SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – It was an eighth-straight win for the No. 11 Augustana men's basketball team as the Vikings held off Winona State 64-60 Friday night inside the Sanford Pentagon. The win moves AU to 18-2 on the year and 12-2 in the NSIC. The Warriors fall to 13-7, 9-6.
 
Although Augustana led for all but 1:14 of the game, it was a suspenseful ending as both teams ran a short bench over the final 10 minutes and each team traded blow-for-blow in a game that led up to its billing between the best two scoring defenses in the league.
 
Augustana led 50-41 with 9:48 remaining in the game and saw that shrink to just a basket with 10 seconds on the clock. Luke Martens made a layup and was fouled in the action, making an old-fashioned 3-point play to allow WSU to pull within two points at 62-60.
 
Forced to foul on the inbounds pass, the Warriors sent Isaac Fink to the charity stripe, where he calmly sank both free throws to secure the 64-60 win.
 
Throughout the game, the Vikings led but could not create separation. However, it was 17 points each from Tyler Riemersma and Adam Dykman to hold the lead while the defense did the rest. Riemersma secured 19 rebounds for his 10^th double-double of 2021-22.
 
Joining the duo in double-figure scoring was Dylan LeBrun with 13 points. It was his fifth point of the game, a made layup, that gave him 1,000 points in his career. LeBrun is the third Viking in 2021-22 to reach 1,000 points at Augustana, joining Dykman and Riemersma. He is the 37^th all-time at AU and the 13^th under head coach Tom Billeter.
 
For the game, Augustana shot 46.3 percent from the field, making 25-of-54 field goal attempts. The Warriors shot 41.7 percent on 25-of-60 made baskets. Martens concluded the game for WSU with 22 points, a game-high effort.
 
As the score would indicate, it was a battle throughout with each team scoring 36 points in the paint, Augustana scoring just a single point more on turnovers, and the Warriors scoring just two extra points on second chances.
 
Entering the game No. 4 nation with a 4.10-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, Jameson Bryan improved upon that with four assists and zero turnovers.
 
Augustana is now set for a Top-25 showdown Saturday inside the Elmen Center against Upper Iowa. The Peacocks enter with a No. 19 national ranking as the Vikings look to avenge a loss on Dec. 17 against UIU in Fayette, Iowa.
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