WHEATON, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team dropped a close battle in overtime on Wednesday, falling on the road to the Wheaton Thunder by a score of 81-73.

After two made threes from the Thunder to begin the game, the Vikings took their first lead of the contest nine minutes in on a three-pointer from Anthony Cooper to make it 13-12. Augie's scoring run continued, pushing its lead out to seven at 19-12 to cap off a 12-0 scoring burst. Wheaton inched back within a possession, but Augustana again saw a lead of seven with just under three minutes remaining. An 11-3 run from the Thunder gave the home team the lead back, but a converted and-one basket in the paint from Dani Romero with just seven seconds showing gave Augie a 35-33 advantage at the halftime break. Both teams shot under 40 percent in the first half, but saw success at the free-throw line with a 9-11 effort each way.

Augustana held on to a slim lead before the second half's first tie at 38-38. The teams continued to alternate baskets, drawing even three more times as the second half reached its halfway point. Over the course of the next five minutes, neither team saw a lead of more than four until Wheaton grew theirs out to six with 4:05 remaining. The Vikings fought back, scoring six of the game's next seven points to draw even at 66 once again. A layup from the Thunder with 46 seconds left put them out in front, but a made shot from Cooper evened the score before a defensive stop from the Vikings sent the game to overtime.

A Cooper three-pointer gave the Vikings the first lead of the extra session, an advantage they held for the next two minutes. Wheaton deadlocked the game at 71 with the next basket of the frame before jumping out in front moments later. After a pair of free throws from Cooper to bring the score to 73-all, the Thunder notched the final eight points of the game to secure the victory. Despite three offensive rebounds in the final minute, the Vikings missed on all six of their attempts at the basket.

Cooper and Tyler Knuth led the Vikings each with 16 points, while Romero and Chase Larsen also had double figures with 12 and 11 points. Larsen also added 14 rebounds.

With the loss, Augustana drops to 6-15 on the season and 3-9 in the CCIW. The team will return home to face Carthage on Saturday.