MARSHALL, Minn. – Augustana University held a 45-34 rebound advantage while limiting Southwest Minnesota State to a season-low 36 percent shooting in earning a 64-60 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's college basketball on Thursday night inside the R/A Facility.
 
Augustana, which improves to 5-3 overall, 1-1 NSIC, earned its ninth straight victory in the series and has now won eight straight games inside the R/A Facility.
 
SMSU drops to 4-2 overall, 1-1 NSIC, with both losses coming at home. Prior to tonight, SMSU's season-low shooting was 42 percent in its NSIC opening victory last Tuesday versus Sioux Falls.
 
Jake Phipps led the Mustangs with 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting and 4 of 4 on free throws while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Cliff McCray was the only other Mustang in double figure scoring with 11 points on 4 of 15 shooting. SMSU's leading scorer coming into the game, Dunwa Omot, was limited to eight points on 2 of 12 shooting.
 
The Mustangs made 20 of 56 field goals in the game, including just 5 of 18 from 3-point range.
 
The Vikings were led by Jaden Graves' 16 points on 7 of 15 shooting, while Akoi Akoi added 15 points and eight rebounds. AU closed the game shooting 40 percent (25 of 62) from the field, including 7 of 22 from 3-point range.
 
The Vikings scored the game's first seven points before Majok Majouk finally snapped SMSU's scoreless streak with a 3-pointer at the 16:53 mark.
 
AU would later build a 17-7 advantage before SMSU rallied with a 13-0 run to take its first lead of the game. Omot started the run with a jumper and was followed by three straight 3-pointers by Sam Schwartz, Anthony Costello and Phipps to put SMSU in the lead at 18-17. Omot would later add a pair of free throws with 10:10 left in the half to push the lead to 20-17.   
 
The game would remain tight for the remainder of the half with SMSU holding a slim 32-29 lead with 2:31 left following a layup by Phipps. AU however would end the half on an 8-2 run to take a 37-34 lead into halftime.
 
The Vikings would start the second half on an 8-3 run in the opening five minutes to extend the lead to 45-37. McCray would help rally the Mustangs with a pair of field goals along with a 3-pointer by Mason Lund to spark a 7-0 run and trim the deficit to 45-44 with 13:20 left in the game.
 
AU would continue to hold off each SMSU charge for the remainder of the game as the Mustangs had numerous chances to regain the lead. The Mustangs cut the Vikings lead to one-point on six different occasions in the final 14 minutes of the game. Anthony Costello would make a pair of free throws with 9:10 on the clock to pull SMSU to within 51-50, but AU countered with a pair of field goals to take a 55-50 advantage with 7:30 left.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away as Jakob Braaten hit a jumper and Phipps made two free throws to make the score 55-54 with 6:30 remaining.
 
An offensive rebound and dunk by Majouk would cut the Vikings lead at 57-56 with just under four minutes left, but Ryan Miller drilled a 3-pointer to extend the AU advantage to 60-56.
 
Phipps would come through with two more free throws at the 1:43 mark to cut the AU advantage to 61-60 and following a stop on the other end the Mustangs had another chance to take the lead. With a minute remaining, however, McCray missed a layup and the put-back attempt by Phipps rolled off with the Vikings securing the rebound.  
 
Graves would answer on its next possession banking in a field goal with the shot clock winding down with 32 seconds left in the game to build a 63-60 lead. Omot missed a jumper moments later and the Vikings grabbed the rebound to secure the win.
 
SMSU continues conference play on Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. match-up at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb.