Men's basketball misses out on semifinals of NSIC tournament

The No. 7 Augustana men’s basketball team fell short 88-74 in the quarterfinals of the NSIC tournament at the Sanford Pentagon to No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth on March 2, solidifying an overall record of 19-11 for the 2023-2024 season. 

The game started slow with the Vikings making just one basket in the first three minutes until they gained momentum going 4-of-4 from behind the arch, going on a 14-6 run to take a 16-12 lead. 

“UMD is a very mature team,” freshman forward Caden Kirkman said. “Their experience and chemistry shows a lot on the court. They can really get you out of your comfort zone.” 

Both teams traded baskets and with a little over three minutes left in the first half, the score was tied at 36. The Bulldogs went on a 10-point unanswered run to end half with a 46-36 lead. 

“Duluth’s game plan and team was able to switch and guard our perimeter and inside players,” fifth-year Bennett Otto said. “They did a good job of making us shoot contested shots.”

Coming out of the break, the Bulldogs extended their lead 54-40. The Vikings began to come back, cutting the score to just six points after fifth-year guard Isaac Fink got to the charity stripe and converted the 3-point play. 

After getting a stop on the next possession, Fink was sent to the line again, where he made both free throws and cut the Bulldogs’ lead to four. 

The Bulldogs remained unphased and went on an 8-0 run to put the score at 67-55. With 9:31 left in the second half, the Vikings stopped the bleeding with a layup by sophomore forward Caden Hinker. 

“They were very physical and they have a great player in [fifth-year guard] Drew Blair,” head coach Tom Billeter said. “You can guard him with length or speed, but whoever you guard him with, it’s just hard because he’s just a great player.”

The Vikings went on another run and cut the Bulldog lead to just seven with 4:31 left in the game. UMD shut down the Viking comeback, going on a 7-0 run and securing the 88-74 victory.

“I think [NSIC] was the best division II league in the nation. I mean top to bottom all year had at least four teams ranked the entire year,” Billeter said.

The Vikings opened the first round of the NSIC tournament with a 75-62 victory over Wayne State College at the Elmen Center on Feb. 26. 

A close first 15 minutes saw the score tied at 22, but the Vikings rallied to go   

on a 10-0 run late in the first half. Augustana hung on to that 10-point lead going into the break at 38-28.

In the second half, the Vikings kept the Wildcats at bay for the first10 minutes before going on a 9-2 run to put the lead at 57-40. 

Hinker found freshman guard Arhman Lewis wide open from deep to extend the lead to 17 points. 

Wayne State’s offense was struggling for most of the second half before it made a 16-4 run and made it a two-possession game. 

Augustana, leading by just five, needed a spark and found it from Fink. He drew a foul and went 2-for-2 from the line, giving the Vikings a seven-point advantage. 

“Winning in the Elmen was electric,” Kirkman said. “It was the first time I really saw our student section packed and loud.”

The Vikings shut down the Wildcats’ offensive players, holding them to just six points the rest of the night and recording the 75-62 victory.