SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana men's basketball team closes 2022 with a New Year's Eve contest at Wayne State on Saturday. Tipoff with the Wildcats is slated for 3:30 p.m.
 
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app. The app can be downloaded in the app store or Google Play.
 
About the Wildcats
Wayne State has shown every bit why it was picked atop the NSIC South Division with its 10-3 overall record and 5-2 mark in the NSIC. The Wildcats hold a 5-1 record on their home floor with the lone setback being a 91-78 loss in the season opener to an NCAA Tournament team of Southeastern Oklahoma State.
 
As he has the past three seasons, Jordan Janssen is Wayne State's leader with his 20.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. His supporting cast of Nate Mohr and Justin Eagins add in 14.5 and 12.9 points per game, respectively. Jansen is coming off his second NSIC South Division Player of the Week honor after he averaged 22.5 points and 13 rebounds per game prior to the holiday break in wins over Winona State and Upper Iowa.
 
Wayne State, the NSIC South Division leaders, snuck by the Vikings in the NSIC opener on Nov. 22, 69-61. In that game, Akoi Akoi was 8-for-11 from the field for 19 points. Janssen recorded a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds for WSC.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana is coming off back-to-back overtime contests including a two-overtime setback to Winona State, 82-79, prior to the holiday break on Dec. 18. On the 17^th, the Vikings topped Upper Iowa, 99-98, behind a career-high 24 points from Akoi. Isaac Fink had his best game of the season with 21 points while Ryan Miller and Jadan Graves added 17 and 16 points, respectfully. It was Graves' runner that lifted AU to victory with 5.4 seconds remaining.
 
Augustana, 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the NSIC, has found a scoring spark in Akoi with his team-best 12.9 points per game. He is joined in double-figure scoring by Miller's 12.8 and Graves' 12.2 points per game. Akoi is scoring at a 57.3 percent clip, a mark that ranks fourth in the NSIC and 49^th in the nation. Fink is the team leader in rebounds at 7.4 per game.
 
One Last Thing
Augustana played back-to-back overtime contests for the first time since the 2017-18 season. In that campaign, the Vikings went into overtime with Sioux Falls and Minnesota State, albeit, six days apart. The Vikings have never played three-straight overtime contests.