SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana men's basketball team plays a home game for the first time in four contests as the Vikings host No. 16 Minot State Thursday night. The game will be inside the Sanford Pentagon with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
 
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the App Store or Google Play. 
 
About the Beavers
Minot State, ranked for the first time in its NCAA Division II history this season, has been the surprise of the NSIC after being tabbed ninth. With their 15-3 overall record, the Beavers are 10-2 in the NSIC, good enough for third place in the current standings.
 
Minot State is coming off a weekend that saw it topple the nation's No. 1 ranked team, Minnesota State, 81-71. After MiSU defeated Winona State the following night, Connor Hollenbeck was named the NSIC Player of the Week.
 
Khari Broadway leads the way for Minot State with 14.7 points per game while dishing a team-best 53 assists over 18 games. Hollenbeck chips in 11.1 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game. The final Beaver in double-figure scoring is Jaxon Gunville with his 10.4 points per outing while sinking a team-best 50 3-point baskets.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana is on a tear of late, having won five-straight games to push its record to 12-7. Within the NSIC, AU is 7-6 after another weekend sweep, this time at Bemidji State (98-77) and St. Cloud State (77-66).
 
As he has all year, Isaac Fink leads AU in scoring at 18 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He is joined in double-figure scoring by Jadan Graves and his 15.4 points per outing. Graves leads the NSIC with his 52 made 3-point field goals.
 
Over the run of five-straight wins, Fink has held his average at 18 points while Graves has upped his scoring average every so slightly to 16.2 points per game. The big gain is Caden Hinker as he has averaged 10.6 points and 7.4 rebounds over the stretch while the Vikings have shot 49.2 percent from the field. Defensively over that same stretch, opponents shoot just 37.2 percent, moving the Vikings into the win column.
 
One Last Thing
The contest is a clash of the NSIC's two teams with the longest winning streaks. Minot State enters with a seven-game streak while the Vikings have won five in a row. After the Vikings' streak, no team in the NSIC has won more than two-straight games.