SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. – Augustana men's basketball put together an inspired second-half surge, but an early deficit proved too much to overcome in an 85–72 setback to nationally ranked Northwest Missouri State on Saturday afternoon.

Tameron Ferguson went 12-for-16 from the floor for 27 points with four rebounds and three assists. His 27 points mark the highest output for a Viking this season. Caden Hinker battled for a strong double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, including 10 defensive boards, and provided key second-half scoring.

Sam Rensch's defensive spark helped fuel Augustana's comeback attempts while he also collected 13 points. Brady Helgren also had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Northwest Missouri State came out firing—building a 22-point lead late in the first half and shooting a scorching 55.8% from the field for the game. The Vikings, however, responded with resilience, outscoring the Bearcats 39–37 after halftime behind a more aggressive offensive approach and improved paint scoring.

Northwest Missouri State opened the game hitting six first-half threes and converting 12-of-12 free throws to seize a 48–33 advantage at the break. Aiden Gair led the early push, scoring 15 of his team-high 20 first-half points before finishing with 20 total.

Despite the deficit, the Vikings found success inside. Augustana tallied 18 points in the paint in the opening frame, led by Tameron Ferguson, who poured in 15 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting. Sam Rensch and Caden Hinker also contributed steady interior scoring to keep the Vikings within striking distance.

Augustana came out of the locker room with renewed energy, stringing together a 10–3 run to cut the deficit to 10 just three minutes into the half. The Vikings shot 48.6% in the final period and went 28-for-46 inside the arc for the game (65%).

A series of plays from Ferguson, Rensch, and Hinker tightened the contest multiple times: Rensch's steal and transition layup brought the Vikings to within 50-40 early in the half. Hinker's three-pointer with 7:50 remaining cut the margin to 69–59. Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola's layup trimmed it to 71–61 moments later.

Ultimately, Northwest Missouri State countered each push. Robert Garcia scored 16 points—including a pair of big second-half threes—while Matthew Mayes added 15 off the bench to help stabilize the Bearcat lead.

The Vikings return to action on Friday, taking on South Dakota Mines at 5:30 p.m., in Moorhead, Minnesota.