WAUKESHA, Wis. -- The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team dropped a road battle to the Carroll Pioneers on Saturday, falling by a score of 81-71. 

It was a back and forth opening half that featured seven lead changes through the first 10 minutes of action. Augie grabbed its first lead at 6-5 after back-to-back baskets by Ray Maurchie and Staishaun Kelley before a three-point play from Colton Gillingham around the halfway point granted the Vikings the first multi-possession lead for either team at a score of 21-17. Augustana remained in front over the course of the next four minutes until a tie at 26 followed with alternating baskets through the end of the period. An Evan Ambrose three-pointer with under a minute remaining game the Vikings some separation at 38-34, but a free throw from the home team inched them closer to end the half. Augustana led 38-35 after shooting 42.9 percent from the field. Carroll hit 50 percent of its looks in the opening 20 minutes, but Augie posted a plus-four turnover margin to help lead to nine extra shots.

Tyler Knuth kicked off the second with a bucket to give the Vikings the largest lead of the game for either team. Minutes later, the Pioneers erased the five-point deficit with a 10-0 scoring run to flip a 47-42 deficit into a 52-37 lead. Augustana fought to play catch up and evened the score at 55 apiece on an Ambrose layup with just under eight minute to go, but hot three-point shooting allowed Carroll to pull away for good. The Pioneers ended the game shooting 13-25 from deep, good for 52 percent, and hit 9-16 in the second half alone. Consecutive three-pointers from Knuth got the Vikings within three at 70-67 around the three-minute mark, but free throws down the stretch sealed the win for Carroll.

Knuth led the Vikings with 20 points and five made threes, while Ambrose also finished in double figures with 13. 

With the loss, Augustana sees its four-game winning streak come to an end and drops to 14-9 overall and 7-7 in the CCIW. The team will host Wheaton on Wednesday at 7 p.m.