MOORHEAD, Minn. – It was a delayed start to the 2020-21 season for the Augustana men's basketball team but it was worth it. Ranked 16^th in the nation, the Vikings traveled to MSU Moorhead prevailing 74-69 Saturday afternoon. The contest is a nonconference battle under the revised NSIC schedule for 2021.
 
The Vikings shot just over 45 percent from the field for the game and were led by juniors Matt Todd and Michael Schaefer, who each poured in 20 points. Senior Tyler Riemersma added 18 points.
 
Augustana built a lead to nine points in the middle of the first half, the largest it would have in the game, much in part to 12 first-half points from Schaefer. The Vikings entered intermission leading by four at 29-25.
 
It was the second half that saw Riemersma tally 15 points while Todd added 13 as the contest turned into a back-and-forth affair with eight lead changes and seven ties.
 
The Dragons came out of halftime and immediately went on an 8-0 run. That set the tone for the remainder of the contest as neither team was able to grab a stronghold of a lead that it would keep.
 
Trailing 59-57, Todd sank a 3-point field goal that gave the Vikings the lead with 6:42 on the clock. Although the lead would not balloon as it had in the first half, Augustana never lost the lead again en route to the victory.
 
An exclamation point came off the hands of junior Jameson Bryan with 1:30 remaining. Schaefer secured an offensive rebound and found Bryan open on the perimeter for a wide-open trey, pushing the lead to 71-65.
 
After sinking free throws down the stretch, the Vikings moved to 1-0 with the 74-69 victory. The win marks the fifth-straight season Augustana opened the year with a victory.
 
Schaefer led AU with seven rebounds while Riemermsa and Isaac Fink each tallied six.
 
Lorenzo McGhee led MSUM with 14 points.
 
Under the scheduling format for 2021, Augustana and MSU Moorhead will do battle again on Sunday in Moorhead. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game can be viewed on the NSIC Network.