SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana men's basketball team (17-8, 15-5 NSIC) saw their nine-game win streak come to an end, falling 87-80 to NSIC Champion St. Cloud State (21-5,18-2 NSIC) on Saturday afternoon at the Elmen Center.
Tameron Ferguson led the team with 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Tanner Te Slaa had 18 points to go with seven rebounds and
Caden Hinker had 13 points.
Brady Helgren added 10 points and six rebounds while
Bennett Fried had six rebounds to go with three points.
The Huskies started the game off strong, scoring six points before a basket from
Brady Helgren. The Vikings and the Huskies found a few traded baskets but the Huskies found a 15-6 lead, 3:35 into the game.
Augustana found a groove out of the media timeout after a 3-pointer from
Tanner Te Slaa followed by a free throw from
Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola. After a basket from SCSU,
Sam Rensch found his first 3-pointer of the night, then grabbed a steal on the next possession to turn it into a slam dunk.
After a scoreless bit, Te Slaa converted two free throws to tie the game, before taking the lead with a layup. The Huskies tied it back up with two free throws but Augustana quickly took the lead back with a layup from Helgren. The Huskies once again tied up the game at 23 a piece and then took the lead with a free throw.
Tameron Ferguson found the scoring momentum again for the Vikings hitting a 3-pointer to take the lead. Augustana kept chipping away at the lead, hitting an 8-0 lead before two free throws from SCSU.
Ferguson hit a jumper followed by a bucket from Helgren. Out of a media timeout, the Huskies and Vikings traded free throws with SCSU converting four and Helgren converting two.
The Huskies brought the score to 37-32 after a layup but couldn't grasp the lead as
Bennett Fried hit his first three points of the night. SCSU and Augustana went basket for basket adding a 3-pointer from Ferguson and a layup from Te Slaa.
With 45 seconds left in the first half, Ferguson converted an and-one to grab his 14th point of the night. Augustana scored two more points before the Huskies hit a jumper at the buzzer.
The second half started with the Vikings after a quick layup from Te Slaa but SCSUimmediately answered with three of their own. Te Slaa took off from there scoring another layup for his 16th point of the game. It was another quick answer from SCSU with two but Ferguson drew and converted an and-one for the Vikings.
The Vikings and Huskies swapped baskets before
Caden Hinker hit two back-to-back 3-pointers leading to a timeout called by SCSU.
Out of the timeout, the Huskies scored first with two 3-pointers before a layup from Ferguson. The Huskies started a spark beyond the arc hitting two more 3-pointers with a layup from Ferguson in between. Westmoreland-Vendiola threw one down before a score from SCSU and a media timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Huskies hit a jumper and laid down a dunk to bring the Vikings lead to 69-67. Hinker drew a charge leading to two points from Ferguson. The Huskies kept close, converting an and-one to bring the score 71-70, Augustana.
SCSU found their first lead since early in the first half after hitting a 3-pointer. Helgren quickly tied it back up with a layup but the Huskies took the lead again after scoring two. Te Slaa tied it back up with a floater before a media timeout with 4:01 to go in the game.
Following the timeout, the Huskies snagged the lead again with a 3-pointer before Hinker hit his 10th point of the game. SCSU answered back with two back-to-back baskets extending their lead to 82-77 with 40 seconds left to play.
After an SCSU timeout, the Huskies scored two more points with 28 seconds left. Hinker found his third 3-pointer of the night to bring the Vikings within five of the Huskies. That wouldn't be enough as the Huskies knocked down a pair of free throws to bring the game to its final score.
Up Next
The Vikings will play one more road game in the regular season, taking on Southwest Minnesota State on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
