SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - In a double overtime thriller down South Summit Avenue, the Augustana men's basketball team outlasted Sioux Falls 108-106 on Saturday afternoon in the Stewart Center. 

The Vikings (5-3 overall, 3-0 NSIC) shot 57.1 percent from the field and knocked down 29 of 38 free throws while holding the Cougars (2-6, 0-3)  to 44.8 percent from the field and outscoring USF 18-7 on the fast break and 52-40 in the paint. 

Tameron Ferguson powered the offense with 28 points, seven assists and four rebounds while Sam Rensch added 24 points, nine boards and four assists to go with three steals. Tanner Te Slaa continued his dominant stretch with 22 points while Bennett Fried tallied 17 points and three blocks. Caden Hinker rounded out the starting five with 12 points and a game-high five blocks to anchor the defense. 

The Vikings trailed for most of the first half as the Cougars set the tone early with efficient offense from Taylen Ashley and Camden Davis, building a lead that grew to double figures. Sioux Falls shot confidently from the floor and controlled the pace, taking a 49-39 advantage into halftime and keeping Augustana in catch-up mode.

That changed quickly after the break. Augustana came out firing, attacking inside and pushing in transition to erase the deficit. Ferguson anchored the rally with steady scoring in the paint and at the line, and the Vikings' perimeter threats started to hit on time. 

As the Cougars' lead shrank possession by possession, Te Slaa and Rensch delivered key 3-pointers to pull Augustana even, and the game settled into a back-and-forth shootout. The Vikings' efficiency after halftime — highlighted by a 69% second-half shooting clip — flipped the momentum and turned a 10-point hole into a tie game at 74-74 with 8:44 to play.

Regulation ended with neither team able to create separation as the Vikings used elite shot making and the Cougars used success at the free-throw line to bounce back and forth. USFhad a late chance to finish the game, but after a frantic final sequence both sides were level at 90-90, sending it to overtime.

The first extra period followed the script of the closing minutes: trading baskets, matching free throws, and no lead safely in hand. Fried ended up being the hero with three second to go, knocking down a pair at the stripe in the final seconds to force a second overtime, knotting the score at 99.

In the second overtime, the game turned into a free-throw fest. Augustana took just four shots while taking nine free throws, knocking down seven of them. USF ended up with six free throw attempts, making just one while going 3 of 12 from the field and 0 of 4 from the free throw line. 

In the final nine seconds, Te Slaa knocked down a free throw to put the Vikings ahead by two. USF had a shot at the buzzer for the win, but a close out from Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola helped force the shot off the mark and move the Vikings to 3-0 in conference play. 

The Vikings continue its road late on Thursday, taking on St. Cloud State at 5:30 p.m.