Augustana enters the weekend as the third-best rebounding team in the NSIC, corralling 38.3 rebounds per game. The Vikings are now 12-1 while out-rebounding their opponents. As a team, they have also fared well from the free throw line this season, putting up the second-best free throw percentage in the NSIC at 78 percent. Sophomore Matt Cartwright has proved to be one of the league's best from the line, hitting 27-of-27 attempts this year.

The Vikings have seen an uptick in production from multiple players during the conference season. During 12 conference games, Cartwright has scored 18.9 points per game compared to non-conference play, where the sophomore put up 12 points per game.

Dylan LeBrun has also stepped up, contributing more than one steal per game against NSIC opponents and also increasing his rebounds per game. A.J. Plitzuweit has improved his free throw shots from 2.5 attempts per game to 3.25 attempts per game while converting them at an 88.9 percent clip.

Overall, every one of the Viking starters over the last four games is averaging at least 9 points and 3 rebounds per game. Plitzuweit (13.3 points per game, 3.9 assists), LeBrun (9.6 per game, 6.4 rebounds a game), Trevor Hanson (9.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds a game), and Michael Schaefer (11.9 points per game, 5.6 rebounds a game) round out the Vikings starting five.

Scouting Concordia-St. Paul (8-10, 3-9 NSIC South):
After a 5-24 season last year, Concordia-St. Paul has improved this season to eight wins with 10 games still to be played in the regular season. The Golden Bears sit in the seventh spot in the NSIC South and have gone 4-4 over their last eight games, including three NSIC wins.

Isaiah McKay leads Concordia-St. Paul in scoring with 19.1 points per game with 5.0 rebounds per game. Bryndan Matthews follows closely behind with 19.0 points per game and leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Series vs. the Golden Bears:
Augustana and Concordia-St. Paul's matchups date back to 2000, with the Vikings holding a 20-5 record against the Golden Bears. Augustana holds a 13 game win streak over Concordia-St. Paul which began on January 27, 2012. The last victory for the Golden Bears in the series was on January 3, 2012.

Scouting Minnesota State (12-6, 8-4 NSIC South):
Minnesota State finished last season at 24-10, including a loss to Northern State in the NCAA Central Region Championship. The Mavericks have begun this season with a 12-6 record and an 8-4 record in NSIC play. Minnesota State holds a 6-1 record away from home this season while limiting opponents to 63.9 points per game in those road affairs.

Overall, the Mavericks score 82.8 points per game which is good for second in the NSIC. Minnesota State is also second in the NSIC in defensive field goal percentage, holding opponents to a 42 percent field goal percentage.

Series vs. the Mavericks:
The series against the Mavericks is one of the longest-running matchups in Augustana history, going all the way back to 1933. Over the course of 86 years, the Vikings are 57-62 against the Mavericks. Augustana is 39-22 at home during the series, and Minnesota State holds the longest win streak at nine games, which stretched from January 22, 2005, to February 21, 2008.

Minnesota State is currently on a two-game win streak in the series with the last meeting being an overtime game which the Mavericks won 94-91.

The Fastbreak:
  • Following a 3-3 start, the Vikings have won nine of their last 12 games.
  • Augustana holds a 20-5 all-time series record vs. Concordia-St. Paul. The Vikings are 57-62 all-time vs. Minnesota State.
  • With a record of 299-172 in 16 seasons at Augustana, Tom Billeter is now just one win from 300 as a Viking.
  • Billeter is standing at 396 career wins, needing four more to reach 400.
  • Augustana is hauling in 11.6 offensive boards per game, which is second in the NSIC and has led to an average of 11 second-chance points per night.
  • Augustana's 38.3 total rebounds per game stand third in the conference.
  • The Vikings are 12-1 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 18 games, the Vikings are hitting 38.4 percent of their shots from downtown.
  • The Vikings are shooting 78 percent from the free throw line, which is second in the conference.
  • Over the last month, sharpshooter Matt Cartwright is averaging over 20 points per game.
  • Overall, Cartwright is averaging 16.6 points per night, which is 12th in the NSIC in scoring.
  • Cartwright has converted on all 27 of his free throw attempts this season.
  • Through 16 games, opponents are shooting 44.7 percent vs. the Vikings, which slots them ninth in the Northern Sun.
  • Augustana made at least one 3-point field goal in each of the last 444 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 268 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 eight points.
  • On this year's roster, the Vikings have five true freshmen, two transfers, and 10-of-the-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 percent 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 2,187 games in school history, and the program all-time record is 1,088-1,099 (.497).
  • With a 203-79 record (.720) Augustana is 20th all-time in NCAA DII winning percentage from 2010-18
 
--GoAugie.com--
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