A late surge by the Augustana Vikings lifted them over the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustang men’s basketball team. The run was sparked by a field goal with just a minute left on the clock, followed by six free throws. The Vikings took the game 70-65.
The Mustangs were led by Jordan Miller, who scored 24 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Miller shot 50 percent on the night, but sank just 2 of 10 attempts from behind the arc. Miller’s 24 points helped him surpass SMSU’s Charlie Taylor (1981-83) to become eighth on SMSU’s all-time scoring list. Thus far, Miller has recorded 1,238 points.
Lavione West rounded out the Mustangs’ double-digit scoring, recording 11 points on the night. As a team, the Mustangs shot 48 percent from the field and committed 14 turnovers.
The Mustangs held a lead for the majority of the first six minutes of playing time before the Vikings drained a 3-pointer. This would be the start of a 12-2 run for the Vikings, giving them a 23-15 advantage, their largest lead of the half.
After going scoreless for nearly four minutes, SMSU’s West made a field goal, cutting the deficit to 23-17. It was a back-and-forth battle between the Mustangs and the Vikings for the remainder of the half until Miller connected on five points in the final minute of the half.
The Vikings managed two six-point leads during the second half. One of which came with just over 12 minutes remaining. A 12-0 run by the Mustangs gave them their first lead of the half. The run was sparked by Miller, who drained a jumper, followed by six points from Tramel Barnes to give SMSU a 47-45 lead. A dunk by Miller pushed the Mustangs’ lead to 49-45. West ended the run with a field goal, giving the Mustangs a 51-45 lead.
A Vikings fought back to tie the game at 53-53. Miller connected on a 3-pointer when the game was tied at 57. Five consecutive points from the Vikings gave them a 62-60 lead, followed by a field goal by Miller to tie the game once again. A layup from the Vikings gave them the lead, and, ultimately, the win. Vinard Birch connected on one of two free throws, but the Mustangs would go scoreless for the remainder of the game.
With the loss, the Mustangs fall to an overall record of 4-5 and 1-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Vikings improve to a perfect 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the NSIC.