SPEARFISH, S.D. – Matt Cartwright scored the game-winning basket as the Augustana men's basketball team topped Black Hills State 83-82 Friday night. Cartwright's basket with 1.9 left on the clock gave the Vikings the win on the opening night of the East/West Challenge in Spearfish, South Dakota.
 
"We played a very good basketball team tonight," head coach Tom Billeter said. "They controlled the lead for most of the night. I am proud of our guys over the last 10 minutes. They really came together both offensively and defensively."
 
Augustana improves to 3-0 while Black Hills State falls to 1-2.
 
The Vikings trailed by 14 points with 15:39 remaining in the game but used a 16-2 run to knot the game at 60 with 8:51 remaining. Cartwright dished to Beau Keeve for the game-tying 3-point basket.
 
From there, the shootout was on as both squads traded baskets with the separation never reaching more than three points until a Michael Schaefer layup pushed Augie's lead to five at 76-71. An 8-0 run from BHSU gave the Yellow Jackets the lead back at 79-76, but it was to no avail as Cartwright took over and hit the game-winning basket to keep the Vikings' record unblemished.

He called game. @MC___23 with the game-winner 😤#BuildingChampions pic.twitter.com/vlB0EJiTeX

— AugieMensBball (@AugieMensBball) November 16, 2019

 
Cartwright tallied a game-high 29 points while Tyler Riemersma totaled 14 points and eight rebounds. Augustana shot 46.8 percent from the field and sank 12-of-24 shots from 3-point land. Eight of those made long-range baskets came in the second half when the Vikings shot 59.4 percent from the field.
 
Black Hills State was led by Joel Scott with 23 points as the Yellow Jackets shot 51.6 percent from the field but were just 9-of-31 from deep.
 
For the third-straight game, the Vikings won the rebounding battle at 36-31.
 
Augustana won't have long to celebrate the victory as it turns around to face South Dakota Mines on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
 
"We've got to enjoy the win for about five minutes then get ready for a very good Mines team that took Northern to the wire tonight," Billeter added.
 
In the first game of the East/West Challenge, Northern State topped South Dakota Mines 69-63. All games of the 2019 East/West Challenge are taking place inside the Young Center in Spearfish, South Dakota.