Box Score Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The 16^th ranked Augustana Vikings led from start to finish – taking the lead six seconds into the contest and never relinquishing it – outlasting a persistent Northern State squad by a final score of 76-68 Saturday evening in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball action.
 
The win allowed Augustana to maintain their unblemished conference record and move to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the loop.  NSU slipped to 6-2 on the season and an even 2-2 in conference play.
 
Cameron McCaffrey put the Vikings on the board in the game's first six seconds, drilling a three-pointer from the right corner for the first three of his team-best 20 points.
 
It was a lead the Wolves could never recover.  Augustana stretched its lead to double digits late in the half before NSU closed the first half on a 5-0 run to make it a 36-30 game at the break.  The Wolves cut it to two in the early going of the second half on a pair of Seth Bachand free throws that made it 42-40.
 
The Vikings responded with a Yuriy Malashenko trey, and kept it at a 2-or-more possession game the rest of the way.  NSU crept within four on four occasions, but each time the Vikings responded with a bucket or free throws – or both – on their ensuing possession to keep the Wolves at bay.
 
The Wolves, however, refused to go away despite three straight free throws that gave the Vikings a ten-point lead (72-62) with 38 seconds left.  The Wolves responded with a Jared Hannigan trey, then capitalized on two missed free throws by Augustana's Drae Murray with a made free throw by Alex Thomas that cut it to 72-66 at the 30-second mark.
 
Forced to foul to stop the clock, NSU watched McCaffrey drain four straight free throws down the stretch while misfiring on a flurry of hurried shots on the offensive end of the court.  Thomas finally hit a late jumper at the buzzer for the final two NSU points, but it was too little, too late for the Wolves.
 
Junior Collin Pryor led the way for the Wolves with his 20-point, 7-rebound effort.  Dustin Tetzlaff added 14 points and five boards, while Hannigan added 10 and six, respectively.  Thomas finished with nine points, eight boards and two of the Wolves' four team blocks.
 
The Wolves held pre-season All-American and NSIC Player of the Year Cody Shilling to just 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.  Shilling had six rebounds and five assists to aid the Viking effort.
 
NSU went 26-for-54 from the field, outshooting the Vikings' 24-of-56 performance, but would not keep up with Augustana's 10-for-27 clip from long range.  NSU was just 2-for-12 from beyond the arc, both coming from the hand of Hannigan.
 
The Wolves go back on the road for their final two games of the 2011 calendar year, traveling to Bemidji State and Minnesota-Duluth next Friday and Saturday, respectively.  Game time is set for 8 p.m. on Friday and at 6 p.m. in Duluth.