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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Things weren’t looking great for the Beavers early in the second half.

The Bemidji State men’s basketball trailed Augustana 39-26 heading into intermission. The Vikings came out of the locker room and increased their advantage, holding a 17-point lead over BSU with just over 12 minutes left in the game.

Then, the Beavers came storming back. Senior guard Jalen Patterson splashed a 3-point shot that seemed to light the offense on fire. Following Patterson’s triple, BSU embarked on a 16-2 run to draw within one point, behind just 56-55 with less than six minutes to go.

It was a battle down the stretch, as Augustana continued to cling onto its thin lead. With less than a minute to go, senior guard/forward Malang Athian nailed a couple of free throws to, again, make it a one-point game.

However, with 26 seconds left, AU’s Sam Rensch nailed a 2-point jumper. Bemidji State (10-15) couldn’t find the game-tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the game, sealing a 67-64 victory for the Vikings (11-15).

Patterson and Athian led the scoring for the Beavers, collecting 15 points apiece. Sophomore guard John Pecarich was next up, tallying 13 points. Junior guard Tate Olson was the last player for BSU to finish with a double-digit point total, grabbing 11.

Augustana 67, Bemidji State 64

BSU 26 38 — 64

AU 39 28 — 67

Bemidji State — Athian 15, Patterson 15, Pecarich 13, Olson 11, Dayley 8, Severts 2. Totals: 21-58 FGs, 13-31 3-pt. FGs, 9-9 FTs.

Augustana — Rensch 17, Ferguson 16, Akoi 14, Fried 9, Te Slaa 8, Coleman 2, Hastreiter 1. Totals: 26-56 FGs, 7-19 3-pt. FGs, 8-13 FTs.