The University of Minnesota Duluth played strong in the first half but could not keep pace with No. 2 Augustana (S.D.) University's big men, as the Bulldogs fell 95-66 against the Vikings in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on the road in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. UMD (13-5, 9-3 NSIC, R.V.) fell two nights in a row on the weekend, just the first time all year the team had failed to bounce back after a defeat.

Junior center Jake Harder saw himself playing a season-high 15 minutes in just the first half as head coach Matt Bowen went to him to match up against the defending NSIC Player of the Year Daniel Jansen. This kept Jansen in check, at least in comparison to the Bulldogs' meetings with the Vikings last season, as he had nine points at the break. Sophomore guard Kyle Schalow hit a trio of three-pointers in the first half, helping UMD keep pace with Augustana (15-1, 12-0 NSIC) through much of the period. The teams were knotted up at 30 with 5:00 remaining in the half, but the Bulldogs went quiet as the Vikings opened up a seven-point lead at 40-33 with a 10-3 run down the stretch.

Unfortunately for UMD, Augustana built on that lead early in the second half as Jansen and fellow big man Casey Schilling took control, scoring 21 and 23 points as the Vikings extended their lead out to 12 with 9:24 remaining in the half. With the game in control heading to the final minutes, coach Bowen took out his big three - senior guards Taylor Lavery and Pierre Newton and Schalow, who each had 12+ points on the night - and gave way to the reserves, allowing Augustana to pull away to an eventually 29-point margin. Harder finished with a team-high six rebounds while Jansen and Schilling each rounded out a double-double with 11 boards on the night.

Luckily for the Bulldogs, they'll have a chance to shake off the weekend as UMD returns to the friendly confines of Romano Gym for a four-game homestand starting next Friday night against Minot State University. Opening tip is set for 8:00 p.m., following the women's contest.