MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Augustana men's basketball team got off to a quick start against the No. 25 team in NCAA Division II but was unable to hold on in a 76-57 loss at MSU Moorhead Saturday evening.
 
The Vikings (7-9, 3-7 NSIC) took a 4-0 deficit and flipped that into a 9-6 advantage in the opening minutes. That lead stretched to a 13-8 lead thanks to a Caden Hinker 3-point basket and Ryan Miller free throw.
 
Augustana carried that lead to a 20-15 advantage thanks to a trey from Miller and jumpers from Hinker and Isaac Fink.
 
MSU Moorhead (13-2, 8-1 NSIC) stormed back to knot the game at 20 and then pushed a 31-22 halftime lead thanks to a 17-2 run to close the opening half.
 
After the Dragons added to their lead at the start of the second half to take a 35-22 lead, Augustana made a move to fight back. Fink made back-to-back 3-point baskets followed by a Jadan Graves layup to pull the Vikings within five points at 35-30 with 17:04 remaining.
 
The two squads then traded baskets; first 3-point baskets followed by a pair of two-point shots heading into the media timeout. However, the five-point deficit was the closest Augustana would get as the Dragons turned up the heat and pushed a 15-point lead with 8:23 remaining in the game.
 
The final score settled at 76-57.
 
Fink nearly accumulated a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds while adding four assists. Miller totaled 13 points and three steals. Augustana had one of its best 3-point shooting performances of the year, shooting 47.1 percent from long range on 8-of-17 shooting.
 
Augustana returns to its home floor for the first time in 2023 as it hosts UMary and Minot State on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in the Sanford Pentagon. Friday's game is slated for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday is a 5:30 p.m. start.