SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana men's basketball team begins NSIC action Saturday at Wayne State in Wayne, Nebraska. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Rice Auditorium.
 
The Game
The Vikings and Wildcats open NSIC action against one another for the eighth-straight year. Augustana is 6-5 in the first game of the NSIC season while holding a 165-73 mark in NSIC action.
 
The Wildcats
Wayne State is 3-5 on the season but has won three-straight contests after starting the year 0-5. The Wildcats opened the season at the CCA Division II Tip-Off Classic in California and then traveled to Shawnee, Oklahoma, for the NSIC/GAC Challenge. After those five contests, WSC made its home debut against Nebraska Christian, claiming its first win of the season. Wayne State also collected wins over Concordia (Neb.) and Central Missouri.
 
In the most recent win, a 73-63 triumph over Central Missouri, the Wildcats were led by Jordan Janssen and Nick Ferrarini, who each tallied 20 points. Janssen accounted for 20 points and 11 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Janssen claimed the NSIC South Division Player of the Week for his efforts.
 
For the season, Janssen leads Wayne State with 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He shoots at a 52.7-percent clip. Ferrarini is second on the team with 14.6 points per contest while Nate Mohr and Al'Tavius Jackson also reach double-digit scoring at 11.3 points per game, each.
 
The Vikings
Augustana is 5-1 on the season after closing out its nonconference season with a pair of wins at home inside the Elmen Center. The Vikings are coming off a 110-89 win over Buena Vista and an 88-48 toppling of Nebraska Christian. In the contest against BVU, Matt Todd tallied 34 points to lead all scorers while Michael Schaefer scored a game-high 13 points against NCC.
 
Matt Cartwright, who missed the two home contests, leads the Vikings with 23.5 points per game. Todd chips in 12.0 points per contest while Schaefer averages 11.7 points per game. Tyler Riemersma, who averages 9.2 points per game, tops the team with 8.3 rebounds per outing.
 
Augustana is 2-0 in true road games in 2019-20, claiming victories over Central Missouri and Black Hills State. The Vikings claimed a 76-72 win over Central Missouri on the season's opening weekend while claiming a win over BHSU 83-82 on Cartwright's game-winning jump shot.
 
Who to Watch For
Sophomore Matt Todd reeled off 34 points in the Vikings' win over Buena Vista Nov. 21. The native of Monticello, Minnesota, went 7-of-10 from 3-point range and made 11 field goals as part of the 34 points. He is the second active Viking with a 30-point game under his belt. Cartwright is the other, as the junior poured in 37 points last season against Minnesota Crookston. 
 
One Last Thing
The beginning of NSIC action is a good time to remind everyone that Augustana holds the NSIC record for league wins in a season. The Vikings racked up 21 wins in the 2015-16 season en route to a conference champion, a prelude to the National Championship.