LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Augustana men's basketball found itself ahead early, but were unable to climb back from a halftime deficit in the season-opening game at the NSIC/GAC Challenge as the Vikings fell to Arkansas-Monticello, 62-51, on Friday afternoon.
Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola led AU as he scored 11 points, went 7-of-12 at the free-throw line and collected seven rebounds, including six offensive boards.
Bennett Fried also hit double figures as he finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and one block.
Markus Talley recorded eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals and
Isaac Nyakundi added seven points, five rebounds, two steals and one block.
As a team, the Vikings shot 29.6-percent from the floor (8-of-27), 44.4-percent from behind the arc (4-of-9) and 40.0-percent at the free throw line (4-of-10). Augustana found 22 points in the paint while pulling down 39 rebounds off the glass and dishing out seven assists.
Nyakundi's 3-pointer started the scoring for the Vikings, and Fried added a layup and a 3-pointer as the Vikings moved ahead 8-2 early in the first half. The Vikings later led 16-11 after a
Jonathan Caicedo layup and a Westmoreland-Vendiola fast-break layup, but UAM worked back to tie the game at 16 on a 3-pointer and moved in front 20-16 after an inside bucket and a pair of free throws.
Talley answered with a 3-pointer at 4:36, and
JJ Ferrin hit another at 3:15 to put the Vikings ahead 22-20. The Weevils tied it on a layup, went back in front on another 3-pointer at 1:48 before closing the half with the final nine points to lead 33-24.
The Vikings opened the second half with Talley's steal and two Westmoreland-Vendiola free throws to make it 33-26, but Arkansas-Monticello answered with a pair of buckets and later moved ahead 45-29 on a jumper at 14:46. Fried scored inside to bring the Vikings to 45-32, but a long-range shot pushed UAM to 50-32 before Caicedo, Nyakundi and Talley helped the Vikings work back to 52-40 by the 8:43 mark.
The Weevils stretched the margin again by scoring at 7:32 and 4:57, though Fried's layup and a Ferrin 3-pointer pulled the Vikings within 56-45 at 3:33. Westmoreland-Vendiola added a steal and fast-break layup to make it 56-47 with 1:59 left, but Arkansas-Monticello converted late free throws around Talley's 3-pointer and finished off a 62-51 win.
UP NEXT
Augustana men's basketball will close out its opening weekend and appearance at the NSIC/GAC Challenge by facing Ouachita Baptist on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m. in Little Rock, Ark.
--GoAugie.com--
