SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Sam Rensch scored a career-high 30 points to elevate the Augustana men's basketball team to a 95-83 victory over Minnesota State on Thursday night at the Elmen Center.

With the win, the Vikings (17-7,15-4 NSIC) clinched a top-four seed in the NSIC, earning a bye and a spot in the NSIC Quarterfinals on Feb. 28-Mar. 1 at the Sanford Pentagon. It was the ninth consecutive win for AU, while the win also snapped a 10-game Maverick win streak. 

The Vikings outscored MSU (17-10, 11-8 NSIC) 46-28 in the paint while AU shot 61 percent (36 of 59) from the field and held the Mavericks to 45.1 percent (32 of 71) shooting. The Vikings also outrebounded MSU 36-31. 

Rensch shot 12 of 17 from the field and 4 of 8 from deep while collecting a team-high two steals. Tameron Ferguson had 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting while tying a career-high with 12 assists and grabbing five rebounds. 

Brady Helgren grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds while Tanner Te Slaa (two 3-pointers) and Caden Hinker (three 3-pointers) each scored 13 points and Bennett Fried added 12 points on 5 of 5 shooting.

MSU opened the scoring with a 3-pointer but the Vikings countered with a 10-3 run, starting with a Rensch dunk and ending with a Rensch 3-pointer to give AU a 10-6 lead at the 16:29 mark of the first half. 

Over the next seven minutes, MSU chipped back to take a 25-21 lead with 9:05 to go in the half. Ferguson hit a 3-pointer before five straight Maverick points gave them their largest lead of the night at 30-24 with 7:53 to play. 

Rensch ended the run with a layup and Ferguson followed with a layup. After a scoreless stretch, Hinker knocked down a 3-pointer to regain the lead at 31-30 with 5:45 to play in the first half. 

Hinker followed a Maverick jumper and Hinker countered with a layup. Helgren followed a media timeout with a free throw but MSU knocked down a 3-pointer at 4:01 to give them the lead. 

That would get erased fast when Fried got a layup and Helgren knocked down a 3-pointer in the corner, climbing to a 39-35 lead. The Vikings led by four with 1:27 to play but the Mavericks scored the final five points to take a 44-43 lead at the break. 

Te Slaa and Rensch sandwiched a Maverick 3-pointer with jumpers to even the scoring before a Te Slaa 3-pointer gave the Vikings the lead. After an MSU layup, Te Slaa got a layup and Rensch knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to blow the top off the Elmen Center and give the Vikings a 58-49 lead at the 16:02 mark. 

MSU fought back within five before a Fried dunk and Fried layup on consecutive Viking possessions brought the lead back to 64-55 with 13 minutes to play. After alternating baskets, Ferguson went on a five point spurt and Te Slaa followed an MSU jumper with six points on two possessions to bring the lead to 77-61 with 9:12 to go. 

Fried free throws after a Maverick free throw gave the Vikings their largest lead of the game at 79-62. MSU spent the next four minutes on a 12-2 run, clawing back to 81-74 with 5:10 to play. 

With the Viking lead at seven points with 4:30 to go. Rensch put the game to rest. He scored seven straight Viking points over the next 2:18 of action to bring the lead to 90-79. That was enough to put the game out of reach as AU outscored MSU 5-4 the rest of the way, bringing the game to its final score. 

The Vikings close the weekend Saturday, hosting St. Cloud State at 3:30 p.m., in the Elmen Center