ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. -- The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team will remain on the road for a pair of non-conference matchups in the state of Minnesota, beginning with the Crown Polar Bears on Friday, November 17. 

Augustana enters the weekend with a 1-1 record, recently falling on the road to the Coe Kohawks on Tuesday by a score of 73-62. Coe got out to a fast start with the game's first 10 points, putting the Vikings in catch-up mode the rest of the way. Augie successfully chipped away at the deficit and cut the margin to as little as as four with just over five minutes remaining in the half, but a quick 7-0 surge from the Kohawks pushed the lead back to double figures. Back-to-back jumpers from Matt Hawkins and Tyler Knuth brought it back down to six points, but a 4-4 effort from the free-throw line and a pair of three-pointers from the home team pushed the cushion out to 44-35 at the break.

Through the first three minutes of the second half, Augustana pulled within five points three different occasions, but saw the hole leap back out to double digits after a quick 6-0 spurt from Coe. The separation for the Kohawks remained intact for the next several minutes before the margin increased to 17 with five minutes left in the game. The deficit never dipped below 11 as the home team held on for the 74-63 win.

Coe out-shot Augustana 49 percent to 43 percent, also connecting on three additional threes than the Vikings and a plus-six advantage at the free-throw line. Knuth led the offensive efforts for Augie with 17 points, followed by Chase Larsen with 12. Knuth also added six rebounds.

Crown enters Friday's game with a 2-0 record, picking up a pair of double-digit wins over Trinity Bible and St. Mary's (Minn.) to begin the season. In their most recent matchup against St. Mary's, the Polar Bears shot 53 percent from the field and 57 percent from behind the three-point line in the first half on their way to a 45-29 halftime lead. Crown held on to its cushion despite a much more closely-played second half to improve to 2-0 on the season. Cade Carroll has two double-doubles in each of the two wins for the Polars.

On Saturday, the Vikings will head to the Twin Cities to take on the North Central Rams. The Rams currently sit with an 0-3 record, recently falling to Carleton on the road by a score of 57-50. All three of the team's losses this season have come by single digits, including a two-point loss to Luther in their lone home game. 

This weekend will serve as Augustana's first-ever meetings against both Crown and North Central.